Proactive socialization behavior in China: The mediating role of perceived insider status and the moderating role of supervisors' traditionality

• Published in: Journal of organizational behavior Vol. 34; no. 3; pp. 389 - 406
• Main Authors: Wang, Jie, Kim, Tae-Yeol
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.04.2013; John Wiley & Sons; Wiley Periodicals Inc
• Subjects: Behavior modeling; China; Chinese culture; Employee supervision; guanxi developing; Industrial and organizational psychology; Organizational behavior; perceived insider status; proactive socialization behavior; Social behavior; Social integration; Social interaction; Social psychology; Socialization; Status; Studies; Supervisors; Task performance; traditionality; China
• ISSN: 0894-3796; 1099-1379
• DOI: 10.1002/job.1811

This paper identified the dimensions of proactive socialization behavior among Chinese employees. We examined the mediating effects of perceived insider status on the relationships between proactive socialization behavior and socialization outcomes, and the moderating effect of supervisors' traditionality on the relationship between proactive socialization behavior and perceived insider status. Results from 280 newcomer—supervisor pairs supported the hypotheses that proactive socialization behavior was positively associated with task performance and social integration through perceived insider status. In addition, supervisors' traditionality significantly influenced the indirect relationships that proactive socialization behavior had with task performance and social integration via perceived insider status, such that the relationships became weaker as supervisors' traditionality increased.