WHOS SOCIALIZING WHOM - THE IMPACT OF SOCIALIZING NEWCOMERS ON INSIDERS, WORK GROUPS, AND ORGANIZATIONS

While there has been extensive work on the impact of organizational so cialization practices on newcomer attitudes and behaviors, there has b een very little examination of how socializing newcomers influences th e attitudes and behaviors of ''socialization agents,'' those insiders responsible for socializing new hires. This article explores both the positive and negative consequences of socializing newcomers on these v eteran workers as well as on their work groups and their organizations . The article also suggests characteristics of the socialization proce ss, the socialization agents, the organizational context, and the newc omers themselves which are likely to influence whether the socializati on process will be mutually beneficial for newcomers and socialization agents alike.