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Weekly UpdatesAn organization cannot have a very realistic recruiting and socialization program, if they don't know why the recruited employee leaves it. There is much to be learned from recruiting/socialization successes and failures; and related reasons from management and the departees' perspectives could be obtained through specific documentation of these situations, exit interviews and/or separation surveys.
Why Did the Recruit Leave the Marines? Implications for Other Organizations
The champion's organizational departure reflected at least three of the previously mentioned four organizational lessons pertaining to realistic recruiting and subsequent socialization. In short, his lack of a motivational base would not likely sustain his socialization particularly when key selection criteria were waived a situation worsened by contrary work experiences and perspectives.
Bowe did not appreciate his drill instructor, whom he described as a "little dude--147 pounds," because he treated the recruit like a 17-or 18 -year old, not like a man, and did not recognize the champion's prowess and dedication to physical training.
"(Recruit Bowe, you're not running fast enough! Pick it up.) We did situps, and it was 'Recruit Bowe, you're not doing sit-ups right!' I said, 'Man, are you crazy? I've been doing sit-ups for 20 years, now I'm doing them wrong?' I do them the way he wants. We go back to the barracks, and he's still going..."
He made his final decision to leave the organization, and he and 61 other recruits were standing in line "butt-naked," when the D.I. asked the group to follow "crazy" orders such as putting a right sock on and taking a left shoe off. After 45 minutes of these exercises, Bowe stated, "I'm going home."
The champion's intolerance was intensified because of the organization's inability to give him a preselection orientation to its culture. Rock Newman knew that Bowe would not complete the socialization process, because it represented a large culture shock for "...a multimillionaire, who's had control over his life, coming and going whenever he pleased, losing control." Bowe agreed, "The adjustment, at my age, with my family at home and the responsibilities I hav,e simply made it impossible for me."[28] Moreover concluded,
"...living it is totally different [from observing organizational activities]... I figured they got on a guy's case, and then it was over. I didn't know these people are with you 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week. You sleep at attention...every waking hour as a recruit, you are told what to do, how fast, when and where even when it comes to personal things, such as shaving, showering, eating, and using the bathroom. "drill instructors always yelling commands every step of the way."[29]
Bowe did not realize, and/or appreciate, the organization's culture until he left it. He first thought that the drill instructors often..."went berserk"...being in one ear, then the other. He subsequently understood that a Marine Corps drill instructor's job is to behave this way and wished that somebody had told him that the drill instructor was only doing his job.
Organizational Action Considerations
The United States Marine Corps has, for more than 200 years, sought to inculcate into its members a sense of pride, commitment, duty, and devotion that, by today's standards, may appear to be archaic. There can be little argument about the success of the organization in its business of fighting wars. This organization receives its recruits, "steeped in the popular American culture of consumerism and individualism. To a surprising degree, before joining the Corps, they had been living part-time lives--working part-time, going to community college part-time (and getting lousy grades) and staying dazed on drugs and alcohol part-time."[30]
For the most part, there is very little difference between the recruits who arrive at the gate at Parris Island, and those who arrive at the gate of corporate America. The USMC has been able to convert these "pampered or frightened or reckless or dangerous teenagers into self-assured, responsible, courageous leaders."
In spite of the tremendous recruiting/socialization success, the USMC has experienced applicant transformation failures. Riddick Bowe's highly publicized situation provided an excellent opportunity to learn from mistakes, and incorporate the positive aspects of a historically productive process.
* The organization must know that reasons that recruits are drawn to it, and make sure that it meets those expectations. How can the organization become aware of common motivators for joining and the relevant value/ranking of each? One approach might be the use of an "entry interview."
* Carefully identify relevant selection criteria and waive them rarely, if ever. If the selection criteria are accurate, validated, and important to the success of both the recruit and the organization, it makes little sense to waive them freely. An applicant's previous job experience should be thoroughly examined for contradictions to predictors for employee success.
* The organization must clearly identify reasons for separation. Although much has been said and written about exit interviews, or similar devices, it should be obvious that, unless the specific reasons are identified and analyzed, the organization cannot begin to reduce the number of its premature separations.
* Continue to develop realistic recruiting processes to reduce the occurrence of unmet expectations on the parts of both the newcomer and the organization.
Most of the major problems facing organizations today, in the area of human resource management, can likely be traced back to a breakdown in the recruitment/selection process. The case of the USMC and Riddick Bowe has provided us with a window on a generally successful selection process gone awry and suggestions for lessons to improve this critically important activity.
Notes
[1] Griffeth, RW., Hom, P.W., Fink, L.S., and Cohen, D.J., "Comparative Tests of Multivariate Models of Recruiting Sources Effects," Journal of Management, 23, no.1 (1997): 19-36.
[2] Premack, SL. and Wanous, J.P., "A Meta-analysis of Realistic Job Preview Experiments," Journal of Applied Psychology, 70, (1985): 706-719.
[3] Gundry, LK. and Rousseau, D.M., "Critical Incidents in Communicating Culture to Newcomers: The Meaning is the Message," Human Relations, 47, no.9 (1994): 1063-1088.
[4] Gordon, JR., Organizational Behavior: A Diagnostic Approach. (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1996) pp.472-473.
[5] Thomas Ricks, "A Few Good Truths: What Can We Learn From Them," Parade Magazine, November 9, 1997, p 4.
[6] Feldman, DC., "A Contingency Theory of Socialization," Administrative Science Quarterly, 21, (1976): 433-452; Porter, L.W., Lawler, E.E, and Hackman, J.R., Behavior in Organizations. (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1971); Schein, E.H., Career Dynamics: Matching Individual and Organizational Needs. (Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1978); Wanous, J.P., Organizational Entry: Recruitment, Selection, and Socialization of Newcomers. (Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1981).
[7] Van Maanen, J, "People Processing: Strategies of Organizational Socialization," Organizational Dynamics, 7 (1978): 18-36.
[8] Feldman, DC., Managing # Careers in Organizations. (Glenview, Ill: Scott, Foresman and Company, 1988)
[9] Pervin, LA., "Persons, Situations, Interactions: The History of a Controversy and a Discussion of Theoretical Models," Academy of Management Review, 14, (1989): 350-360.
[10] Cable, DM. and Judge, T.A., "Person-Organization Fit, Job Choice Decisions, and Organizational Entry," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 67, no. 3, (1996): 294-311.
[11] Breaugh, JA., "Relationships Between Recruiting Sources and Employee Performance," Academy of Management Journal, 24, (1981): 142-147; Taylor, M.S. and Schmidt, D.W., "A Process Oriented Investigation of Recruitment Sources Effectiveness," Personnel Psychology, 36, (1983): 343-354; Wanous, J.P. and Colella, A., "Organizational Entry Research: Current Status and Future Directions," in G.R. Ferris and K.M. Rowland (Eds.) Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management, 7, (Greenwich, CT: JAI Press, 1989): pp 59-120.
[12] Baker, HG., Berry, V.M., McClintock, V.M., and Norris, L., "Automated Assessment of Reasons for Joining an Organization," The Journal of Psychology, 1124, no. 6 (1990): 711-719.
[13] "The Making of a Marine: Beginning the Transformation," p7.
[14] Jon Saraceno, "Today Bowe Reserves Spot in Marines," USA Today, January 31, 1997, p11-C.
[15] Jon Saraceno, "Adrift Ex-Boxer Longs to Be a Marine Again," USA Today, May 25, 1997, p15-C.
[16] Major Rick Long, USMC, MCRD, Parris Island, PAO, Personal discussion, October 10, 1997
[17] Vinnie Perrone, "For Bowe, It's Left, Right Left," Washington Post, January 31, 1997, pA-1.
[18] Shirley Povich, "In the End, Bowe's Happy to be of Service," Washington Post, February 3, 1997, pC-1.
[19] Jeff Schultz, "Bowe Quits Marine Boot Camp on 3rd Day," Atlanta Journal-Constitution, February 22, 1997, p F-1.
[20] Bill Brubaker, "Bowe Drops Gloves for Kids, Announces Retirement," Washington Post, May 1, 1997, p B-1.
[21] Jon Saraceno, "Private Life Begins Today," USA Today, February 10, 1997, p 3-C.
[22] Steve Springer, "He Might Be A Good Man, But He's Sure No Marine," Los Angeles Times, February 23, 1997, p C-14.
[23] Pete Iacobelli, "Bowe to Go From Champ to Marine Recruit Overnight," Charlotte Observer, February 11, 1997, p 14-C.
[24] "Bowe Quits After 3 Days of Boot Camp," Philadelphia Inquirer, February 22, 1997, p C-1.
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