Adapting to Organisational Culture: A Staged Adapatation Model
Abstract
Adapting
to
Organizational
Culture:
A
Staged
Adaptation
Model
In
today’s
fast
paced
world,
a
job
for
life
is
a
concept
from
the
past.
As
individuals
frequently
move
from
one
organisation
to
another,
so
they
move
from
one
organisational
culture
to
another.
Change
is
a
constant
and
as
the
pace
of
change
increases
the
ability
of
individuals
to
adapt
is
more
essential
than
ever.
This
ethnographic
research
was
prompted
by
observation
of
clinical
phenomena,
which
led
the
researcher
to
question
whether
a
mismatch
in
expectations
regarding
the
culture
of
an
organisation
might
be
a
cause
of
stress
in
newcomers.
A
pilot
study
was
undertaken
in
order
to
make
sense
of
the
phenomena
and
led
to
a
larger
scale
longitudinal
study,
carried
out
over
a
period
of
four
years
within
a
global
technology
firm.
The
research
examines
qualitatively
distinct,
stages
of
adaptation
that
individuals
experience
when
entering
a
new
organisation,
with
regards
specifically
to
the
culture
of
the
organisation.
The
longitudinal
study
involved
a
number
of
methods
including
participant
observation,
interviews
and
focus
groups.
The
interviews,
held
with
thirty
participants
and
undertaken
at
three
monthly
intervals
and
field
notes
from
participant
observation,
resulted
in
a
substantial
amount
of
qualitative
data.
This
was
analysed
through
thematic
analysis.
The
resulting
findings
enabled
the
researcher
to
design
a
staged
adaptation
model,
which
identifies
the
stages
of
adaptation
to
organisational
culture
from
pre
entry
to
assimilation.
The
model
was
tested
for
validity
and
transferability
through
the
use
of
focus
groups.
A
sense
of
belonging
was
found
to
be
critical
in
adaptation
to
organisational
culture.
This
study
contributes
to
knowledge
regarding
organizational
culture
in
bringing
it
together
with
adaptation
and
adding
to
research
with
regards
to
Socialisation,
Psychological
Contract
formation
and
Organizational
Culture.