Organizational Socialization: Predictors of Commitment during and After Entry

摘要

The predictors of commitment to membership in the Naval Reserve examined by this study include the individual's perceptions of various aspects of the organization, the process by which he/she made the decision to join, and support of family, friends and full-time employer. The research design, drawn from the organizational socialization literature, is a longitudinal study utilizing questionnaire data collected at entry into the organization and six months after entry. Seventy-five Naval Reservists are the focus of the research. Results indicate that support of family, friends and full-time employer, importance of extrinsic rewards, and perceptions of freely choosing to join are most strongly related to commitment. The sample was divided into two groups according to the extent to which the individual responds to demands of the situation or the extent to which he/she determines behaviors on the basis of internal dispositions. Results for the two groups suggest that degree of responsiveness to the situation or internal cues is an important moderating variable in determining predictors of commitment. Implications for researchers and practitioners are discussed.