Remembering Mead' s 'I-me'-dialectic in organizational socialization theory

From the standpoint of a recent case study on newcomer innovation during organizational entry, G. H. Mead’s theory on becoming a self in community is explored. It is argued that Mead’s concept of the ‘I-me’-dialectic is a key notion in understanding newcomer innovation on process theory terms. The emphasis on the spontaneous response of ‘I’ in Mead’s theory supplements otherwise dominant assimilation perspectives in the field of organizational socialization, and suggests for understanding newcomer innovation and assimilation not as an ‘either/or’ but a simultaneous process. The presentation of Mead’s theory is accentuated with case study narratives. Drawing on Mead’s theory the experience of ‘being insider’ is understood as a situational attribute, rather than as something a community member start out not being and at some point become for the extend of the membership period.