Research suggests that new employees generally undergo socialization through two sets of socialization processes: (1) initiating proactive behaviors and (2) participating in company-initiated actions, called organizational tactics. This seminar covers how newly graduated and hired engineers in the U.S. aerospace and defense (A&D) industry initiate proactive behaviors and participate in organizational tactics during their transition. The findings show that newly hired engineers frequently rely on social interactions to adjust to their job position and organization, and they often participate in organizational tactics more than proactive socialization behaviors. The talk will also discuss engineering managers’ actions to assist their new hires. Implications of these findings in the context of A&D workplaces and engineering education settings will be discussed.

Speaker Bio

Benjamin Ahn is an Associate Professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Iowa State University. His research interests include engineering workforce development, mentoring, and teaching and learning mechanisms in higher education. Benjamin received a Ph.D. in Engineering Education from Purdue University, an M.S. in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Purdue University, and a B.E. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of New South Wales.