A field experiment of the power of narratives to shape newcomers' thoughts and actions

This research draws from construal level theory and social identity theory to present and test a framework for understanding how different narratives to which organizational newcomers are exposed embed values in them cognitively and behaviorally. Employing a field experiment using 632 newly-hired employees in a large IT firm that prioritizes self-transcendent, benevolent values, this study explores the effect of narratives varying in terms of the organizational level of main characters and valence to influence newcomers’ espousal of values in their interpretations of organizational situations, and engagement in behaviors that uphold or undermine those values. Results indicate that different narratives have distinct effects. Specifically, positive stories about low-level organizational actors were found to increase peer-rated levels of citizenship behaviors and reduce peer-rated deviant behavior among newcomers more than positive stories about high-level members of the organization. Conversely, negative stories about high-level members of the organization were found to reduce newcomers’ engagement in both OCBs and deviance behaviors more strongly than do negative stories about lower-level members. Implications, future directions, and limitations are discussed.