CH 8
CH 8
4) Which of the following best explains why most religious leaders conform to the norms of their religion?
A) Effect dependence.
B) Information dependence.
C) Internalization.
D) Compliance.
E) Identification.
Answer: C
6) From first stage to last stage, which of the following sequences accurately portrays the stages of organizational
socialization?
A) Encounter; role management; anticipatory socialization
B) Anticipatory socialization; encounter; role management
C) Anticipatory socialization; role management; encounter
D) Role management; anticipatory socialization; encounter
E) Encounter; anticipatory socialization; role management
Answer: B
7) In his last year of college, even before he took a job with a conservative bank, Randall began wearing three piece
suits regularly. To which stage of socialization does this example refer?
A) Encounter
B) Anticipatory socialization
C) Role management
D) Debasement
E) Identification
Answer: B
8) A psychological contract is
A) conformity to a social norm prompted by the desire to acquire rewards.
B) the shared beliefs, values and assumptions that exist in an organization.
C) the set of beliefs held by employees concerning the reciprocal obligations between them and their
employer.
D) an explicit agreement between a worker and their employer which states the pay and benefits offered in
exchange for work.
E) the process by which people learn the norms required to function in an organization.
Answer: C
9) The first day on his new job, John's experienced workmates sent him to the equipment shed to ask the attendant
for a ridiculously named, nonexistent tool. John came back very embarrassed, much to their amusement. This is
not an example of
A) a divestiture tactic.
B) debasement.
C) a realistic job preview.
D) socialization.
E) hazing.
Answer: C
10) Given the research findings, an organization would most likely introduce realistic job previews to
A) increase applicant expectations about the job.
B) increase the rate of job offer acceptance by applicants.
C) reduce absenteeism.
D) reduce turnover.
E) reduce the effects of socialization.
Answer: D
12) At which stage of socialization is the new organizational member most likely to be information dependent and
effect dependent on experienced organizational members?
A) Role management
B) Anticipatory socialization
C) Encounter
D) Internalization
E) Identification
Answer: C
13) Even before he graduated from business school, Stan replaced his knapsack with an expensive leather briefcase.
This is an example of
A) anticipatory socialization.
B) a strong culture.
C) debasement.
D) collective socialization.
E) a realistic job preview.
Answer: A
14) Alan acts in accordance with group norms because he believes that the norms are truly right. He __________ the
norms.
A) is complying with
B) is dissenting from
C) is identifying with
D) is imitating
E) has internalized
Answer: E
15) What do newcomers need to learn about during the socialization process?
A) Performance expectations, psychological contract, culture, task.
B) Task, performance expectations, psychological contract, organization.
C) Career and psychosocial functions.
D) Health and safety issues, terms and conditions of employment, psychological contract, organizational
procedures.
E) Task, role, group, organization.
Answer: E
18) The patriotic soldier truly agreed with the statement, "My country, right or wrong." His agreement is indicative
of
A) compliance.
B) dissension.
C) internalization.
D) identification.
E) effect dependence.
Answer: C
20) Research indicates that the expectations people have about organizations before they actually join them
A) are unrealistically low.
B) are unrealistically high.
C) are amazingly accurate.
D) are unbelievably poor.
E) are extremely vague.
Answer: B
22) Organizations that handle a substantial proportion of their own socialization rather than relying on external
agents to socialize their members
A) expect their recruits to enter the organization with a high degree of anticipatory socialization.
B) don't socialize very extensively and pretty much accept recruits as they are.
C) are less susceptible to inbreeding.
D) are especially open to new ideas and procedures.
E) wish to foster reliable, stable job behaviour over time.
Answer: E
23) Which person least likely experienced collective socialization with regard to her work?
A) A soldier
B) A novelist
C) A police officer
D) An airline cabin attendant
E) An IBM salesperson
Answer: B
24) Which practice is most likely to lead to uniform conformity to a standard set of organizational norms?
A) Individual socialization
B) Socialization by external agents
C) Socialization via debasement
D) Disjunctive socialization
E) Collective socialization
Answer: E
25) The tailor sent the eager apprentice out to find some (nonexistent) striped thread. This is
A) socialization.
B) debasement.
C) divestiture tactic.
D) hazing.
E) all of the above.
Answer: E
28) Mentoring provides a number of career enhancing benefits for the apprentice. These include
A) special tours of company facilities and presentations by top managers.
B) sponsorship, exposure and visibility, and developmental assignments.
C) acceptance and confirmation, optimal levels of stress, and financial incentives.
D) recognition and a "positive reinforcer" for being included in such a program.
E) rigorous divestiture and debasement experiences.
Answer: B
30) There are a number of career functions of mentoring. Which of the following is NOT a mentoring career
function?
A) discipline
B) developmental assignments
C) coaching
D) visibility
E) sponsorship
Answer: A
32) The hardware division and the software division had rather different beliefs, values, and assumptions. This
illustrates the operation of
A) symbolic cultures.
B) subcultures.
C) ritual cultures.
D) strong cultures.
E) pathological cultures.
Answer: B
33) Which of the following is NOT a benefit of developing and maintaining a strong organizational culture?
A) Increased coordination
B) Increased financial success
C) Ease of conflict resolution
D) Improved communication
E) Resistance to change
Answer: E
35) Which of the following is a benefit of developing and maintaining a strong organizational culture?
A) Resistance to change.
B) Pathological behaviours.
C) Increased dissension.
D) Culture clash.
E) Conflict resolution.
Answer: E
36) Organizational cultures that involve intense and pervasive beliefs, values, and assumptions are called
__________ cultures.
A) strong
B) sub
C) pathological
D) symbolic
E) ritual
Answer: A
37) Which of the following statements about strong organizational cultures is FALSE?
A) They can damage a firm's ability to innovate.
B) They have a strong impact on organizational members.
C) They can be pathological.
D) They always contribute to organizational success.
E) They engage in extensive socialization of organizational members.
Answer: D
40) Mary Kay Cosmetics gives top performers pink Cadillacs during sales meetings that have the flavour of a
Hollywood premiere. This illustrates how
A) compliance is the truest motive for conformity.
B) some strong cultures can become pathological.
C) individual socialization can overpower collective socialization.
D) rituals can shape an organization's culture.
E) debasement can enhance the socialization process.
Answer: D
44) At what stage of the socialization process is the organization looking for an acceptable degree of conformity to
organizational norms?
A) Anticipatory stage and encounter stage.
B) Role management stage.
C) It depends on the organization.
D) Encounter stage.
E) Anticipatory stage.
Answer: D
10
51) What kind of information do newcomers tend to seek out the most?
A) Realistic information.
B) Organization information.
C) Task information.
D) Group information
E) Role information.
Answer: C
11
53) During the early period of socialization, what kind of information do newcomers seek from most to least?
A) role, task, group, organization
B) task, organization, role, group
C) task, role, organization, group
D) task, group, role, organization
E) task, role, group, organization
Answer: E
54) All of the following are proximal socialization outcomes except for
A) learning
B) role conflict
C) task mastery
D) social integration
E) organizational identification
Answer: E
55) All of the following are distal socialization outcomes except for
A) organizational commitment
B) person-job fit
C) stress
D) organizational identification
E) organizational citizenship behaviour
Answer: B
56) Soon after starting a new job, Carman beings to define herself in terms of the organization and what it is
perceived to represent. What is this called?
A) person-job fit
B) organizational identification
C) person-organization fit
D) social integration
E) internalization
Answer: B
12
58) All of the following are common themes that underlie organizational stories except
A) Will I get fired?
B) How will the boss react to mistakes?
C) Is the big boss human?
D) Will I get promoted?
E) How will the organization deal with obstacles
Answer: D
59) Flight Centre's monthly parties called "buzz nights" are a good example of
A) stories
B) symbols
C) the founder's role
D) rituals
E) subcultures
Answer: D
60) What does Disney, Flight Centre, and Mary Kay Cosmetics have in common?
A) subcultures
B) step-by-step socialization process
C) symbols
D) stories
E) rituals
Answer: E
61) All of the following are part of a careful step-by-step socialization process except
A) exposure to core culture
B) reward and promotion
C) role models
D) mentoring
E) selecting employees
Answer: D
13
64) Which of the following is a good example of resistance to change and top management's role in shaping
organizational culture?
A) IBM
B) Enron
C) WorldCom
D) Compaq
E) NASA
Answer: A
66) What company was ranked as having the most admired Canadian corporate culture in Canada?
A) Hilti (Canada) Corp.
B) Suncor Energy Inc.
C) WestJet Airlines
D) Flight Centre
E) Yellow Pages Group
Answer: C
14
67) Salma has just started a new job and is explaining the reciprocal obligations and promises between her and her
organization. What is she talking about?
A) compliance
B) culture
C) norms
D) psychological contract
E) realistic job preview
Answer: D
68) Psychological contract breach can occur for the following reasons except for
A) restructuring
B) too many newcomers hired at the same time
C) recruiters promise more than the organization can provide
D) downsizing
E) newcomers lack sufficient information to form accurate perceptions
Answer: B
69) If a recruiter promises you more than an organization can provide, what might happen after you join the
organization?
A) individualized socialization
B) institutionalized socialization
C) downsizing
D) psychological contract breach
E) compliance
Answer: D
70) If an organization wants to prevent newcomers from experiencing a reality shock when the join the
organization, what should they do?
A) provide a realistic job preview
B) use institutionalized socialization tactics
C) provide an orientation program
D) avoid psychological contract breach
E) have a formal mentoring program
Answer: A
15
72) All of the following are common examples of collective socialization except for
A) airline attendants
B) salespeople
C) apprenticeships
D) army boot camps
E) fraternity pledge classes
Answer: C
73) What socialization tactic involves a fixed sequence of steps leading to the assumption of the role?
A) formal
B) fixed
C) collective
D) serial
E) sequential
Answer: E
74) Your socialization will require you to attend two days of orientation followed by one week of classroom
training, then one month of on-the-job training. You will then be assigned a mentor for the next six months.
What is this called?
A) serial socialization
B) fixed socialization
C) sequential socialization
D) investiture socialization
E) formal socialization
Answer: C
16
75) Kamal has begun a new job and his boss has told him what he can expect to happen during his first year on the
job including when he will attend training, when he will be assigned a mentor, when he will be given various
assignments, and so on. What is this called?
A) serial socialization
B) fixed socialization
C) sequential socialization
D) formal socialization
E) individual socialization
Answer: B
76) After beginning a new job following graduation, you are surprised to learn that there are so many experienced
members of the organization who were once in your situation and are always willing and able to help you.
What is this called?
A) proactive socialization
B) collective socialization
C) mentoring
D) serial socialization
E) informal socialization
Answer: D
17
80) What socialization tactics have been found to be most strongly related to socialization outcomes?
A) social tactics
B) content tactics
C) collective tactics
D) context tactics
E) formal tactics
Answer: A
82) Joan and Tabatha started new jobs after graduation. Joan has had a mentor since she began but Tabatha has not
been able to find a mentor. What are the likely career consequences of this?
A) Joan is more likely to be promoted but Tabatha is more likely to be satisfied with her job
B) Joan is more likely to be satisfied with her career but Tabatha is more likely to be satisfied with her job
C) Joan is more likely to be promoted and to be more satisfied with her job
D) Joan is more likely to be promoted but Tabatha is more likely to be committed to her career
E) Joan is more likely to get paid more but Tabatha is more likely to be satisfied with her job
Answer: C
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True
False
87) Formal mentoring programs are most effective when the organization determines the matching process.
Answer:
True
False
True
False
89) Mentoring tends to be more strongly related to objective career outcomes than to subjective outcomes.
Answer:
True
False
90) The psychosocial function of mentoring is more strongly related to satisfaction with the mentoring relationship
than the career function.
Answer:
True
False
19
91) The psychosocial function of mentoring is more strongly related to compensation and advancement than the
career function.
Answer:
True
False
92) Both the psychosocial and career functions of mentoring are just as important in generating positive attitudes
towards one's job and career.
Answer:
True
False
True
False
94) Content tactics have been found to be the most strongly related to socialization outcomes.
Answer:
True
False
95) Organizations that carefully select new members for certain attributes and characteristics are more likely to use
the divestiture tactic than the investiture tactic.
Answer:
True
False
96) Evidence shows that realistic job previews are effective in reducing inflated expectations and turnover but not
for improving job performance.
Answer:
True
False
True
False
98) The culture of IBM became more people-friendly as a result of the CEO.
Answer:
True
False
99) Organizational stories often have a good version in which things turn out well and a bad version in which
things go sour.
Answer:
True
False
20
100) Inflated positive expectations are common among people before they begin a new job.
Answer:
True
False
101) The Canadian Armed Forces relies heavily upon collective socialization to break in new soldiers.
Answer:
True
False
102) The following socialization sequence is portrayed in the text: Anticipatory socialization -> Role management ->
encounter.
Answer:
True
False
103) An example of debasement would be giving a new recruit a challenging task in his area of expertise.
Answer:
True
False
True
False
True
False
106) Research shows that stories and folklore about particular organizations are unique and that they reveal few
common themes across organizations.
Answer:
True
False
107) Bob is very afraid that his boss will fire him. This is an example of effect dependence.
Answer:
True
False
108) Internalization is a stronger and deeper motive for conformity to organizational norms than is identification.
Answer:
True
False
21
109) Compliance with organizational norms and goals is clear evidence that these norms and goals have been
internalized.
Answer:
True
False
110) Providing realistic job previews can help prevent psychological contract violations.
Answer:
True
False
111) Most orientation programs take place during the first day of entry and last one to two days.
Answer:
True
False
112) One of the purposes of employee orientation programs is to teach newcomers how to cope with stressful work
situations.
Answer:
True
False
113) Socialization is the process by which people learn the norms and roles necessary to function in a group or
organization.
Answer:
True
False
True
False
115) In collective socialization, one's peers are especially important sources of information.
Answer:
True
False
True
False
117) When people join organizations, they usually have unrealistically low expectations about what the organization
will be like.
Answer:
True
False
22
True
False
119) Realistic job previews are used during the role management stage of socialization.
Answer:
True
False
120) Debasement is an aspect of socialization that may prove unpleasant or embarrassing to the person being
socialized.
Answer:
True
False
121) Although mentoring is often an informal process, some organizations have developed formal mentoring
programs.
Answer:
True
False
True
False
True
False
True
False
125) __________ means that people are motivated to conform to avoid punishment or obtain rewards.
Answer: Compliance
Page Ref: 262
Skill: Recall
126) Organizational cultures in which certain beliefs and values are intensely and pervasively held are called
__________ cultures.
Answer: strong
Page Ref: 280
Skill: Recall
23
127) Under a(n) __________ socialization strategy, organizational recruits are socialized as an intact group, facing the
same challenges together.
Answer: collective
Page Ref: 272
Skill: Recall
128) Realistic job previews cause individuals not cut out for a job to withdraw from the application process, a
process known as __________.
Answer: self-selection
Page Ref: 269
Skill: Recall
129) Exposing job applicants to the positive and negative features of a job so that they better understand it is called
a(n) __________.
Answer: realistic job preview
Page Ref: 268
Skill: Recall
130) If I conform to your wishes because I admire you and see myself as similar to you I am conforming due to
__________.
Answer: identification
Page Ref: 263
Skill: Applied
131) __________ socialization is socialization that occurs before a person even joins an organization.
Answer: Anticipatory
Page Ref: 265
Skill: Recall
132) Institutionalized socialization consists of collective, formal, sequential, fixed, serial, and __________.
Answer: investiture tactics
Page Ref: 273
Skill: Recall
133) In the stages of socialization presented in the text __________ falls between anticipatory socialization and role
management.
Answer: encounter
Page Ref: 266
Skill: Recall
134) Debasement or hazing is most likely to occur during the __________ stage of socialization.
Answer: encounter
Page Ref: 273
Skill: Recall
135) Jemma conformed to the norms of her organization because she truly believed in and supported them. This is
an example of conformity because of __________.
Answer: internalization
Page Ref: 263
Skill: Applied
24
136) His first day on the job Raul was requested by his experienced workmates to go get a bucket of steam (an
impossible task). This is an example of __________.
Answer: debasement or hazing
Page Ref: 273
Skill: Applied
137) Walt Disney's continuing impact on the culture of the company that bears his name shows how the __________
frequently shapes organizational culture.
Answer: founder
Page Ref: 285
Skill: Applied
138) __________ tactics have been found to be the most strongly related to socialization outcomes.
Answer: Social
Page Ref: 274
Skill: Recall
139) "My country, right or wrong" suggests that the speaker will conform to national norms due to __________.
Answer: internalization
Page Ref: 263
Skill: Applied
140) Organizations with strong cultures pay meticulous attention to the __________ of new recruits.
Answer: socialization
Page Ref: 287
Skill: Recall
141) While still in business school, Terrence bought a number of expensive business suits. This is an example of
__________ socialization.
Answer: anticipatory
Page Ref: 265
Skill: Applied
142) When newcomers enter an organization, they experience a __________ and their expectations are not met.
Answer: reality shock
Page Ref: 266
Skill: Recall
143) Symbols, rituals, and stories can all help us diagnose __________.
Answer: an organization's culture
Page Ref: 289
Skill: Recall
144) __________ are the information source most strongly related to positive socialization outcomes.
Answer: Supervisors
Page Ref: 278
Skill: Recall
25
145) Newcomers rely primarily on __________ for acquiring information during socialization.
Answer: observation
Page Ref: 278
Skill: Recall
146) The extent to which an individual defines him or herself in terms of the organization and what it is perceived to
represent is known as __________.
Answer: organizational identification
Page Ref: 279
Skill: Recall
147) Strong cultures contribute to financial success when the culture supports the mission, __________, and goals of
the organization.
Answer: strategy
Page Ref: 283
Skill: Recall
148) __________ was ranked as having the most admired Canadian corporate culture in Canada.
Answer: WestJet Airlines
Page Ref: 282
Skill: Recall
149) Learning during socialization has often been described in terms of content areas or domains of learning such as
the task, __________ , group, and organization.
Answer: role
Page Ref: 264
Skill: Recall
150) Perceptions of psychological contract __________ occur when an employee perceives that his or her
organization has failed to fulfill one or more promised obligations of the psychological contract.
Answer: breach
Page Ref: 267
Skill: Recall
151) Igor has just started a job and is telling you about the reciprocal obligations and promises between him and his
organization or what others refer to as a __________ .
Answer: psychological contract
Page Ref: 267
Skill: Applied
26
153) Harjit Dhaliwal is a new sales representative for Kapster Enterprises. He enjoys making sales calls and meeting
with clients, but dislikes the weekly paperwork that he has to prepare for head office. He initially feels that
weekly activity reports are a bureaucratic waste of time, but he dutifully completes them to avoid any trouble
with head office. After several months, Harjit attends his first national sales meeting at which the VP of
Marketing stresses the importance of accurate information from the field. Harjit begins to appreciate the
importance of the reports and now understands why head office needs them on a timely basis each week. After
the meeting, Harjit is asked by his boss to train a new sales rep who has just been hired in a nearby territory. In
showing the new worker the ropes, Harjit is heard to say, "These weekly reports are very important you won't
understand now, but you will later." Explain Harjit's metamorphosis in terms of compliance, identification, and
internalization.
Answer: At first, Harjit's motive for completing the reports is compliance. At the sales meeting, he begins to see
things from a head office perspective, and identification becomes the dominant motive. Finally, when he
is asked to train a new worker, Harjit's comments suggest that internalization has occurred; he now
supports the values of head office and truly believes that the weekly paperwork is important.
Page Ref: 263
Skill: Applied
154) Describe the three stages of socialization. Give an example of a the type of conformity behaviour which would
likely occur at each stage.
Answer: Anticipatory socialization (e.g. skill acquisition through a college training program); encounter (e.g.
orientation program); role management (e.g. active management and fine tuning of one's role in the
organization).
Page Ref: 265
Skill: Applied
155) Rachel has a goal of becoming a criminal lawyer with the prestigious law firm of Shayster & Sosume. Her
fascination with the law profession began thee years ago when she became hooked on a weekly television series
about lawyers. Since then, she has followed every high profile law story covered in the media and has become
familiar with many of the procedural issues in Canadian law. She has just completed her undergraduate degree
and hopes to start law school next year. With a bit of luck and a lot of hard work, Rachel expects to be defending
her first client in front of a judge and jury within four years. What advice might you give to Rachel about her
expectations?
Answer: Research indicates that people often have inaccurate and unrealistically high expectations about jobs and
organizations. These expectations may be partially attributed to occupational stereotypes communicated
through the popular media. Rachel may indeed achieve her goals and be very satisfied with her career
choice; but she is more likely to discover that becoming a criminal lawyer isn't always as glamorous as
she had anticipated.
Page Ref: 266
Skill: Applied
156) What is the difference between divestiture and investiture socialization tactics?
Answer: Divestiture tactics, such as hazing and debasement, are designed to humble new members and strip
away some of their initial self-confidence. Investiture tactics are designed to affirm the incoming identity
and attributes of new members rather than deny them and strip them away.
Page Ref: 273
Skill: Recall
27
157) How do mentors help improve the self-confidence and career potential of their apprentices?
Answer: Career functions sponsorship; exposure and visibility; coaching and feedback; and developmental
assignments. Psychosocial functions role modeling; acceptance and confirmation; and counseling.
Page Ref: 275
Skill: Recall
158) Describe several tactics which newcomers can employ to be proactive during the socialization process.
Answer: Proactive tactics include requesting feedback, seeking information, observation, self-management,
networking, general socializing, building relationships with co-workers and one's boss, negotiating job
changes, career enhancing strategies, involvement in work-related activities, and actively seeking a
mentor.
Page Ref: 279
Skill: Applied
159) Discuss the assets and liabilities associated with strong organizational cultures.
Answer: Advantages include improved coordination, conflict resolution and financial success. Disadvantages
include resistance to change, and the potential for pathology and culture clash.
Page Ref: 282
Skill: Recall
160) Describe three mechanisms which serve to diagnose, teach, and reinforce organizational culture. Give an
example of each.
Answer: Symbols (e.g. pink Cadillacs are the symbols of success at Mary Kay Cosmetics); rituals (e.g. Mary Kay's
revival meetings); and stories (e.g. Ray Kroc canceling a McDonald's franchise deal after finding a fly in
the restaurant).
Page Ref: 289
Skill: Recall
161) Describe what a realistic job preview is, how they work, and what they do.
Answer: A realistic job preview provides a balanced, realistic picture of the positive and negative aspects of a job
to job applicants. They work as follows: set job expectations realistically; job may or may not be attractive,
depending on individual's needs; some accept, some reject job offer; work experience confirms
expectations; satisfaction, needs matched to job; high job survival, satisfaction, infrequent thoughts of
quitting. Thus, realistic job previews lower expectations, increase job satisfaction, and lower turnover.
Page Ref: 268
Skill: Applied
162) Describe the step-by-step socialization process of organizations with strong cultures.
Answer: Step 1 Selecting employees; Step 2 Debasement and hazing; Step 3 Training "in the Trenches" ; Step 4
Reward and promotion; Step 5 Exposure to core culture; Step 6 Organizational folklore; Step 7 Role
models.
Page Ref: 288
Skill: Recall
28
165) What is the purpose and content of employee orientation programs and how effective are they as a method of
socialization?
Answer: Orientation programs are designed to introduce new employees to their job, the people they will be
working with, and the organization. The main content of most orientation programs consists of health
and safety issues, terms and conditions of employment, and information about the organization. Another
purpose is to begin conveying and forming the psychological contract and to teach newcomers how to
cope with stressful work situations. Orientation programs are an effective method of socialization that
can have long lasting effects on the job attitudes and behaviour of new hires. They have been found to
increase organizational commitment and lower turnover.
Page Ref: 270
Skill: Recall
166) Your organization has discovered that new hires enter the organization with unrealistic expectations. They have
asked you to explain why this happens and what can be done about it. What will you say?
Answer: New members have unrealistic expectations for a number of reasons: occupational steretoypes could be
responsible - the media are often responsible for this as well as teachers; overzealous recruiters who
paint rosy pictures to attract job applicants to the organization are also responsible. One solution to this
problem is to present job applicants with a realistic job preview so that they have a realistic picture of the
positive and negative aspects of a job before they decide to accept a job offer and join an organization.
Page Ref: 267
Skill: Applied
29
167) ACME Insurance Company has discovered that many of their employees are feeling angry over a sense of
betrayal. Employees believe that their psychological contract with the company has been breached.
Management is not sure what all the fuss is about or even what a psychological contract is. You have been hired
to help them understand what a psychological contract is, what it means to breach a psychological contract, and
the reasons why psychological contract breach occurs. What will you tell them?
Answer: A psychological contract refers to beliefs held by employees regarding the reciprocal obligations and
promises between them and their organization. Perceptions of psychological contract breach occur when
an employee perceives that his or her organization has failed to fulfill one or more promised obligations
of the psychological contract. Some of the reasons for psychological contract breach include: recruiters
promise more than the organization can provide to attract the best applicants; newcomers often lack
sufficient information to form accurate perceptions concerning their psychological contract; differences in
understandings between an employee and the organization about promised obligations; and
organizational changes such as downsizing and restructuring can cause organizations to knowingly
break promises made to an employee that they are either unable or unwilling to keep.
Page Ref: 267
Skill: Applied
168) Describe individualized and institutionalized socialization and discuss the main differences between them.
Answer: Institutionalized socialization consists of collective, formal, sequential, fixed, serial, and investiture
tactics. Individualized socialization consists of individual, informal, random, variable, disjunctive, and
divestiture tactics. The main difference between them is that institutionalized socialization reflects a more
formalized and structured program of socialization that reduces uncertainty and encourages new hires to
accept organizational norms and maintain the status quo. Individualized socialization reflects a relative
absence of structure that creates ambiguity and encourages new hires to question the status quo and
develop their own approach to their role.
Page Ref: 273
Skill: Recall
30