Quizzing – a hazing ritual in workgroups

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to examine how newcomers’ experience and perception of their exposure to the hazing ritual “quizzing” affects their mode of relating to the workgroup. Design/methodology/approach Two illustrative cases are selected from a constructivist grounded theory study based on 15 semi-structured interviews with nursing students in clinical internships at somatic hospital wards. Findings As newcomers to the nursing profession, nursing students are exposed to experienced insiders’ hazing ritual “quizzing” during their internship at Danish hospitals. “Quizzing” is a public ceremony performed by an experienced insider, e.g. a daily or clinical supervisor. The ritual continues until a bystander intervenes even though the newcomer admits not knowing the answers. “Quizzing” is being met with repulsion and represents a deviation from expectations of social inclusion, civilized behavior and hope of resonance. It leaves newcomers feeling alienated and makes them adopting a repulsive mode of relating to the workgroup. Originality/value This paper applies Hartmut Rosa’s resonance theory and theories of workplace hazing to explore how workgroup hazing affects newcomers’ mode of relating to workgroups.