The role of dispositions, entry stressors, and behavioral plasticity theory in predicting newcomers' adjustment to work
✍ Scribed by Alan M. Saks; Blake E. Ashforth
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 2000
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 177 KB
- Volume
- 21
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0894-3796
No coin nor oath required. For personal study only.
✦ Synopsis
This longitudinal ®eld study examined the combined eects of dispositions, entry stressors, and behavioral plasticity theory in predicting newcomers' adjustment to work after four and 10 months of organizational entry. Recent graduates completed a questionnaire prior to entry that measured two dispositions (negative aectivity and general self-ecacy), and a questionnaire four months after entry that measured four entry stressors (role con¯ict, role ambiguity, role overload, and unmet expectations). Measures of work adjustment were taken after four and 10 months. Based on behavioral plasticity theory, it was expected that the eects of the entry stressors would be most negative for the adjustment of newcomers with low general self-ecacy. Limited support was found for behavioral plasticity theory. Those interactions that were signi®cant indicated that increasing levels of role con¯ict were associated with lower organizational commitment and identi®cation for newcomers with low general selfecacy. The results also provided weak support for a dispositional theory of work adjustment. The dispositions only predicted three of seven adjustment variables at four and 10 months. However, the entry stressors signi®cantly predicted all seven adjustment measures. The results are discussed in terms of the predominant role played by the organizational setting in predicting newcomers' adjustment to work.