The Longitudinal Effect of Information Seeking on Socialisation and Development in Three Organisations: Filling the Research Gaps
Keywords:
longitudinal, information seeking, socialisation, research gapsAbstract
In this study, we have examined the longitudinal effect of various sources and strategies of information seeking by newcomers on organisational knowledge and commitment. Respondents were junior managers, rank-and-file employees, and IT professionals from three organisations in the Netherlands (total number of respondents N = 207). They completed two written questionnaires, after having been in employment for two and ten months respectively. Results showed significant differences in the information seeking and socialisation of the newcomers from the three organisations. The junior managers from the postal and telecom organisation more often turned to supervisors with questions, and the IT professionals observed less and asked fewer questions of their co-workers and more of support staff. The IT professionals scored lowest on all socialisation outcomes and their affective commitment decreased over time. Surprisingly, we found that observing and written material were most strongly related to organisational knowledge and commitment. The study concludes with a discussion of the results and implications for future research and organisational practice.
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