Abstract
Socialization, the transition from newcomer to embedded organizational citizen, is an inevitable feature of organizational life. It is often a painful and traumatic experience but why this is so, and how its difficulties can be ameliorated is not well understood. This article addresses this issue by developing a new person-centred model of socialization. We introduce the concept of kin-work, i.e. the replication of one’s first experiences of becoming part of a family, to explain how ‘successful’ socialization is achieved. Drawing on the methodology of memory work and psychoanalytical theories of object relations, we illustrate how entry into new jobs involves the unconscious re-enactment in adult life of the infant’s initiation into the family. On entry as a stranger to a new organization one’s sense of self is fractured: processes of kin-work knit the pieces back together and one develops a sense of personhood and being at home. However, there is a sting in this tale: the homely contains its uncanny, unhomely opposite, so socialization is always ambivalent - one can never be at home in this place that feels like home.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 583-605 |
Number of pages | 23 |
Journal | Human Relations |
Volume | 75 |
Issue number | 3 |
Early online date | 2 Jan 2021 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Mar 2022 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:We would like to thank our Associate Editor, Tim Kuhn and the three reviewers for their supportive and insightful comments. Given that the latter elements of the process occurred during a global pandemic, we are additionally grateful. The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2021.
Keywords
- embeddedness
- kin-work
- memory work
- psychoanalysis
- socialization
- uncanny
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
- General Social Sciences
- Strategy and Management
- Management of Technology and Innovation