Virtual Organizational Socialization – a structured literature review and research agenda

Abstract

The literature on Organizational Socialization and Onboarding has assumed traditional work relationships located on-site in the company. Due to the Corona pandemic, remote work has gained tremendous importance. However, we do not yet know how the lack of physical presence affects organizational socialization. The research interest is to assess papers analyzing virtual organizational socialization systematically. The method used was a Systematic Literature Review (SLR). A protocol was made. In this, the search parameters were recorded. Literature relevant to the research question was identified and evaluated. This was examined and put into context. Key Findings: virtual organizational socialization represents a research gap. The literature is scattered; we only found a small number of relevant articles from different disciplines focusing on impediments of virtual organizational socialization. Research on onboarding practices that help overcome obstacles imposed by a higher degree of virtual work is needed.