Abstract:

This study addresses a critical gap in organizational socialization and workforce mobility literature by systematically investigating the proactive resocialization behaviors of boomerang employees—individuals who return to former employers after a period of separation. While boomerang employment has become a prevalent global trend, the resocialization outcomes of these employees often diverge from expectations, marked by performance declines and second-turnover. To unravel these complexities, this research introduces a novel theoretical framework grounded in organizational socialization theory and resource-based perspectives, offering three key innovations.

First, the study pioneers the conceptualization and dimensionalization of boomerang employees’ proactive resocialization behaviors, distinguishing between general proactive socialization behaviors (e.g., feedback-seeking) and boomerang-specific proactive resocialization behaviors (e.g., relationship-rebuilding with former colleagues, knowledge validation). This dual-dimensional model captures the unique duality of boomerang employees, who simultaneously embody the roles of “newcomer” and “insider”. By developing a validated measurement scale, the research provides a foundational tool for future empirical studies, addressing the scarcity of instruments tailored to this population.

Second, from a resource-based perspective, the study identifies antecedents of these behaviors by examining how boomerang employees’ prior resources—accumulated during initial tenures and interim employment—shape their resocialization strategies. Three resource categories are highlighted: (1) individual resources (e.g., pre-existing socialization experiences), (2) relational resources (e.g., retained social networks with former leaders/colleagues), and (3) organizational resources (e.g., organizational resocialization tactics). The framework posits that these resources influence boomerang employees’ resocialization proactive behaviors through self-efficacy and instrumentality beliefs, moderated by contextual factors such as job-role changes and workplace ostracism. For instance, workplace ostracism from former colleagues may undermine boomerang-specific proactive resocialization behaviors, while role continuity enhances the utility of prior resources.

Third, the study delineates the outcomes of proactive resocialization behaviors, differentiating proximal (e.g., reduced role conflict, new established social exchange relationships) and distal results (e.g., job performance, second-turnover intentions). Specifically, the study proposes that while general proactive behaviors mitigate role conflict more effectively, boomerang-specific behaviors may hinder new relationship-building due to resource allocation trade-offs. Boundary conditions, such as leaders’ traditional values and organizational resocialization tactics, further moderate these effects. For example, leaders with low level of traditionality amplify the benefits of boomerang employees’ proactive behaviors by fostering open communication, whereas standardized (vs. customized) organizational tactics favor generic behaviors.

This study makes three key theoretical contributions. First, it extends traditional organizational socialization theory—primarily focused on newcomers—to the novel context of boomerang employees. Moreover, by shifting scholarly attention from the pre-return to the post-return phase to unravel divergent resocialization outcomes, this study broadens the scope of workforce mobility research. Second, this study introduces the construct of boomerang employees’ proactive resocialization behaviors, conceptualized as two distinct dimensions: general proactive socialization behaviors (shared with newcomers) and boomerang-specific proactive resocialization behaviors (e.g., rebuilding prior relationships). This duality reflects boomerang employees’ hybrid identity (i.e., both insider and outsider). Third, drawn from a resource-based perspective, the study proposes a systematic framework where boomerangs’ unique resources shape their two types of proactive resocialization behaviors, which in turn differentially impact proximal (e.g., role conflict reduction) and distal outcomes (e.g., performance). By resolving inconsistencies in prior findings, this resource-behavior-outcome mechanism advances theory explaining distinct return outcomes of boomerang employees. In summary, by extending organizational socialization theory to the boomerang employment context, this study contributes to both theoretical advancements and practical applications in organizational socialization and workforce mobility.

This study also offers organizations implications to optimize boomerang employees' resocialization by (1) designing differentiated resocialization tactics that acknowledge their hybrid insider-outsider status, (2) strategically reactivating their prior relational capital while systematically fostering new network connections, (3) proactively addressing potential ostracism from incumbent staff through structured onboarding interventions, and (4) ensuring transparent role transitions that effectively leverage their accumulated knowledge while clarifying post-return expectations. These evidence-based recommendations enable organizations to transform boomerang hiring from an ad-hoc practice into a strategic talent management tool that maximizes both employee potential and organizational performance.

Overall, this study redefines boomerang resocialization as a resource-driven, behaviorally nuanced process, bridging theoretical and managerial gaps in talent mobility literature. Future research could explore cross-cultural comparisons and longitudinal behavioral impacts to deepen these insights.

Key words: organizational socialization, organizational resocialization, boomerang employee, proactive socialization behavior