How Selecting and Socializing Newcomers Influences Insiders

Abstract

The organizational literature on selection and socialization concentrate on what happens to recruits from interview through acculturation. In contrast, little has been written about what happens to “insiders” as they choose new members and help bring them on board. In this paper, we demonstrate how involvement with newcomers can have profound effects on insiders' attitudes, performance, and knowledge. We emphasize how managers can harness these rarely discussed features of selection and socialization to enhance the effectiveness of veteran members and their organizations.