SELECTION, SOCIALIZATION, AND MUTUAL ADAPTATION - RESOLVING DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN PEOPLE AND WORK

The relationship between (self-)selection and socialisation is discuss ed as going beyond a reciprocal relationship of two independent variab les. Rather, it is seen as a ''cooperation'' in which each contributes to the achievement of a fit between person and work. Their relative c ontribution is seen not as constant over time and circumstances but as depending on the effects of the respective other process. It follows that selection effects should be especially strong at times where the possibilities to choose one's work and to change jobs are high, thus l eading to a reasonably good fit through selection, leaving comparably little room for socialisation effects. Strong selection effects in cer tain historical situations do not, therefore, reveal the potential tha t working conditions have for changing people. This would require stud ying ''strong'' socialisation situations, that is, those that limit th e potential for job changes. The heuristic value of the role concept i s emphasised, advocating an understanding of roles that goes beyond be havioural expectations to include processes of identity formation, whi ch in turn implies social categorisation, ego-relevance of role-relate d activities and attitudes, and the consequences implied by this for s elf-defences and self-enhancement. Adjusting to roles that one accepts principally may therefore lead to overadjustment, even in areas where no strong normative expectations exist, and this may be another route or the discovery of socialisation effects. Conversely, role-distancin g is discussed as a means of coping with unrewarding roles. Finally, j ob moulding is discussed, which, together with traditional selection a nd socialisation processes, leads to a ''personalisation'' of jobs, ma king it difficult to treat person and job as independent entities in r esearch designs.