The role of leader–member and social network relations in newcomers' role performance

Many scholars of organizational socialization have argued that the interaction between newcomers and more experienced members in an organization is the main channel through which newcomers can learn their roles in the organization. This study examined how the newcomers' leader–member and social network relationships related to their role performances during organizational entry. A sample of new employees completed questionnaires which included social network (network density, strength of ties) and leader–member relation (LMX) measures. The supervisors rated the newcomers' job performance, work group member, and organization member performances. The results showed that the structure of the newcomers' social networks (i.e., sparse networks) related to their job performance, and that their social networks that were characterized by strong ties related to their work-group performance. Finally, the results showed that the quality of the newcomers' leader–member relations related to their organization member performance.

► How the newcomers' leader–member and social network relations related to role performance ► Newcomers' social networks characterized by low density related to job performance ► Social networks characterized by strong ties related to work-group performance ► Newcomers' leader relations (LMX) related to organization member performance