Organizational Socialization: Joining and Leaving Organizations

The experiences of joining and leaving organizations permeate mostpeople's lives in the 21st century. This book provides aframework for increasing our understanding of those experiencesusing a mixture of specific examples, scholarly findings, andtheoretical concepts and models.

Each chapter begins with a realistic scenario that illustrates itsconcepts and theories. Then the chapters explore the entiresocialization process from anticipatory socialization, in whichindividuals choose occupations and organizations to join, tovoluntarily or involuntarily exit from those same organizations. Inbetween, chapters examine the process of entering organizations, learning their culture, developing personal relationships, andexperiencing individual transitions, like promotions, andorganizational transitions, like mergers and acquisitions, as partof the ongoing socialization process. It expands the study ofsocialization by considering socialization of organizationalvolunteers as well as paid employees, and by exploring the waysthat work-family issues and new technologies influence thesocialization process. Throughout, particular attention is paid tothe role and importance of communication in these experiences.

The book's organization allows scholars, students, andorganizational participants in every walk of life to increase theirunderstanding of their organizational experiences. It will beparticularly useful for those studying organizationalcommunication, business and management.