Retaining IS talents in the new millennium: effects of socialization on IS professionals' role adjustment and organizational attachment

ABSTRACT

This study examined the effects of six organizational socialization tactics on new information systems (IS) professionals' role adjustment and organizational attachment. Data were collected from 187 newly hired IS professionals. The results showed that the six socialization tactics affected new IS professionals differently. Investiture tactics affected directly all the variables studied except role ambiguity. Serial tactics had a direct and positive effect on continuance commitment but a negative effect on intention to quit. Both sequential and collective tactics had direct effects on role ambiguity. Overall, the social aspects of the socialization process had the most significant effects on new IS professionals' role adjustment and organizational attachment. The results suggest that organizational socialization is an important strategy that needs to be considered in both IS research and practice.

REFERENCES

• 1: Allen, N.J., and Meyer, J.P. Organizational socialization tactics: A longitudinal analysis of links to newcomers' commitment and role orientation. Academy of Management Journal, 33, 4 (1990), 847-858.
• 2: Ashford, S.J. and Cummings, L. L. Feedback as an individual resource: personal strategies of creating information. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance, 32 (1983), 370-398.
• 3: Baker, J.E., and Feldman, D.C. Strategies of organizational socialization and their impact on newcomer adjustment. Journal of Management Issues, lI, 2 (1990), 198-212.
• 4: Baroudi, J.J. The impact of role variables on IS personnel work attitudes and intentions. MIS Quarterly, 9, 4 (1985), 341-356.
• 5: Buchanan, B. Building organizational commitment: The socialization of managers in work organizations. Administrative Science Quarterly, 19 (1974), 533-546.
• 6: Cammann, C., Fichman, M., Jenkins, D. mid Klesh, J. The Michigan organizational assessment questionnaire. Unpublished manuscript, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. (1979)
• 7: Carsten, J.M. and Spector, P.E. Unemployment, job satisfaction, and employee turnover: A meta-analytic test of the Muchinsky model. Journal of Applied Psychology, 72 (1987), 374-381.
• 8: Paul H. Cheney , David P. Hale , George M. Kasper, Knowledge, skills and abilities of information systems professionals: past, present, and future, Information and Management, v.19 n.4, p.237-247, Nov. 1990 [doi>10.1016/0378-7206(90)90033-E]
• 9: Cotton, J.L. and Tuttle, J.M. Employee turnover: A metaanalysis and review with implications for research. Academy of Management Review 11, 1 (1986), 55-70.
• 10: Curry, J.P., Wakefield, D.S., Price, J.L. and Mueller, C.W. On the causal ordering of job satisfaction and organizational c0rmnitment. Academy of Management Journal, 29, 4 (1986), 847-858.
• 11: Mike Echols , Uma G. Gupta, Recruiting and retention of information systems professionals in Nebraska: issues and challenges, Proceedings of the 1998 ACM SIGCPR conference on Computer personnel research, p.28-32, March 26-28, 1998, Boston, Massachusetts, United States [doi>10.1145/279179.279183]
• 12: Feldman, D.C. The role of initiation activities in socialization. Human Relations, 30 (1977), 977-990.
• 13: Feldanan, D.C. The multiple socialization of organization members. Academy of Management Review, 6 (1981), 309-318.
• 14: Feldman, D.C. Socialization, resocialization, and training: Refraining the research agenda. Ill Goldstein, I. (Ed.), Training and Development in Organizations, (1989), San Francisco: Fossey-Bass.
• 15: Feldanan, D.C. and Brett, J.M. Coping with new jobs: A comparative study of new hires and job changes. Academy of Managelnent, 26, ( 1983) 258-272.
• 16: Fogarty, T.J. Organizational socialization in accounting finns: A theoretical framework and agenda for future research. Accounting, Organizations and Society, 17, 2 (1992), 129-149.
• 17: Glisson, C., and Durick, M. Predictors of job satisfaction and organizational colmnitanent in human service organizations. Administrative Science Quarterly, 33 (1988), 61-81.
• 18: D. K. Goldstein, The effects of task differences on the work satisfaction, job characteristics, and role perceptions of programmer/analysts, Journal of Management Information Systems, v.6 n.1, p.41-57, Summer 1989
• 19: Goldstein, D.K. and Rochart, J.F. ,aal examination of work-related correlates of job satisfaction in progralmner/analyst. MIS Quarterly, 8, 2 (1984), 103- 115.
• 20: Guimaraes, Y. and Igbaria, M. Determinants of turnover intentions: Comparing IC and IS persolmel. Information Systems Research, 3, 3 (1992), 273-303.
• 21: Hulin, C.L. Adaptation, persistence, and coxmnitanent in organizations, hi M.D. Dulmette and L.M. Hough (Eds.), Handbook of hldustrial and Organizational Psychology (2nd ed., Vol. 2, 445-505.), (1991), Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists Press.
• 22: Magid Igbaria , Jeffrey H. Greenhaus, Determinants of MIS employees' turnover intentions: a structural equation model, Communications of the ACM, v.35 n.2, p.34-49, Feb. 1992 [doi>10.1145/129630.129631]
• 23: Magid Igbaria , Guy Meredith , Derek C. Smith, Predictors of intention of IS professionals to stay with the organization in South Africa, Information and Management, v.26 n.5, p.245-256, May 1994 [doi>10.1016/0378-7206(94)90063-9]
• 24: Magid Igbaria , Sidney R. Siegel, The reasons for turnover of information systems personnel, Information and Management, v.23 n.6, p.321-330, Dec. 1992 [doi>10.1016/0378-7206(92)90014-7]
• 25: Jackson, S.E., and Schuler, R.S. A meta-analysis and conceptual critique of research on role ambiguity and role conflict in work settings. Organizational behavior and Human Decision Processes, 37 (1985), 16-78.
• 26: Jones, G.R. Socialization tactics, self-efficacy, and newcomers' adjustments to organizations. Academy of Management Journal, 29, 2 (1986), 262-279.
• 27: Kahn, R.L., Wolfe, D.M., Quinn, R.P., Snock, J.D., and Rosenthal, R.A. Organizational Stress: Studies in Role Conflict and Ambiguity. (1964), New York: Wiley.
• 28: Katz, D. Job longevity as a situational factor in job satisfaction. Administrative Science Quarterly, 23 (1978), 204-223.
• 29: Katz, D. Organizational stress and early socialization experiences. In T.A. Beehr and R.S. Bhagat (Eds.) Human Stress and Cognition in Organizations: (1985), 117-139. New York: Wiley.
• 30: Katz, D. and Katm, R.L. The Social Psychology of Organizations (2nd Ed.), (1978), Wiley, New York.
• 31: King, J. L. Name your price. Computerworld. (1996).
• 32: Lee, T.W., Ashtbrd, S.J., Walsh, J.P., and Mowday, R.T. Commitment propensity, organizational commitment, and voluntary turnover: A longitudinal study of organizational entry processes. Journal of Management, 18, 1 (1992), 15-32.
• 33: Louis, M.R. Surprise and sense-making: What newcomers experience in entering unfamiliar organizational settings. Administrative Science Quarterly, 25 (1980), 226-251.
• 34: Mathieu, J. and Zajac, D. A review and meta-analysis of the antecedents, correlates, and consequences of organizational colmnitment. Psychological Bulletin, 108 (1990), 171-194.
• 35: Meyer, J. and Allen, N. Testing the side-bet theory of organizational commitment: Some methodological considerations. Journal of Applied Psychology. 62 (I 984), 237-240.
• 36: Meyer, J.P., Paunonen, S.V., Gallatly, I.R., Goffm, R.D. and Jackson, D.N. Organizational commitment and job performance: It's the nature of the commitment that counts. Journal of Applied Psychology, 74, 1 (1989). 152- 156.
• 37: Mignerey, J.T., Rubin, R.B. and Gorden, W.I. Organizational entry: An investigation of newcomer communication behavior and uncertainty. Communications Research, 22, 1 (1995), 54-85.
• 38: Miller, V.D., and Jablin, F.M. Information seeking during organizational entry: Influences, tactics, and a model of the finn. Academy of Management Review, 16, 1 (1991), 92-120.
• 39: Mobley, W., Homer, S. and Hollingsworth, A. An evaluation of the precursors of hospital employee turnover. Journal of Applied Psychology, 63 (1978), 408- 414.
• 40: Morrison, E.W. Newcomer information seeking: Exploring types, modes, sources, and outcomes. Academy of Management Journal, 36, 3 (1993), 557-589.
• 41: Mowday, R. Porter, L. and Steers, R. Employeeorganization Linkages: The Psychology of Commitment, Absenteeism, and Turnover. (1982). New York: Academic Press.
• 42: Nelson, D.L. Organizational socialization: A stress perspective. Journal of Occupational Behavior, 8 (1987), 311-324.
• 43: Nurmally, J.C. Psychometric Theory, (1967), McGraw Hill, New York.
• 44: O'Reilly, C.A., III, Chatman, J. and Caldwell, D. People and organizational culture: A profile comparison approach to assessing person-organization fit. Academy of Management Journal, 34 (1991), 487-516.
• 45: Ostroff, C. and Kozlowski, S.W.J. Organizational socialization as a learning process: The role of information acquisition. Personnel Psychology, 45 (1992), 849-874.
• 46: Porter, L., Steers, R. M., Mowday, R. T., and Boulian, P. V. Organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and turnover amongst psychiatric technicians. Journal of Applied Psychology, 59 (1974), 603-609.
• 47: Reichers, A. A review and reconceptualization of organizational commitment. Academy of Management Review, 10 (1985), 465-476.
• 48: Reichers, A. An interactionist perspective on newcomer socialization rates. Academy of Management Review, 12 (1987), 278-287.
• 49: Rizzo, J.R., House, R.J., and Lirlzman, S.I. Role conflict and ambiguity in complex organizations. Achninistrative Science Quarterly, 15 (1970), 150-163.
• 50: Schaubroeck, J. and Green, S.G. Confu'matory factor analytic procedures for assessing change during organizational entry. Journal of Applied Psychology, 74 (1989), 892-900.
• 51: Schien, E.H. Organizational socialization and the profession of management. Industrial Management Review, 2 (1968), 59-77.
• 52: Seashore, S.E., Lawler, E.E., Mirvis, P. and Cammann, C. (Eds.). Observing and Measuring Organizational Change: A Guide to Field Practices. (1982), New York: Wiley.
• 53: Tsui, A.S., Egan, T.D. and O'Reilly, C.A. Being different: Relational demography and organizational attachment. Administrative Science, 37 (1992), 549-579.
• 54: Van Maanen, J. Breaking in: Socialization to work. In Dubin, R. (Ed.), Handbook of Work, Organization, and Society, (1976), Chicago: Rand McNally.
• 55: Van Maanen, J. and Schein, E.H. Towards a theory of organizational socialization. In Staw, B.M. (Ed.), Research in Organizational Behavior. (1979), Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.
• 56: Van Sell, M., Brief, A. and Schuler, R. Role conflict and role ambiguity: Integration of the literature and directions for future research. Human Relations, 34 (1981), 43-71.
• 57: Wanous, J.P. Organizational Entry: Recruitment, Selection, and Socialization of Newcomers (2nd ed.). (1992), Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
• 58: Weiss, M. Effects of work stress and social support on information systems managers. (1983).

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  K. Computing Milieux
  K.6 MANAGEMENT OF COMPUTING AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Additional Classification:
  K. Computing Milieux
  K.4 COMPUTERS AND SOCIETY

General Terms:
Documentation, Management

Keywords:
and intention to quit, information systems human resources management, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, organizational socialization, role ambiguity, role conflict