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We combine the social network approach and organizational socialization literature in order to examine the influence of social networks and proactive behavior on newcomers' innovative performance. A sample of new employees completed questionnaires on social network and proactive measures, and their supervisors rated their innovative performance. The results suggest that both sparse (low density) social networks and newcomers' information giving were related to innovative performance. The results also indicate that information giving moderated the relation between sparse social networks and innovative performance: when newcomers' information giving was high, the characteristics of their social networks were not related to their innovative performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We examined the role of an in-company training program aimed at enhancing employees'' intrinsic work-goal motivation by increasing their career preparedness in a randomized field experimental study. The program activities were implemented using an organization-level two-trainer model with trainers from the human resources management and occupational health services. Within-organizations randomly assigned field experimental study (RCT) investigated the impact of the intervention on immediate career preparedness and both immediate and follow-up intrinsic work-goal motivation. A total of 718 eligible individuals filled in and returned the questionnaire in 17 organizations and became voluntary participants. The respondents were randomly assigned to either intervention (N=369) or control groups (N=349). Those in the intervention group were invited to group intervention workshops, whereas the control group received printed material covering the information content of the intervention. The participants filled in the work-goal questionnaires before intervention, after the week-long intervention and seven months later. In addition they filled in a career preparedness scale before and after the intervention. The results showed that intervention increased career preparedness which in turn was related to intrinsic work-goal motivation and increased intrinsic work-goal motivation at the follow-up. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Towards Working Life group method was designed to promote the transition to the upper secondary level or vocational studies and to support mental health among young people finishing their basic education. This study examined the effects of the intervention during upper secondary and vocational studies in a randomized field experimental study among a total of 1034 students. At the one-year follow-up, the program had increased both education related social ties and the number of adults in these ties. The group intervention had interaction effects with baseline risk of depression and learning difficulties on symptoms of depression and school burnout. Among those initially at risk of depression, the intervention decreased symptoms of depression. For students who were at risk of depression and had learning difficulties, the intervention decreased school burnout. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study examines effects of the School-to-Work Group Method among 17–25-year-old young people facing the transition from vocational college to work. After baseline measurement (N =416) participants were randomized into experimental and control groups. The results of ten month follow-up (N =334) showed notable beneficial impacts of the group method on both employment itself and on how well it matched participants’ education and personal career plans. The group method also had a significant preventive effect on psychological distress and depression symptoms among those initially at risk of suffering from mental disorder. Moreover, it considerably increased participants’ personal work life, finances and property goals. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Our study investigates the long-term effects of a resource-based group intervention designed to strengthen older employees' late-career management preparedness on their perceptions of age discrimination, work engagement and future time perspective at work. A randomly assigned field experimental study (RCT) was carried out in 17 organizations representing both the private and public sectors. The data consisted of 699 employees with a mean age of 58. The results of the mixed-effects models revealed that the proximal effect of the intervention was increased late-career management preparedness. This in turn, reduced perceived age discrimination, strengthened work engagement and enhanced future time perspective at work, all of which was seen at six-month follow-up. The intervention was the most beneficial among aging employees with a lower-level education and those with a younger supervisor. On the basis of our results, we recommend resource-based peer group techniques for strengthening career management among aging employees, as it seems to enhance sustainability of their working careers. • Enhancing late-career management decreases perceptions of age discrimination. • Enhancing preparedness for late-career management increases work engagement. • Enhancing late-career management increases time perspective at work. • Less educated senior workers benefitted most of career management program. • Senior workers with younger boss benefitted most of career management program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]