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College graduates' experiences and attitudes during organizational entry
Author(s) -
Holton Elwood F.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
human resource development quarterly
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.756
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1532-1096
pISSN - 1044-8004
DOI - 10.1002/hrdq.3920060106
Subject(s) - psychology , socialization , bachelor , psychological intervention , descriptive statistics , graduation (instrument) , applied psychology , social psychology , medical education , political science , medicine , statistics , geometry , mathematics , psychiatry , law
Much of the emphasis in HRD on new‐employee development has been on task‐related training or orientation programs. Little attention has been focused on integrating socialization research and interventions. The first step in integrating the two perspectives is obtaining a clearer description of what is occurring in the field. This descriptive study is designed to understand more fully how new college graduates experience organizational entry. A comprehensive survey instrument was sent to 2,214 bachelor's degree graduates one year after graduation, with a response rate of 38.2 percent. The sample was reduced to 378 graduates working in for‐profit organizations and not in temporary employment. Twenty‐four socialization scales were derived using exploratory factor analysis; descriptive statistics are reported for each scale and seven other established scales. Data are reported on the graduates' preemployment attitudes, organizational entry experiences, perceptions of their jobs, organizational understanding, new‐employee attitudes, expectations, and adaptation strategies. Results indicate wide variability in socialization experiences and adaptation success and the need for HRD interventions. Implications for HRD research are discussed.