Inoculation in Organizations, the Workplace, and Small Groups

This chapter presents an overview of McGuire's (1964) inoculation theory as it has been applied to the context of organizations, the workplace, and small groups. The chapter begins with a brief overview of inoculation theory, highlighting elements of the theory's history and its key propositions. Then, we provide a summary of all the existing literature pertaining to inoculation theory in this context. Specific applications of the theory include employee recruitment and retention, challenges in the workplace, organizational commitment, diversity in the workplace, and small groups. Finally, we propose future directions for research that can continue and expand upon the existing research.