Compare and contrast the collective vs. the individual socialization processes. Discuss why an organization might select one over the other

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Collective socialization involves putting a group of recruits through a common
set of experiences together. By doing it in this way, peer pressure serves to "promote and
intensify the demands of the socializing agents" (1979, p. 233). Military boot camps are
an excellent example of this type of socialization. In the corporate world, many large
organizations conduct group training where all the new recruits are put together in an offsite
location to learn the task and cultural requirements. This tactic is often used when the
organization wants to build a collective sense of reality. The power of collective peer
pressure would make this an appropriate socialization process for the individuals who
have high congruency with the mission of the organization but who do not yet have any
sense of loyalty to the organization.Individual socialization occurs when recruits are brought into the organization in relative
isolation from one another and put through a unique set of experiences. Examples would
be apprenticeship programs, trainee assignments, and on-the-job training. The views of
those socialized individually are likely to be far less homogeneous than the views of
those socialized collectively.