Chapter 5: Socialization

Socialization involves learning the rules that guide what culture members think, do, and say. It is a process for people to learn rules, norms, and expectations in becoming members of a culture. This can be related to an internship experience whereby some interns are selected for regular employment. We read in Chapter 1 (Comm and Changing World of Work) that Apple Computer put "potential employees through numerous rounds of interviews aimed at identifying those candidates who will fit best with its challenging, dynamic corporate culture." An Apple Computer intern who has been successfully socialized has one less barrier to overcome and perhaps will be critiqued more on content knowledge (vs. cultural fit) during the interview.

As an example of socialization and high-reliability organizations (HROs), I have briefly seen students, in a fire fighting class at Mission College, pull the heavy fire hose over their shoulder as part of a class requirement. According to the book, and much to my surprise, 4500 candidates apply each year but only 40-50 who demonstrate their "commitment to and compatibility with the culture are invited to participate in the (fire fighter) training academy." After graduation, first year "booters" at the fire station must show that they can be trusted (last to eat, first to clean, speak when spoken to) by seasoned members since their line of work is a matter of life & death (thus defined as HROs). This socialization of a fire fighter reminds me of starting a new administrative assistant job (though definitely not a HROs) where I felt compelled to do a favor for everyone in the office because I want to proof that I can be trusted for a greater task. I might do custodial work or any odds & ends cleaning because it reflects that I will do whatever to get the job done and that I would handle projects and excel spreadsheets with great care and detail.