Aspectos técnicos

Purposeful (intensity) sampling was used to obtain participants for this phase of the study (Miles & Huberman, 1994; Patton, 1990; Patton, 2002). As the purpose of the qualitative study was to explore the role of social networks during the socialisation process from a newcomer and socialisation agent perspective, purposeful intensity sampling allows for the exploration of

‘information-rich cases’ that provides a greater understanding and excellent examples of the phenomena of interest being studied (Patton, 1990; Patton, 2002). In addition, the use of purposive sampling in qualitative research increases the probability of maximizing the quality of information obtained (Tuuli & Rowlinson, 2009). This approach to sampling in qualitative research also requires the researcher to purposefully select sites and participants where the phenomenon in the study can be explored (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2011).

Sampling in qualitative research requires choices to be made regarding a range of parameters that include: the setting (the location in which and where the phenomena is being studied); actors (individuals to be interviewed or observed); processes (how people “make sense” of their habitual surroundings); events (activities relevant to the actors setting and processes); and outcomes (results of the process) (Miles & Huberman, 1994). The sampling parameters and choices for this phase of the study were as follows: the setting was small manufacturing firms in the Hawke’s Bay region where socialisation takes place; actors were newcomers and socialisation agents; processes focused on how social networks underpinning socialisation factors effects newcomer learning and adjustment during the socialisation process; events are incidents that occur during the OS process; and outcomes, the resultant proximal and distal outcomes of the process.

Selecting the setting where the process being studied was likely to occur was a key factor on which the decision to use purposeful sampling was based (Silverman, 2000). Manufacturing is regarded as the type of small firm setting where the effective and efficient progression of newcomers through the socialisation process, as they learn the necessary content in order to adjust to their new environment, would be of particular importance in achieving desired outcomes. The importance of the manufacturing sector is borne out by it being the largest contributor to GDP in the Hawke’s Bay region over the six plus years from 2001 to 2008 (Ministry of Economic Development (MED),

2010). Manufacturing has also been the largest employer in the small firm sector and supports the important horticulture and viticulture sectors in Hawke’s Bay. In addition, the manufacturing sector in New Zealand includes an important food manufacturing component, which forms part of the

primary sector that is a major contributor to the country’s GDP (Smallbone, Deakins, Battisti & Kitching, 2012).

The globalised and highly competitive environment that small manufacturing firms operate in requires owner/managers of these types of firms to identify opportunities, utilise their resources optimally and take actions to rapidly adjust to changes (Fabi, Lacoursiere, Raymond & St-Pierre, 2010). For example, small manufacturing firms must rely on developing new products and finding new markets in order to remain competitive (Fabi, Raymond & Lacoursiere, 2009; Fabi et al., 2010). In addition, the implementation of philosophies such as total quality management and just-in time production mean that employees in small manufacturing firms are required to focus on

delivering high quality, reasonably priced products that meet customer’s needs, on time (Deshpande & Golhar, 1994; Golhar & Deshpande, 1997). To meet these competitive challenges employees in small manufacturing firms need to be flexible and adaptable, and they must be capable and willing to continuously review work procedures and systems as they adjust to workplace changes (Fabi et al., 2009). The ability of newcomers, as part of the workforce in small manufacturing firms, to learn and adjust to their new environment is essential to the competitiveness and economic survival of small manufacturing firms (Coetzer, 2006).

The role and importance of HRM practices in the small firm manufacturing sector is supported by various studies (e.g. Coetzer, 2006; Deshpande & Golhar, 1994; Fabi et al., 2009; Fabi et al., 2010; Golhar & Deshpande, 1997). The competitive environment, changing market conditions, investment in new technologies and the novel work situations encountered by employees in small manufacturing firms requires the implementation of HRM practices with a strong learning focus that enables employees to adjust to changes in the workplace, master tasks and perform to a required standard (Badger, Mangles, Sadler-Smith, 2001; Lee, Bennett & Oakes, 2000). HRM practices in small manufacturing firms that support learning and adjustment also enhance research and development capabilities and supports the use of advanced manufacturing technologies that impacts on the competitiveness of these firms (Fabi et al., 2010).

In summary, the small firm manufacturing sector was purposefully selected as the setting from which to obtain participants to explore socialisation in order to obtain rich and complete accounts of the phenomena being studied. The decision to focus on the small firm manufacturing sector was

also based on the importance of this sector to the economy and employment, especially in the region where this study was conducted. In addition, the nature of the type of workplace the small firm manufacturing sector represents and the criticality of newcomers being able to learn and adjust efficiently and effectively to their new environment supported the decision to adopt the sampling approach chosen.

Based on the sampling parameters and the choices that needed to be made in deciding on the purposeful sample (Miles & Huberman, 1994), UBD, a commercial supplier of business databases,

was used to obtain details of the small manufacturing firms in the Hawke’s Bay Region of New

Zealand that fitted the small firm size definition of 10-49 employees used for this study. Owner/managers of firms identified from the purposeful sample that matched the small firm size category for the sample frame were contacted telephonically in order to inform them of the nature and purpose of the research, what their potential involvement would entail and to determine their willingness to voluntarily participate in the study. Those owner/managers of firms who expressed an interest in voluntarily participating in the study were also asked if they were willing to approach and determine if any employee who fitted the definition of a socialisation agent (if not the owner/manager) and, if they had employed any staff within the last year, a maximum of two newcomers who were willing to voluntarily participate in interviews.

While the term “newcomer” is effectively a label or status attached to an individual undergoing socialisation (Ashford & Nurmohamed, 2012; Rollag, 2007), no universally acceptable definition for defining a newcomer exists in the socialisation literature (Rollag et al., 2005). However, since the transition from newcomer to organisational insider is largely a learning and adjustment process that occurs over a period of time (Bauer et al., 2007; Feldman, 1976; Fisher, 1986), most socialisation research uses organisational tenure to define a newcomer when conducting studies (Bauer et al., 1998; Bauer et al., 2007; Rollag, 2005). Socialisation is a dynamic process and the rate of newcomer learning and adjustment is affected by many factors (e.g. individual differences and the work context) (Ashforth, 2007) and the duration and the end point when employees cease to become a newcomer remains undefined (Ashford & Nurmohamed, 2012; Ashforth, 2012; Rollag et al., 2005). Notwithstanding this, the period of up to one year or less of tenure is most frequently used by researchers to define and classify employees as newcomers when conducting socialisation studies (Rollag, 2004; Rollag, 2007). Meta-analytic data confirms that most researchers study newcomer socialisation during and up to the first year of employment and there are strong indications that this is the critical period during which most newcomer socialisation tends to occur (Bauer et al., 1998; Bauer et al., 2007; Bauer & Erdogan, 2011). Thus, for the purposes of this study

an individual was regarded as a newcomer if they had been an employee for up to the maximum period of the first year of employment.

The recruitment of newcomers and socialisation agents was crucial for the collection of a sufficient number of critical incidents during the interviews that addressed the research questions for this phase of the study. Owner/managers were also informed that a focus of the research and the

procedures was to enable the researcher to elicit “incidents” relevant to this phase of the study from

respondents that could be captured, analysed and interpreted. As previously noted, these critical incidents would become the units of analysis.

Owner/managers of those small firms who expressed an interest and willingness to voluntarily participate in this phase of the study were sent a covering letter formally inviting the owner/manager and employees to participate in the study (Appendix E). The covering letter included information outlining the purpose of the study, the involvement of participants, participants rights, issues of confidentiality, anonymity, contact details of the researcher and research supervisors and sample interview questions for newcomers and socialisation agents. Owner/managers were requested to pass on the covering letters to employees who acted as socialisation agents (where this was somebody other than the owner/manager) and to employees categorised as newcomers (those with tenure of one year or less). Those interested in participating were asked to contact the researcher directly. Once agreement to voluntarily participate in the study had been reconfirmed, arrangements were made to conduct the interviews with newcomers and

socialisation agents at the firm’s premises at a scheduled date, time and place that afforded sufficient privacy, had minimum distractions and that was suitable to participants. Sample interview questions were again sent out to be distributed to socialisation agents and newcomers who had voluntarily elected to participate in the study a few days prior to the scheduled interview to assist them in preparing for the interview.