How Organizational Socialization Tactics Affect Volunteer Outcomes for New Volunteers

Abstract The literature has underexplored the profound impact of organizational socialization tactics on new volunteer outcomes. This study used social identification and social information processing theories to comprehensively investigate how organizational socialization tactics significantly affected volunteer outcomes and the underlying mediating mechanism. Two comprehensive studies (a scenario experiment and a large sample analysis) revealed that volunteer organizational socialization tactics not only positively influenced volunteer performance and volunteer hours but also exerted a notable negative impact on volunteer turnover intention through the mediating mechanism of organizational identification. Organizational reputation effectively moderated this relationship; specifically, the more commendable the volunteer organization's reputation, the more robust the positive effect of volunteer organizational socialization tactics on volunteer organizational identification, subsequently influencing volunteer outcomes. This study subsequently advanced a moderated mediation model to examine the multifaceted effects of organizational socialization tactics on volunteer outcomes. The results advocate for the proactive implementation of organizational socialization tactics for new volunteers and the continuous enhancement of volunteer organizations' brand reputations.