Effect of newcomer involvement in work-related activities: a longitudinal study of socialization

Abstract

One hundred ninety-three new PhD students provided data on entry to their doctoral programs and again 9 months later. This longitudinal design was used to extend the socialization literature by testing the influence of newcomer involvement on socialization, controlling for newcomer perceptions on entry, and allowing for a dynamic view of socialization stages. Individuals who had collected information that they perceived as realistic, who had attended the same institution for their undergraduate degree, and who had past research experience were more involved in their doctoral programs, were more engaged in doctoral research, had less role conflict, felt more accepted, and were more productive as measured by objective outcomes. In addition, those individuals who were actively involved in their doctoral program were better accommodated and had greater productivity. Accommodation variables predicted commitment, and activity measures predicted submissions.