In this study, we examine the role that organizations play in (re-)shaping the moral values of newcomers during the critical early months of employment, a period when organizations aim to orient new employees to the norms and expectations of the work environment. Drawing on the organizational socialization literature, we develop a conceptual model that links moral divestiture (versus investiture) socialization to changes in the moral values of newcomers over time and subsequent outcomes, including indicators of newcomer workplace morality and traditional newcomer adjustment indicators. In a longitudinal study of newcomers and their supervisors, we find that moral divestiture tactics are associated with changes (i.e., decline) in newcomers’ moral values over the first 6 months of employment. In turn, changes in moral values mediate the positive associations between moral divestiture tactics and changes (i.e., increase) in newcomers’ willingness to engage in unethical pro-organizational behaviors and supervisor-observed unethical work behaviors. Changes in moral values further mediated the negative effects of moral divestiture tactics on newcomer organizational citizenship behaviors, task performance, and job satisfaction. We conclude with implications for theory and research on organizational moral socialization in the workplace.
