NEWCOMER SOCIALIZATION AND ONBOARDING AT AN AMERICAN INDUSTRIAL MANUFACTURING COMPANY: EXAMINATION OF FEEDBACK SEEKING BEHAVIORS OF NEW HIRES

Jordan, Sarah Christina

NEWCOMER SOCIALIZATION AND ONBOARDING AT AN AMERICAN INDUSTRIAL MANUFACTURING COMPANY: EXAMINATION OF FEEDBACK SEEKING BEHAVIORS OF NEW HIRES

Open Access

Author:: Jordan, Sarah Christina
Area of Honors:: Labor and Employment Relations
Degree:: Bachelor of Science
Document Type:: Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:: Jean Marie Phillips, Thesis Supervisor
Stanley Morris Gully, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:: Learning Goal Orientation
Performance Goal Orientation
Avoid Failure Orientation
Feedback Seeking Behaviors
Perceived Fit
Work Engagement
Self-Efficacy
Newcomer Socialization
Abstract:: It’s important for businesses to understand why employees seek feedback and the effects that feedback has on newcomer’s adjustment during the onboarding phase. The aim of this study is to examine the proactive behavior of feedback seeking in an organizational context. This thesis seeks to discover if goal orientation influences feedback seeking behaviors. Existing research focuses on feedback seeking correlation with goal orientation, but there is limited published research that provides findings beyond the feedback seeking relationship. This study analyzes if the relationship between goal orientations and feedback seeking leads to the socialization outcomes of organizational adjustment, work engagement and role self-efficacy. The moderating effect of perceived supervisor support on employee’s feedback seeking behaviors are also explored. A survey distributed to 390 members of a rotational leadership program within a global American industrial manufacturing company asked new hires of their experience with the independent and dependent variables. The data analysis of 133 participants providing complete responses revealed significant findings between goal orientation (learning goal orientation and avoid failure orientation) and the purpose of feedback seeking, moderated by the presence of supervisor support. Feedback seeking was also found to lead to significant organizational outcomes. The findings and business implications of this thesis are discussed.

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