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This article examines how new entry-level workers can be better leveraged to create competitive advantage. Recent research (Bennis & Thomas, 2002; Howe & Strauss, 2000; Tapscott, 1998; Zemke, Raines, & Filipczak, 2000) finds that individuals born since the early 1980s possess unique competencies centered on Internet communications. We examine the possibilities presented when 3 powerful forces-(1) modern entry-level workers, (2) the information economy, and (3) a strategic human resources perspective-intersect. We address the question: What new internal strategies can increase the likelihood that the current cohort of entry-level workers will contribute to firm competitive advantage? Propositions centered on the characteristics of entry-level-worker integration strategies are offered.
Recent management literature suggests that knowledge and human capital are increasingly important determinants of an organization's competitive advantage. Some researchers (Nahapiet & Ghoshal, 1998; Wright & McMahan, 1992) have argued that strategically-managed human resources can provide sustainable competitive advantage. The current cohort of entry-level workers possesses competencies that are significantly different than competencies possessed by previous generations of entry-level workers and the bulk of the current workforce (Bennis & Thomas, 2002; Howe & Strauss, 2000; Tapscott, 1998; Zemke et al., 2000). A question that needs to be answered is: What new worker-integration strategies can increase the likelihood that the current cohort of entry-level workers will contribute to firm competitive advantage?
Many organizations have programs aimed at effectively integrating new workers. These programs are often focused on the "socialization of new recruits" (Trice & Beyer, 1993, p. 131) through the transmission of existing company ideologies, values, and norms. Most organizations use formal orientation training as part of the socialization process (Saks & Ashforth, 1997), and formal orientation training for new hires is one of the most common types of training in organizations (Bassi & Van Buren, 1998). New employee orientation accounted for 9.3% of all training expenditures of large U.S. companies in 2001 through 2003 (American Society for Training and Development, 2003). For comparison, product knowledge training also accounted for the 9.3% of training expenditures, and expenditures were lower for both customer relations and occupational safety/compliance training-7.5% and 7.2% of training expenditures, respectively.
WORKER EDUCATION, THE INFORMATION ECONOMY, AND STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT
Recent management training literature has begun to recognize that training programs must take a more strategic view, responding...