Satisfying Newcomers’ Needs: The Role of Socialization Tactics and Supervisor Autonomy Support

© 2020, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. We investigate a novel approach to newcomer socialization based on self-determination theory (SDT). A core assumption of SDT is that when social contexts support basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and related...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Chong, Jane, Beenen, G., Gagné, Marylène, Dunlop, Patrick
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: SPRINGER 2020
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/82435
_version_ 1848764509453287424
author Chong, Jane
Beenen, G.
Gagné, Marylène
Dunlop, Patrick
author_facet Chong, Jane
Beenen, G.
Gagné, Marylène
Dunlop, Patrick
author_sort Chong, Jane
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description © 2020, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. We investigate a novel approach to newcomer socialization based on self-determination theory (SDT). A core assumption of SDT is that when social contexts support basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness, people are more likely to integrate new experience effectively and thrive in their environment. We sought to examine the role of psychological need support within the context of newcomer socialization and the period of early entry where newcomers learn their new role and become integrated within the organization. We propose that organizational socialization tactics and perceived autonomy-supportive supervision jointly influence newcomers’ basic psychological needs and, in turn, their organizational commitment and withdrawal cognitions. Results from structural equation modeling analyses from a time-lagged study of 489 MBA interns supported our hypothesized model. There were significant indirect effects of institutionalized socialization tactics and supervisor autonomy support on both affective organizational commitment and withdrawal cognitions, via psychological need satisfaction. Use of institutionalized tactics also was negatively associated with interns’ specific need for autonomy, suggesting that individualized tactics may play a role in supporting newcomers’ sense of self-determination. A post hoc moderation analysis further suggested a substitutive pattern in the interaction between supervisor autonomy support and institutionalized tactics, emphasizing the central role that supervisors play in newcomer socialization, particularly when it pertains to newcomers’ psychological need satisfaction. Our results indicate that SDT is a promising theoretical framework for studying newcomer adjustment.
first_indexed 2025-11-14T11:20:29Z
format Journal Article
id curtin-20.500.11937-82435
institution Curtin University Malaysia
institution_category Local University
language English
last_indexed 2025-11-14T11:20:29Z
publishDate 2020
publisher SPRINGER
recordtype eprints
repository_type Digital Repository
spelling curtin-20.500.11937-824352023-06-13T02:58:40Z Satisfying Newcomers’ Needs: The Role of Socialization Tactics and Supervisor Autonomy Support Chong, Jane Beenen, G. Gagné, Marylène Dunlop, Patrick Social Sciences Business Psychology, Applied Business & Economics Psychology Socialization Autonomy support Need satisfaction Commitment Withdrawal cognitions Self-determination theory SELF-DETERMINATION THEORY BASIC PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS OF-FIT INDEXES ORGANIZATIONAL SOCIALIZATION INTRINSIC MOTIVATION WORK ORGANIZATIONS MEDIATING ROLE LEADER-MEMBER SATISFACTION MODEL © 2020, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. We investigate a novel approach to newcomer socialization based on self-determination theory (SDT). A core assumption of SDT is that when social contexts support basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness, people are more likely to integrate new experience effectively and thrive in their environment. We sought to examine the role of psychological need support within the context of newcomer socialization and the period of early entry where newcomers learn their new role and become integrated within the organization. We propose that organizational socialization tactics and perceived autonomy-supportive supervision jointly influence newcomers’ basic psychological needs and, in turn, their organizational commitment and withdrawal cognitions. Results from structural equation modeling analyses from a time-lagged study of 489 MBA interns supported our hypothesized model. There were significant indirect effects of institutionalized socialization tactics and supervisor autonomy support on both affective organizational commitment and withdrawal cognitions, via psychological need satisfaction. Use of institutionalized tactics also was negatively associated with interns’ specific need for autonomy, suggesting that individualized tactics may play a role in supporting newcomers’ sense of self-determination. A post hoc moderation analysis further suggested a substitutive pattern in the interaction between supervisor autonomy support and institutionalized tactics, emphasizing the central role that supervisors play in newcomer socialization, particularly when it pertains to newcomers’ psychological need satisfaction. Our results indicate that SDT is a promising theoretical framework for studying newcomer adjustment. 2020 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/82435 10.1007/s10869-019-09678-z English SPRINGER fulltext
spellingShingle Social Sciences
Business
Psychology, Applied
Business & Economics
Psychology
Socialization
Autonomy support
Need satisfaction
Commitment
Withdrawal cognitions
Self-determination theory
SELF-DETERMINATION THEORY
BASIC PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS
OF-FIT INDEXES
ORGANIZATIONAL SOCIALIZATION
INTRINSIC MOTIVATION
WORK ORGANIZATIONS
MEDIATING ROLE
LEADER-MEMBER
SATISFACTION
MODEL
Chong, Jane
Beenen, G.
Gagné, Marylène
Dunlop, Patrick
Satisfying Newcomers’ Needs: The Role of Socialization Tactics and Supervisor Autonomy Support
title Satisfying Newcomers’ Needs: The Role of Socialization Tactics and Supervisor Autonomy Support
title_full Satisfying Newcomers’ Needs: The Role of Socialization Tactics and Supervisor Autonomy Support
title_fullStr Satisfying Newcomers’ Needs: The Role of Socialization Tactics and Supervisor Autonomy Support
title_full_unstemmed Satisfying Newcomers’ Needs: The Role of Socialization Tactics and Supervisor Autonomy Support
title_short Satisfying Newcomers’ Needs: The Role of Socialization Tactics and Supervisor Autonomy Support
title_sort satisfying newcomers’ needs: the role of socialization tactics and supervisor autonomy support
topic Social Sciences
Business
Psychology, Applied
Business & Economics
Psychology
Socialization
Autonomy support
Need satisfaction
Commitment
Withdrawal cognitions
Self-determination theory
SELF-DETERMINATION THEORY
BASIC PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS
OF-FIT INDEXES
ORGANIZATIONAL SOCIALIZATION
INTRINSIC MOTIVATION
WORK ORGANIZATIONS
MEDIATING ROLE
LEADER-MEMBER
SATISFACTION
MODEL
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/82435