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The role of work group context and information seeking in newcomer socialization: An interactionist perspective

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 January 2015

Wen-Chi Zou ,
Qing Tian  and
Jia Liu
Wen-Chi Zou
Affiliation:
School of Business, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macao, China
Qing Tian*
Affiliation:
School of Business, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macao, China
Jia Liu
Affiliation:
Department of General Education Macau University of Science and Technology, Macao, China
*
Corresponding author: qtian@must.edu.mo
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Abstract

This study examined how information seeking and proximal adjustment outcomes (role clarity and social integration) mediate the relationship between transformational leadership and distal adjustment outcome (affective organizational commitment) in work group context. The results of hierarchical linear modeling involving 212 newcomers and their 53 immediate supervisors revealed that information seeking mediated the relationship between transformational leadership and proximal adjustment outcomes. These in turn were positively related to distal adjustment outcome. Furthermore, work group structure was found to moderate the relationship between transformational leadership and newcomer information seeking.

Keywords

transformational leadershipnewcomerinformation seekingadjustmentwork group structure
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Management & Organization , Volume 21 , Issue 2 , March 2015 , pp. 159 - 175
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management 2015 

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