More is less? A dynamic perspective on mentors' task‐related information sharing, indegree centrality, and newcomer socialization outcomes

Abstract

SummaryAs information adequacy is critical for newcomers' successful adjustment to their organizations, others' information sharing is assumed to always be beneficial to newcomers. However, existing research has not explored how changes in mentors' information sharing over time impact newcomer socialization outcomes. In this study, we challenge the traditional assumption by arguing that mentors' task‐related information sharing may not always contribute to newcomer socialization from a dynamic perspective. This study is based on role theory and the literature on socialization and uses eight waves of biweekly data collected from 254 newcomer–mentor dyads during the first 4 months after newcomers' entry. We found that the initial level of mentors' task‐related information sharing had a positive effect on the initial level of newcomers' assessment of mentors' communication effectiveness. However, the change in mentors' task‐related information sharing over time was negatively related to the change in newcomers' assessment of their mentors. The initial level of and the change in newcomers' assessment of mentors' communication effectiveness were positively related to their relationship building with mentors, which further facilitated newcomer socialization. In addition, we measured mentors' indegree centrality in their teams' communication networks. We then demonstrated its moderating role in the dynamic relationship between mentors' task‐related information sharing and newcomers' assessment of mentors' communication effectiveness. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.