Analytic Culture in the U.S. Intelligence Community (PDF) - CIA

ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE
Anticipatory Socialization
Anticipatory socialization encompasses all of the learning that occurs prior
to a recruit’s entering on duty. 7 At this stage, an individual forms expectations
about the job and makes decisions about the suitability of fit between himself
and the organization. What a person has heard about working for a particular
organization, such as an intelligence agency, provides an idea of what to
expect if hired. Conversely, individuals who do not believe they would fit in
may decide not to apply.
There are two variables that are particularly useful for tracking a potential
employee’s progress through the anticipatory stage: The first is realism, or the
extent to which an individual acquires an accurate picture of daily life in the
organization. Realism is influenced by the level of success recruits achieve
during the information-sharing and information-evaluation part of their
recruitment. The second is congruence, or the extent to which the organization’s
resources and the individual’s needs and skills are mutually satisfying.
Congruence is influenced by the level of success an individual has achieved in
making decisions about employment. Although it cannot directly influence
congruence, which is an inherently personal experience, an organization can
present relevant information in order to provide a realistic and accurate
description of the work performed and the work environment.
Organizations often use interviews to begin the socialization of new
recruits. For example, an interviewer will attempt to provide an accurate
description of what to expect from the job and the organization, the purpose
being to reduce the likelihood that a recruit will be disturbed by unanticipated
situations. Interviewing is also used to determine the degree to which there is a
match between the values of potential recruits and the values of the organization.
New recruits with personal values matching those of the organization
have been found to adjust to the organization’s culture more quickly than
recruits with nonmatching values. 8
Organizations also send cultural messages to new recruits during interviews.
When there are several rounds of interviews with progressively senior
members of the organization, for example, the message conveyed is that finding
the best person for the position is important. In contrast, hiring for a parttime
job at the lowest level of the organization is often accomplished quickly,
to the extent that a person having minimally acceptable qualifications may
7
This stage is termed “pre-arrival” in Lyman W. Porter, Edward E. Lawler, and J. Richard Hackman,
Behavior in Organizations.
8
Jerald Greenberg and Robert A. Baron, Behavior in Organizations: Understanding the Human
Side of Work.
99