Conventional wisdom holds that newcomers bring fresh perspectives that are crucial for organizational innovation. While prior research indicates that male employees generally exhibit higher creativity than their female counterparts, it remains unclear whether these gender differences exist upon entry or are shaped by the socialization process. This study investigates how organizational socialization tactics influence the creativity trend across genders and ultimately affect supervisor-rated newcomer creativity. Drawing on gender stereotype theory, we propose that specific socialization practices can either mitigate or amplify gender stereotyping, thereby influencing the gender disparities in creativity. Using a longitudinal survey conducted at four time points with 290 newcomers and their supervisors, our findings reveal that socialization tactics characterized by low context, low social, and high content dimensions enhance female newcomers’ self-perception of creativity, resulting in a more positive trajectory of self-perceived creativity over time. In contrast, tactics that are high in context, high in social dimensions, and low in content dimensions boost male newcomers’ self-perceived creativity trajectory. Moreover, the trajectory of self-perceived creativity plays a critical role in shaping supervisors’ assessments of newcomers’ creativity. This research deepens our understanding of how socialization practices impact the development of creativity among newcomers and offers valuable insights for designing inclusive organizational environments that foster and nurture creativity across all genders.
