Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer
Ricerche di Psicologia/Psychological Research Journal - Open Access

Articoli

No. 3 (2021)

The patterns of exchange between generations in the organizational contexts: The transition of graduates to worklife

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3280/rip2021oa12858
Submitted
novembre 2, 2021
Published
2021-11-08

Abstract

Aim of the paper is studying which generativity could characterize the relationship between senior and junior workers during the organizational socialization of the newcomers. The theoretical framework of the study refers to the concept of generativity, as defined by Bradley and Marcia (1998) and Cigoli and Scabini (2006). A qualitative research conducted through narrative interviews to 24 senior and 24 junior workers is presented. Narratives show different typologies of relationship, characterized by different degrees and forms of generativity.
Results allow to discuss how a more or less generative relation could be related to organizational socialization, and which contribution can be provided by senior workers to the organizational socialization of the newcomers.

References

  1. Alfieri, S., Rosina, A., Sironi, E., Marta, E., & Marzana, D. (2015). Who are italian ‘‘NEETS’’? Trust in institutions, political engagement, willingness to be activated and attitudes toward the future in a group at risk for social exclusion. Rivista Internazionale di Scienze Sociali, 123(3), 285-306. DOI: 10.1400/238458.
  2. Allen, N. J., & Meyer, J. P. (1990). Organizational socialization tactics: A longitudinal analysis of links to newcomers’ commitment and role orientation. Academy of Management Journal, 33, 847-858. DOI: 10.2307/256294.
  3. Ashforth, B. E., Sluss, D. M., & Saks, A. M. (2007). Socialization tactics, proactive behavior, and newcomer learning: Integrating socialization models. Journal of voc at ional behavior, 70(3) , 447-462. DOI: 10.1016/j.jvb.2007.02.001.
  4. Bauer, T. N., & Erdogan, B. (2014). Delineating and reviewing the role of newcomer capital in organizational socialization. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 1, 439-457. DOI: 10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-031413-091251.
  5. Bauer, T. N., Morrison, E. W., & Callister, R. R. (1998). Organizational socialization: A review and directions for future research. In G. R. Ferris & K. M. Rowland (Eds.), Research in personnel and human resources management (vol. 16, pp. 149-214). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.
  6. Blackler, F. (1995). Knowledge, knowledge work and organizations: An overview and interpretation. Organization studies, 16(6), 1021-1046. DOI: 10.1177/017084069501600605.
  7. Binstock, R. H. (2010). From compassionate ageism to intergenerational conflict?. The Gerontologist, 50(5), 574-585. DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnq056.
  8. Bradley, C. L., & Marcia, J. E. (1998). Generativity- stagnation: A five-category model. Journal of Personality, 66(1), 39-64. DOI: 10.1111/1467-6494.00002.
  9. Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3, 77-101. DOI: 10.1191/1478088706qp063oa.
  10. Bruno, A., & Dell’Aversana, G. (2018). ‘What shall I pack in my suitcase?’: the role of work-integrated learning in sustaining social work students’ profess iona l ident i ty. Social Work Education, 37(1), 34-48. DOI: 10.1080/02615479.2017.1363883.
  11. Bruno, A., DellʼAversana, G., & Guidetti, G. (2018). Developing organizational competences for conflict management: the use of the Prisoner’s dilemma in higher education. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 376. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00376.
  12. Bruno, A., Galuppo, L., & Gilardi, S. (2011). Evaluating the reflexive practices in a learning experience. European Journal of Psychology of Education. 26(4), 527-543. DOI: 10.1007/s10212-011-0061-x.
  13. Burnstein, E. Crandall, c., & Kitayama, S. (1994). Some neo-Darwinian decision rules for altruism: Weighing cues for inclusive fitness as a function of the biological importance of the decision. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 67(5), 773-789. DOI: 10.1037/0022-3514.67.5.773.
  14. Cigoli, V. (2006). Lʼalbero della discendenza. Clinica dei corpi familiari. Milano: FrancoAngeli.
  15. Cigoli, V., & Scabini, E. (2006). Relazione familiare: la prospettiva psicologica. Studi Interdisciplinari sulla Famiglia, 21, 13-46.
  16. Crivelli D., Balconi M., (2017). Agentività e competenze sociali : riflessioni teoriche e implicazioni per il management. Ricerche di Psicologia, 40(3), 349-363.
  17. de St Aubin, E. E., McAdams, D. P., & Kim, T. C. E. (2004). The generative society: Caring for future generations. Washinton, DC: American Psychological Association.
  18. Donati, P. (2001). La razionalizzazione dei servizi socio-sanitari come costruzione di un welfare mix: fra quasi-mercati (soluzione lib/lab) e via societaria (soluzione statutaria). Sociologia e politiche sociali, 4(2), 109-137.
  19. Ellis, A. M., Nifadkar, S. S., Bauer, T. N., & Erdogan, B. (2017). Newcomer adjustment: Examining the role of managers’ perception of newcomer proactive behavior during organizational socialization. Journal of Applied Psychology, 102(6), 993-1001. DOI: 10.1037/apl0000201.
  20. Filstad, C. (2004). How newcomers use role models in organizational socialization. The Journal of Workplace Learning, 16(7), 396-409. DOI: 10.1108/13665620410558297.
  21. Goldberg, B. (2000). Age works: What corporate America must do to survive the graying of the workforce. New York: Free press.
  22. Griffin, A. E., Colella, A., & Goparaju, S. (2000). Newcomer and organizational socialization tactics: An interactionist perspective. Human resource management review, 10(4), 453-474. DOI: 10.1016/S1053-4822(00)00036-X.
  23. Gruman, J. A., Saks, A. M., & Zweig, D. I. (2006). Organizational socialization tactics and newcomer proactive behaviors: An integrative study. Journal of vocational behavior, 69(1), 90-104. DOI: 10.1016/j.jvb.2006.03.001.
  24. Hareven, T. K. (2018). Families, history and social change: Life course and cross-cultural perspectives. London: Routledge.
  25. Jones, G. R. (1986). Socialization tactics, self-efficacy, and newcomersʼ adjustments to organizations. Academy of Management journal, 29(2), 262-279. DOI: 10.2307/256188.
  26. Joshi, A., Dencker, J. C., & Franz, G. (2011). Generations in organizations. Researchin Organizational Behavior, 31, 177-205. DOI: 10.1016/j.riob.2011.10.002.
  27. Kaneklin, C. (2009). «Human resources»: Economics and organization. Rivista Internazionale di Scienze Sociali, 3/4, 529-538.
  28. Kaneklin, C., Brunner, L. D. (1997). Azienda a conduzione familiare e transizione generazionale. In E. Scabini & G. Rossi (Eds.), Giovani in famiglia tra autonomia e nuove dipendenze (pp. 311-330). Milano: Studi Interdisciplinari sulla Famiglia.
  29. Kopytoff, V. (June 19, 2014). Tech industry job ads: Older workers need not apply. Fortune. Retrieved from http://fortune.com/2014/06/19/tech-job-adsdiscrimination/i.
  30. Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
  31. Lau, D. C., & Murnighan, J. K. (2005). Interactions within groups and subgroups: The effects of demographic faultlines. Academy of Management Journal, 48(4), 645-659. DOI: 10.5465/AMJ.2005.17843943.
  32. Marta, E., & Pozzi, M. (2004). Generatività e volontariato: quale connessione? In C. Arcidiacono (Ed.), Volontariato e legami collettivi (pp. 188-212). Milano: FrancoAngeli.
  33. Marta, E., e Pozzi, M. (2007). La trasmissione intergenerazionale della generatività sociale: promuovere impegno e responsabilità nelle nuove generazioni. Studi Interdisciplinari sulla Famiglia, 21, 177-199.
  34. Mac Dermid, S. M., Franz, C. E., & DeReus, L. A. (1998). Generativity: At the crossroads of social roles and personality. In: D. P. McAdams & E. de St. Aubin (Eds.), Generativity and adult development (181-226). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
  35. McAdams, D. P., & de St. Aubin, E. (1992). A theory of generativity and its assessment through self-report, behavioral acts, and narrative themes in autobiography. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 62(6), 1003-1015. DOI: 10.1037/0022-3514.62.6.1003.
  36. McAdams, D. P. (2001). Generativity in midlife. In M. E. Lachman (Ed.), Handbook of midlife development (395-446). New York: Wiley.
  37. McCann, R. M., & Giles, H. (2007). Age-differentiated communication in organizations: Perspectives from Thailand and the United States. Communication Research Reports, 24(1), 1-12. DOI: 10.1080/08824090601120841.
  38. Minkler, M. (2006). Generational equity and the new victim blaming. In H. R. Moody (Ed.), Aging: Concepts and controversies (pp. 181-190). Newbury Park, CA: Pine Forge Press (Re-printed from M. Minkler and C. Estes (Eds.) (1991). Critical Perspectives on Aging (67-79). Amityville, NY: Baywood.
  39. North, M. S., & Fiske, S. T. (2012). An inconvenienced youth? Ageism and its potential intergenerational roots. Psychological bulletin, 138(5), 982. DOI: 10.1037/a0027843.
  40. North, M. S., & Fiske, S. T. (2013). Act your (old) age: Prescriptive, ageist biases over succession, consumption, and identity. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 39(6), 720-73. DOI: 10.1177/ 0146167213480043.
  41. North, M. S., & Fiske, S.T. (2015). Intergenerational resource tensions in the workplace and beyond: Individual, interpersonal, institutional, international. Research in Organizational Behavior, 35, 159-179. DOI : 10.1016/j.riob.2015.10.003.
  42. Nishii, L. H., & Goncalo, J. A. (2008). Demographic faultlines and creativity in diverse groups. Research on Managing Groups and Teams, 11, 1-26. DOI: 10.1016/S1534-0856(08)11001-5.
  43. Pozzi, M., Marta, E., Marzana, D., Gozzoli, C., & Ruggieri, R. (2014). The Effect of Psychological Sense of Community on the Psychological Well-Being in Older Volunteers. Europe’s Journal of Psychology, 10(4), 598-612. DOI: 10.5964/ejop.v10i4.773.
  44. Ripamonti, S., Galuppo, L., Bruno, A., Ivaldi, S., & Scaratti, G. (2018). Reconstructing the internship program as a critical reflexive practice: the role of tutorship. Teaching in Higher Education. Advance online publication, 1-18. DOI: 10.1080/13562517.2017.1421627.
  45. Ripamonti, S. C., & Galuppo, L. (2016). Work transformation following the implementation of an ERP system: An activity-theoretical perspective. Journal of Workplace Learning, 28(4), 206-223. DOI: 10.1108/JWL-01-2016-0005.
  46. Ripamonti, S. C., Galuppo, L., Gorli, M., Scaratti, G., Cunliffe, A. (2016). Pushing action research toward reflexive practice, Journal of Management Inquiry, 25(1), 55-68. DOI: 10.1177/1056492615584972.
  47. Ripamonti, S. C., & Scaratti, G. (2015). Safety learning, organizational contradictions and the dynamics of safety practice. Journal of Workplace Learning, 27(7), 530-560. DOI: 10.1108/JWL-01-2014-0007.
  48. Ripamonti S.C., & Scaratti G. (2012). Weak Knowledge for strengthening competences: a practice-based approach in assessment management, Management Learning, 43(2), 183-197. DOI: 10.1177/1350507611429911.
  49. Ruggieri, R., Pozzi, M., & Ripamonti, S. (2014). Italian family business cultures involved in the generational change. Europe’s Journal of Psychology, 10(1), 79-103. DOI: 10.5964/ejop.v10i1.625.
  50. Saks, A. M., & Ashforth, B. E. (1997). Socialization Tactics and Newcomer Information Acquisition. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 5, 48-61. DOI: 10.1111/1468-2389.00044.
  51. Saks, A. M., & Gruman J. A. (2014). Making organizations more effective through organizational socialization. Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, 1, 261-280. DOI: 10.1108/JOEPP-07-2014-0036.
  52. Saks, A. M., & Gruman, J. A. (2018). Socialization resources theory and newcomers’ work engagement: A new pathway to newcomer socialization. Career Development International, 23(1), 12-32. DOI: 10.1108/CDI-12-2016-0214.
  53. Sedensky, M. (January 4, 2014). Are older workers taking jobs from the young? USA Today. Retrieved from hhttp://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/01/04/will-surge-of-older-workers-take-jobsfromyoung/4305187/.
  54. Scabini, E., & Iafrate, R. (2003). Psicologia dei legami familiari. Bologna: il Mulino.
  55. Scabini, E., & Manzi, C. (2005). Famiglia, identità e rapporti tra le generazioni. In P. Catellani (Ed.), Identità e appartenze nella società globale (pp. 73-107). Milano: Vita e Pensiero.
  56. Scabini, E., Marta, E., & Lanz, M. (2007). The transition to adulthood and family relations: An intergenerational approach. London: Psychology Press.
  57. Scabini E., & Marta, E. (2006). Changing intergenerational relationship. European review, 14(1), 81-98. DOI: 10.1017/S106279870600007X.
  58. Scabini, E., & Rossi, G. (Eds.). (2006). Le parole della famiglia (Vol. 21). Vita e Pensiero.
  59. Scaratti, G., & Ivaldi, S. (2015). Manager on the ground: a practice based approach for developing management education. Lessons from complex and innovative organizations, BPA Applied Psychology Bulletin, 272, 42-57.
  60. Scheiber, N. (March 23, 2014). The brutal ageism of tech. The New Republic. Retrieved from http://www.newrepublic.com/article/117088/silicons-valleys-brutal-ageism.
  61. Schön, D.A. (1983). The Reflective Practitioner. New York: Basic Books.
  62. Smola, K. W., & Sutton, C. D. (2002). Generational differences: Revisiting generational work values for the new millennium. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 23, 363-382. DOI: 10.1002/job.147.
  63. Sofritti, F., Benozzo, A., Carey, N., & Pizzorno, M. C. (2019). Working precarious careers trajectories: Tracing neoliberal discourses in younger workers’ narratives. Journal of Young Studies, Pubblicato on line il 14 agosto. DOI: 10.1080/13676261.2019.165460.
  64. Sprogøe, J., & Rohde, N. (2009). Practicing induction: a generative dance between newcomers and organizations. Learning Inquiry, 3(1), 47-66. DOI: 10.1007/s11519-008-0036-2.
  65. Winerip, M. (September 13, 2012). Boomers vs. Millennials: Who’s really getting robbed? New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.-com/2012/09/13/booming/13winerip.html.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...