Speaker:  Jieying Chen (陈洁盈), Assistant Professor Department of Business Administration, Asper School of Business, University of Manitoba, Canada.

Time: 2018-09-12 13:00-14:30 

Venue: Sep. 12, Room 1113, Wang Kezhen Building

Abstract: Numerous research has suggested information seeking as a way to reduce uncertainty. Applying the framework of the hierarchical model of approach/avoidance orientation, we investigated when and how uncertainty, as a negative stimulus, can increase approach-oriented information seeking behavior. Daily diary data were collected from two samples of newcomers (Study 1: Mtime on job = 2 months; Study 2: Mtime on job = 1.67 months) on five consecutive mornings and afternoons. In both studies, we found that work uncertainty did not have a main effect on information seeking behavior. However, avoidance orientation moderated this relationship, such that newcomers with high avoidance orientation were more likely to engage in information seeking behavior when work uncertainty was high. Information seeking behavior was in turn predictive of role clarity. These results demonstrate that avoidance orientation can catalyze approach-oriented behavior (i.e., information seeking) during organizational entry.

Host: Dr. Changqin Lu