The Impact of Socialization on the Role Adjustment of Information Systems Professionals

Abstract:

The study of socialization and its practices has only recently been applied to organizations to investigate the manner in which new employees adjust to corporate culture. Past studies have examined the nature of human-resource development from an individual perspective. Research in socialization practices represents an organizational approach toward understanding the manner in which new employees adjust to their roles. This study examines the impact of socialization practices on the nature of this role adjustment with respect to information systems professionals. One hundred and sixty newly hired IS personnel in five different cities were surveyed to examine the relationship between organizational socialization tactics and adjustment variables such as role orientation, role ambiguity, and role clarity. Results suggest that socialization practices affect professional role adjustment. Specifically, institutionalized socialization tactics lead to a custodial role orientation and individualized socialization tactics produce an innovative role orientation. In addition, institutionalized tactics are shown to reduce role ambiguity and role conflict in new employees. Implications for human-resource management of IS personnel and future research in this area are discussed.

Key Words and Phrases:

• information systems personnel
• role adjustment
• socialization
• training

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ruth C. King

Ruth C. King is an Assistant Professor in the Information Systems Area at the College of Commerce and Business Administration, University of Illinois at Urbana Champagne. She received her Ph.D. in information systems from the University of Texas at Austin. Her research interests include the strategic management of information technology, development of information systems professionals, computer-supported collaborative work, and effects of electronic communications.

Vikram Sethi

Vikram Sethi is an Associate Professor in the Information Systems Area at Southwest Missouri State University, Springfield, Missouri. His areas of interest include the training and development of information systems personnel, socialization practices, and role adjustment of information systems employees. His articles have appeared in journals such as Omega, Journal of Information Technology, and the Journal of High Technology Management Research.