socialization and new tech

Near the end of Chapter 5 the authors of your text discuss new communication technologies and organizational socialization. Discussing new media separately seems a bit old-fashioned considering the pervasive communication environment in which organizations and organization members function. But at least the authors acknowledge that socialization doesn't just involve in person interaction.

The section did get me thinking about the new faculty who will be joining the department in the fall. Their experience is much different from mine nearly 20 years ago. Then, I had to rely on a microfiche reader to go through the SJSU Catalog so I could get an idea of the department and university. I talked with a few of the faculty members on the phone. But for the most part, socialization occurred in person. Now, job candidates review university and department websites as they write up their letters of application and prepare for the interview. To help integrate the two faculty, I've added their bios and photos to the website. They've exchanged emails with several current faculty. They have access to the department wiki, which includes minutes from faculty and committee meetings, course syllabi, and other useful information. These new colleagues simply know a lot more about the department before the first faculty meeting than I ever did. Still, there's a great deal of informal knowledge that they won't know, but will learn over time.

~ Professor Cyborg