TY - JOUR
T1 - Contesting the Real World of Budgets
T2 - The Polyphony of Organizational Socialization
AU - Hoffmann, Jochen
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - Organizational socialization research has been criticized for being too focused on socialization as an adaptation process. Furthermore, critics contend that socialization approaches tend to be micro-biased; they lose sight of broader societal implications. This study tackles both critiques by combining an identity-based understanding of socialization with the communicative concept of the polyphonic organization. It is not only individuals who engage in multiple identity work; business organizations also do so when exposed to contextual voices at the macro-level of society. Qualitative interviews and focus groups with corporate communication professionals, alumni and students reveal that there are multiple voices shaping organizational socialization. However, one societal reference has proved to be hegemonic, namely the instrumental reasoning of the economic system: newcomers are expected to adapt to the ‘real world’ of ‘budgets’.
AB - Organizational socialization research has been criticized for being too focused on socialization as an adaptation process. Furthermore, critics contend that socialization approaches tend to be micro-biased; they lose sight of broader societal implications. This study tackles both critiques by combining an identity-based understanding of socialization with the communicative concept of the polyphonic organization. It is not only individuals who engage in multiple identity work; business organizations also do so when exposed to contextual voices at the macro-level of society. Qualitative interviews and focus groups with corporate communication professionals, alumni and students reveal that there are multiple voices shaping organizational socialization. However, one societal reference has proved to be hegemonic, namely the instrumental reasoning of the economic system: newcomers are expected to adapt to the ‘real world’ of ‘budgets’.
U2 - 10.7206/tamara.1532-5555.7
DO - 10.7206/tamara.1532-5555.7
M3 - Journal article
SN - 1532-5555
VL - 18
SP - 30
EP - 50
JO - Tamara: Journal for Critical Organization Inquiry
JF - Tamara: Journal for Critical Organization Inquiry
IS - 1
ER -