Organizational Socialization: How Can Organizations Support Refugee Newcomers’ Adjustment?

Taking a grounded-theory approach, we examined organizational tactics supporting refugee newcomer socialization, and proximal (role clarity, social acceptance, self-efficacy, fit) and distal outcomes of the socialization process (commitment, job performance, turnover intentions). By interviewing 44 refugees, colleagues, team leaders, HR, and top managers from ten organizations in Germany, we were able to investigate refugee socialization from multiple perspectives. Results suggest a positive impact of the refugee socialization process on outcomes among refugees and organizational insiders, and we identified several moderators of the relationship between organizational tactics and outcomes. Our exploratory research identifies opportunities for future research and offers valuable insights for organizations seeking to employ refugees.