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Remote Onboarding and Socialization Practices: An Empirical Analysis of Service Firms in Bayelsa State, Nigeria

Ebimie Melbourne Eleke

Abstract

This study examines the impact of remote onboarding and socialization practices on employee integration and organizational commitment in service firms within Bayelsa State, Nigeria. The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent shift to remote work have necessitated fundamental changes in how organizations integrate new employees, making this investigation particularly timely and relevant. Using a survey research design, data were collected from 215 employees across service firms in Bayelsa State through structured questionnaires. Simple regression analysis was employed to test three hypotheses examining the relationships between virtual orientation programs, digital socialization strategies, remote onboarding effectiveness, employee integration, and organizational commitment. The results reveal that virtual orientation programs significantly enhance employee integration (? = 0.647, p < 0.001, R2 = 0.419), digital socialization strategies significantly improve organizational commitment (? = 0.692, p < 0.001, R2 = 0.479), and remote onboarding effectiveness significantly predicts organizational commitment (? = 0.715, p < 0.001, R2 = 0.511). The study concludes that well- designed remote onboarding and socialization practices are crucial for successful employee integration in the digital work environment. Recommendations include investing in comprehensive virtual orientation platforms, implementing structured digital socialization programs, providing mentorship support, and continuously evaluating remote onboarding effectiveness.

Keywords

Remote OnboardingVirtual OrientationDigital SocializationEmployee IntegrationOrganizational CommitmentService FirmsBayelsa State

References

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