Organizational Socialization and Work Identity: Role of Person-Environment Fit and Social Validation

Abstract

The present study aims to examine the impact of organizational socialization strategies on work identity of newly hired employees that is team identity, professional identity and organizational identity through perceived social validation. It is also proposed that person environment fit moderates the relationship between socialization and perceived social validation. The moderated mediation model has been proposed on the basis of Social identity theory by explaining process of categorization, uncertainty reduction and self-enhancement. Data gathered through questionnaires from 350 new employees of service and manufacturing industry and was collected on time-lagged design that was comprised on three different time spans with 2 months’ gap in each time interval. The significance of the study is that it is to make refinement in the social identity theory by testing how social validation (mediator) and person environment fit (moderator) taken in the study can authenticate the two fundamental needs of social identity theory which are uncertainty reduction and self enhancement. Data was analyzed using SEM for main & indirect effects, for moderation analysis, Hayes PROCESS was applied. Results support our main and indirect effects. Main effects are relationship of organizational socialization and different types of identities (Organizational identity, Team identity & Professional identity) whereas indirect effects are the mediating role of perceived social validation by coworker & supervisor between organizational socialization and the identities. However, moderation showed directional but insignificant effect which means that PE Fit neither strengthen nor weaken the relationship between organizational socialization (OS) and perceived social validation (PSV). Moreover, the study is helpful for HR Managers to opt for socialization strategies to build identification and to attract the new employees