Newcomer leader–member exchange: the contribution of anticipated organizational support

Abstract

We surveyed 198 graduating college seniors at four points before and after they began a new job to examine the relationship between anticipated organizational support (AOS) and leader-member exchange (LMX) as mediated by information seeking. We found that AOS, assessed before the first day of work, was associated with subsequent LMX 3 months after work began. Furthermore, information seeking mediated the relationship between AOS and LMX. Moreover, LMX was associated with reduced psychological strain, lessened turnover intentions, and increased extra-role behaviours 6 months following the start of work. These findings indicate that anticipation of future support before the onset of employment influences newcomers' LMX and its consequences. Practitioner pointsHuman resources practitioners and managers can prepare a better transition for newcomers by cultivating a supportive and caring view of the organization before the newcomers start their job. To enhance such anticipated organization support, the organization's positive valuation of the newcomers and concern with their welfare can be emphasized during job interviews with prospective employees and training sessions. Educating supervisors to be responsive to newcomers' requests for information may contribute to their adjustment and help them meet organizational goals and objectives.

Covering COVID: Journalists’ Stress and Perceived Organizational Support While Reporting on the Pandemic

“…Antecedents to perceived organizational support include fairness and favorableness of organizational rewards, and more relevant to this study, job conditions including training and role stressors, and supervisor support (Baran et al, 2011). Zheng et al (2016) argued that supervisors are seen as extensions of the organization; therefore, perceptions of supervisor support influence overall feelings about the organization and vice versa. Rhoades and Eisenberger (2002) argued that just as employees form views about how much their organization values them, they develop the same perceptions about supervisors; therefore, perceived supervisor support is also important.…”

Examining the Indirect Effects of Perceived Organizational Support for Teamwork Training on Acute Health Care Team Productivity and Innovation: The Role of Shared Objectives

“…For instance, Hall (1998) identified nine types of organizational support relevant to team effectiveness, including group design, information systems, direct supervision, rewards and recognition, and teamwork training. More recent research has also sought to better distinguish between different types and sources of POS (e.g., Lamm, Tosti-Kharas, & King, 2015; Zheng et al, 2016). However, research specifically conducted at the team level continues to operationalize POS as a latent construct and is yet to consider the differential effects of specific POS types.…”

Toward a process model of newcomer socialization: Integrating pre‐ and post‐entry factors for newcomer adjustment

“…It is well‐accepted that attitudes toward organizational commitment and turnover intentions best represent newcomers' adjustment outcomes, and consequently they have been used repeatedly as indices of outcomes (N. J. Allen & Meyer, 1990; Cooper‐Thomas & Anderson, 2002; Lapointe et al, 2014; Maia et al, 2016; Song et al, 2017; Zheng et al, 2016). Following this convention, this study uses organizational commitment and turnover intentions as proxies for newcomers' socialization outcomes.…”

“…First, prior research on newcomer socialization has placed an overwhelming emphasis on newcomers' “post‐entry” events or experiences when predicting the salience of their socialization behaviors (D. G. Allen & Shanock, 2013; Carr et al, 2006). For example, organizational socialization tactics (Bauer et al, 2007; Cooper‐Thomas & Anderson, 2002; Lapointe et al, 2014), induction training programs (Klein & Weaver, 2000), perceived organizational support (D. G. Allen & Shanock, 2013; Zheng et al, 2016), and individual proactive socialization behaviors (Ashford & Black, 1996; Ashforth, Sluss, & Saks, 2007; Morrison, 1993a; Song et al, 2017) have all been used to predict newcomers' adjustment. However, prior research has also recognized that an individual's career development commences prior to his/her organizational entry (T. D. Allen et al, 2017; Bauer et al, 1998; Feldman, 1976, 1981; Fisher, 1986; Louis, 1980) and that newcomers' “pre‐entry” events or experiences related to their careers must be considered when taking a comprehensive look at factors fostering or impeding newcomers' socialization after organizational entry (De Vos et al, 2009; Saks & Ashforth, 2002; Takeuchi & Takeuchi, 2009).…”