What are the stages of organizational socialization, and what happens in each stage?

• A. Encounter, Metamorphosis, Post-arrival
• B. Pre-arrival, Encounter, Metamorphosis
• C. Metamorphosis, Pre-arrival, Encounter
• D. Pre-arrival, Metamorphosis, Encounter

Answer: (B)

Organizational socialization unfolds in three stages that reflect how newcomers learn to fit and function within a culture. It starts before you even step in: pre-arrival. In this phase, you form expectations about the job, the team, and the organization based on recruitment messages, prior experiences, and what you’ve heard. These expectations shape how you approach the role and what you’re looking to learn once you join.

When you actually join the organization, you enter the encounter stage. Here you test those expectations against reality. You learn the formal rules and informal norms, observe how people behave, and begin to adopt the routines, language, and values of the workplace. This is where you experience adjustment and may feel a sense of reality shock as you reconcile your preconceived notions with what the environment actually requires.

The final stage, metamorphosis, is reached as you internalize the norms and values and your identity shifts to align with the organization. Your behavior, performance, and sense of belonging become more automatic and integrated; you’re seen as a competent, contributing member and may even begin guiding others.

Other sequences don’t fit this progression because you can’t effectively internalize culture before you’ve encountered it, and a stage like “post-arrival” isn’t part of the traditional model. The correct order starts with pre-arrival, moves through encounter, and ends with metamorphosis.