LOYAL FROM DAY ONE: BIODATA, ORGANIZATIONAL IDENTIFICATION, AND TURNOVER AMONG NEWCOMERS

This paper attempts to use biodata to uncover behavioral and experiential antecedents of organizational identification (OID), and to demonstrate one way in which theory can be used in the development and analysis of objective biodata. The biodata correlates of organizational identification were assessed with a sample of 2,535 new U.S. Army recruits. Four biodata factors emerged: activities involving outdoor work or pastimes; a dependable, non‐delinquent, lifestyle reflecting socialization to institutional expectations; a general preference for group attachments; and diligent involvement in intellectual pastimes. Results with a subset of 1,082 recruits revealed that both OID and the biodata antecedents predicted subsequent attrition across 6 time periods spanning 6 to 24 months. Results also revealed relatively high OID among the recruits.