The Odd One Out: How Newcomers Who Are Different Become Adjusted

Contemporary work groups and organizations are diverse in many ways, but comparatively little research has examined how diversity will impact the process of socialization for newcomers. In this chapter we consider how theory and research on socialization, newcomer adjustment, relational demography, and diversity can be integrated to arrive at a model of how newcomers who are "different" in some way from their coworkers either will or will not come to be functioning members of the social group. We propose relationships based on prior research, which differentiated diversity based on separation, variety, and disparity (Harrison & Klein, 2007 ). Our discussion of the issues faced by newcomers who are different from their coworkers will show that these three forms of diversity have distinct relationships with important socialization processes and outcomes. Additionally, we discuss several variables at the individual and situational levels of analysis that we think will moderate the influence of diversity on individual and interpersonal socialization and adjustment processes.