I Am Nice and Capable! How and When Newcomers' Self-Presentation to Their Supervisors Affects Socialization Outcomes

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Gross, Christian; Debus, Maike E.; Liu, Yihao; Wang, Mo; Kleinmann, Martin
• 署名单位: University of Zurich; University of Erlangen Nuremberg; University of Illinois System; University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; University of Illinois System; University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; State University System of Florida; University of Florida
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0021-9010
• DOI: 10.1037/apl0000817
• 发表日期: 2021
• 页码: 1067-1079
• 关键词: NEWCOMER SOCIALIZATION; SELF-PRESENTATION; INGRATIATION; self-promotion; supervisor socialization effort

摘要

Whereas meta-analytical research draws a relatively unfavorable picture of the usefulness of selfpresentation on the job, our study challenges this view by highlighting the benefits of such behaviors during newcomer socialization. Drawing from social influence theory, the current study examines how and when newcomers' self-presentation, in the form of ingratiation and self-promotion, facilitates their socialization success (indicated by affective commitment, job performance, and promotability) by shaping their supervisors' relational and work-based socialization efforts. Data from a time-lagged field study of 355 newcomer-supervisor dyads provided support for the proposed model. In particular, we found that ingratiation was positively related to supervisor relational socialization effort, which in turn was positively related to newcomer affective commitment. Additionally, self-promotion was positively related to supervisor work-based socialization effort, which in turn was positively related to newcomer job performance and promotability. Drawing on social influence theory's notion that characteristics related to the influencer may further affect self-presentation effectiveness, we found that newcomers' interpersonal influence and work role clarity weakened the positive effects of newcomer self-presentation on supervisor socialization efforts. These findings illustrate how newcomers can achieve desirable socialization outcomes by enacting social influence on organizational insiders with self-presentation, extending the literatures on both self-presentation and newcomer socialization.