This study examines how newcomer silence shapes adverse socialization experiences. Drawing on victim precipitation theory, it investigates how newcomer silence may lead to coworker hazing through coworkers' perceptions of newcomer submissiveness and explores the contextual factor that buffers this effect.
We conducted a time-lagged survey involving 266 newcomer–coworker dyads in mainland China. Complex model-based path analysis was used to test the hypotheses.
Results showed that newcomer silence was positively associated with coworker hazing through perceived submissiveness; newcomer social status served as the protective factor that could protect silent newcomers who were perceived as submissive from being hazed.
This research extends victim precipitation theory to workplace hazing settings and contributes to understanding how newcomer silence can elicit negative responses from coworkers and what factor can be used to tweak this.
