8/3/2019 Role Organization

1/1

236 Chapter 12

is or her new role. In a study of the socialization of

thletic trainers in the high school setting, Pitney6ound that informal learning processes were commonnd many participants stated they learned their roley trial and error.

COLLECTIVEAND INDIVIDUAL

TACTICAL DIMENSIONS

Collective socialization refers to having severalndividuals and placing them in a group so theyncounter the same experiences together as they

arn their professional role within an organiza-on. An example of this tactic is having approvedinical instructors for an athletic training educationrogram complete a training program as a group. In

his example, the collective socialization experiencesften promote the requirements and expectations ofhe athletic training program and build consensus onow to address shared problems that the group mayncounter in their roles.

Individual tactics refer to having a unique set ofxperiences for a single person to encounter so he

r she can learn a specific and tailored role withinn organization.11 Individual socialization experi-nces are often used to differentiate an individualsesponsibility apart from others and facilitate more

10

SEQUENTIALAND RANDOMTACTICAL DIMENSIONS

Sequential socialization tactics relate to a specificsequence of events being necessary to complete priorto an employee being able to move into a determinedorganizational role. A typical example of sequentialsocialization is found with mid and upper manage-ment positions. If, for example, an athletic trainerwished to manage a sports medicine center and over-see both the clinical and outreach components, theorganizations upper management may make it clearthat the prerequisite is having at least 1 year of full-time clinical experience and at least 2 years of clinicalhigh school experience. In this instance, an employeecan perhaps negotiate his or her role to obtain thenecessary experience to move on to his or her desiredmanagement position.

With random socialization, the sequence of experi-ences necessary to take on an organizational role isunclear or ambiguous. As such, an employee wishingto obtain a new role within an organization or climbthe organizational ladder will likely experience anxi-

ety and stress.10

Table 12-1

Summary of the Tactical Dimensions of Socialization Experiences

Socialization Experience DefinitionFormal Refers to extremely structured and tailored events that explicitly orient an individual to his

or her role

Informal Does not structure experiences or make an attempt to provide an explicit level of orienta-tion to a new role

Collective Refers to having several individuals and placing them in a group so they encounter thesame experiences together as they learn their professional role within an organization

Individual Refers to having a unique set of experiences for a single person to encounter so he or shecan learn a specific and tailored role within an organization.

Sequential Relates to a specific sequence of events being necessary to complete prior to an employ-ee being able to move into a determined organizational role

Random The sequence of experiences necessary to take on an organizational role is unclear orambiguous

Investiture Occurs when an individuals attributes, characteristics, values, and attitudes are affirmedand valued by the organization and the organization does not wish to change them

Divestiture Attempt to change an individuals attitude, values, skills, and patient interaction tech-niques to match the organization

Serial Refers to the presence of a role model or mentor to orient and instruct individuals whoare entering an organization

Disjunctive Refers to a lack of role models or mentors to orient a new employee