Navigating Remote Organizational Socialization: Examining Demands and Resources for Newcomers in the Remote Work Context

Abstract: The academic interest in remote work has drastically increased over recent years, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Existing studies have proven that remote work has advantages and disadvantages for employers and employees. However, little is known about the influence of remote work and the relevant factors in the context of newcomers and their organizational socialization. Building on the job demands-resources (JD-R) model, this study employed semi-structured interviews with nine participants who worked in two educational consulting companies in China and were in the process of remote organizational socialization during the interview. The thematic analysis was applied to analyze and interpret the interview data and explore insights into newcomers' possible demands and resources when they socialize and work remotely. The findings unfolded that the demands encountered by remote-working newcomers during the process of organizational socialization encompass a range of issues. Besides, there exist resources that can aid newcomers in remote organizational socialization. The findings of this study, on the one hand, extend the application of the JD-R model to the organizational socialization of newcomers in the remote work context and, on the other hand, suggest potential challenges and potentially useful resources for organizations and managers at the practical level in guiding newcomers in organizational socialization in the remote work context.