Fitting In or Making Jobs Fit: Factors Affecting Mode of Adjustment for New Hires

Abstract

This study tested a theoretical framework of work role transitions by examining the impact of individual factors (personal need for control and need for feedback), job factors (job discretion and job novelty), and organizational factors (organizational socialization tactics) on two modes of adjustment for new hires. In this study, need for control and need for feedback had a significant impact on self change as a mode of adjustment but not on job change. Job novelty and job discretion had little impact on either mode of adjustment. Investiture-divestiture organizational socialization tactics had a significant impact on self change as a mode of adjustment and fixed-variable socialization tactics had a significant impact on changing ones' job as a mode of adjustment. In general, the results of this study suggest that variables hypothesized by past theoretical work may only be moderate predictors of changing self or job as modes of adjustment for new hires.