Analysis Of Pascale's Seven Steps Of Socialization

According to Pascale, socialization is essential to the integration of new members into an organization (P 27). However, it is up to the organization to create an environment that offers both new and established members order and consistency through explicit procedures and implicit social controls (P 34). Furthermore, by providing organizational members with continuity and clarity, the firm is able to establish a strong cohesive culture that empowers its employees so that they may develop the social currency they need to implement change and execute tasks efficiently (P 35). It is this strong cohesive culture that has sustained some organizations over numerous generations (P 29); and it is this culture that Pascale’s seven step model of socialization is intended to cultivate (P 34).
Pascale’s “Seven Steps of Socialization”:
1. Careful selection of entry level candidates (P 29).
My experience while interviewing for my entry level position was very different than that described in Pascale’s model. I was interviewed by one of the senior designers of the firm who had, from what I could tell, zero training as a recruiter. During our short meeting, she asked me a few simple

Everyone was expected to know how to do their jobs and if they didn’t know how to do something they had to “figure it out”. Needless to say, mistakes were made. Of course, natural leaders emerged and became pseudo role models to a few of us but the firm never made the step to establish role model relationships for training purposes. Furthermore, our constantly heavy workloads made it difficult for us to watch or learn from any one person because the few people who would have been consistent role models were regularly traveling for business and were not available to offer their guidance to the younger or less seasoned