Mentoring and newcomer well-being : a socialization resources perspective

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of mentoring on newcomer well-being, as mediated by newcomer socialization and moderated by proactive personality. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected at four time points in a sample of 227 newcomers. Regression analysis and bootstrapping method were used to test the hypotheses. Findings: Mentoring had a positive and indirect effect on newcomer well-being through socialization. The moderated mediation analysis also revealed that proactive personality augmented the direct effect of mentoring on socialization and its indirect effect on well-being. Research limitations/implications: Our data were collected in China, thereby limiting the generalization of the research findings. Future research can test our model in different cultural contexts. Practical implications: Organizations should consider establishing a mentoring program to foster newcomer socialization and achieve well-being. Within the mentoring context, cultivating newcomers to become more proactive can predict higher socialization levels, resulting in higher well-being. Originality/value: Previous research largely focused on the development of the well-being of tenured employees. Drawing on socialization resources theory, this study focuses on the newcomer well-being and proposes the influential mechanism and boundary condition of the relationship between mentoring and newcomer well-being. It sheds light on exploring the well-being development for newcomers.