From employee socialization to co‐evolution

A lifespan multidisciplinary conceptualization

Bibliographic Data

ID6415401
AuthorsSimon A Houle (0000-0003-3854-5105, Substantive‐Methodological Synergy Research Laboratory Concordia University Montreal Canada), Alexandre J S Morin (0000-0001-6898-4788, Substantive‐Methodological Synergy Research Laboratory Concordia University Montreal Canada, corresponding author), Christian Vandenberghe (0000-0002-9707-3171, Management Department HEC Montréal Montréal Canada), István Tóth‐király (0000-0003-2810-3661, Substantive‐Methodological Synergy Research Laboratory Concordia University Montreal Canada), Claude Fernet (0000-0001-6028-9596, Département de Gestion des Ressources Humaines Université du Québec à Trois‐Rivières Trois‐Rivières Canada)
Year2024
Volume74
Issue1
Publication date2024-09-02
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueApplied Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0269-994X • E-ISSN: 1464-0597
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/apps.12572
OpenAlexW4402148460
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited130

Various theories have highlighted how employees evolve in their organization and how organizations influence this process, but only portray part of the complex relations among these interacting social entities. We thus propose a meta‐theory to unify these multiple theories, including symbolic interactionism, employee/organizational socialization theory, human resource management (HRM) systems theory, cultural consensus theory, and self‐determination theory. This integration seeks to increase our understanding of the co‐evolution process unfolding over time between individuals and the organizations to which they belong. We first propose a multilevel expansion of the symbolic interactionist framework typically used to described employee socialization. In doing so, we integrate organizational culture, climate, identity, image, reputation, and HRM systems as distinct meso‐social phenomena that can be simultaneously considered in the co‐evolution process and themselves be influenced by macro‐social processes. We then outline how this proposed framework can explain the dynamic co‐evolution occurring between employees and the organization, hoping to spur research on the improvement of social entities through psychological means

Autopoiesis · Conceptualization · Epistemology · Human resource management · Identity (music · Knowledge management · Organizational Behavior · Process (computing · Social group · Social identity theory · Social science · Socialization · Sociology · Structuration theory · Symbolic interactionism · Computer Science · Cultural Differences and Values · Job Satisfaction and Organizational Behavior · Management and Organizational Studies · Psychology · Social Psychology

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