The Influence of Perceived Interviewer and Job and Organizational Characteristics on Applicant Attraction and Job Choice Intentions: The role of applicant anxiety

This study examined whether interviewer characteristics have (a) a direct influence on applicant attraction and job choice intentions, (b) an indirect influence via job and organizational characteristics, and (c) direct influence on applicant anxiety. A sample of graduate applicants (N=450) was surveyed before a selection interview (Time 1) and after the employment interview (Time 2). Structural equation modeling was used to examine the hypothesized model. The results showed that interviewer characteristics (warmth, unfriendliness, job knowledge, general competence and humor) had both a direct and indirect effect on applicant attraction and job choice intentions. In addition, interviewer characteristics had a significant positive impact on applicant anxiety. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.     

The Role of Perceived Employability,Core Self-Evaluations,and Job Resources on Health and Turnover Intentions

According to Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, this study investigated the explanatory role of perceived employability, over and above core self-evaluations (CSE) and job resources, in relation to different aspects of health (physical and mental) and turnover intentions. Based on data obtained from a sample of 274 Romanian blue-collar employees (59.5% men), hierarchical multiple regressions revealed that perceived employability adds a significant variance compared to variance due to CSE and job resources with respect to aspects of health and turnover. The results highlight the role of perceived employability in health – on an individual level, and in decisions to leave the organization – on an organizational level. The findings are of value because they inform organizations how to design human resources strategies in order to retain a healthy workforce.     

The Impact of Publicity and Subsequent Intervention in Recruitment Advertising on Job Searching Freshmen's Attraction to an Organization and Job Pursuit Intention

This study investigates the impacts of publicity exposure and recruiting advertisement sequence on freshmen's job search attraction to organizations and their job decisions. The current research uses a two‐factor experiment design, publicity (positive vs. negative) and recruiting ads (detailed vs. general), and recruits 415 undergraduates (seniors are the majority). Results indicate that negative publicity has greater effect on applicant attraction than positive publicity. The perceived truthfulness of sequential intervening recruiting advertisement rules the reaction to job ad, then further impacts on organizational attractiveness and job pursuit intention. With negative publicity exposure, higher specificity of recruiting advertisement has more significant mitigation effects than lower specificity. This work discusses implications and directions for future research.     

Effects of Pro-Environmental Recruiting Messages: The Role of Organizational Reputation

Purpose  The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a pro-environmental corporate message on prospective applicants’ attitudes toward a fictitious hiring organization. Drawing from signaling theory, we hypothesized that an environmental message on the organization’s recruitment website would increase prospective applicants’ perceptions of organizational prestige, which would then increase job pursuit intentions. Personal environmental attitudes were also examined as a possible moderator. Design/Methodology/Approach  Participants (N = 183) viewed a web site printout that either did or did not contain a message indicating the organization’s environmental support. Participants rated their attitudes toward the environment, perceptions of the organization, and job pursuit intentions. Findings  Findings demonstrated that the environmental support message positively affected job pursuit intentions; further, this effect was mediated by perceptions of the organization’s reputation. Contrary to the person–organization fit perspective, the message’s effects on job pursuit intentions were not contingent upon the participant’s own environmental stance. Implications  These findings highlight the importance of corporate social performance as a source of information for a variety of job seekers. Even relatively small amounts of information regarding corporate social performance can positively affect an organization’s reputation and recruitment efforts. Originality/Value  In general, this research contributes to the growing body of literature on corporate social responsibility. It is the first study to test whether the effects of pro-environmental recruiting messages on job pursuit intentions depend upon an applicant’s personal environmental stance. In addition, this is the first study to demonstrate reputation’s meditational role in the effects of corporate social responsibility on recruitment efforts.     

Job Insecurity and Turnover Intentions: Gender Differences and the Mediating Role of Work Engagement

The present study tests an integrative model that considers differential gender effects for the mediating role of work engagement on the relationship between job insecurity and turnover intentions in a predominantly Muslim country. Job insecurity was divided into two aspects: general concerns about losing one’s job and concerns about losing the privileges (such as career advancement, stimulating work, competence, and pay development) that come from one’s specific job. Data were collected from 309 private banking employees (107 women, 202 men, with a mean age of 33.58) in Marmara region, Turkey. The results of multi-group path analysis partially support the hypotheses. The differential gender effects for the mediating effect of work engagement were supported only on the concerns about losing job privileges→turnover intention linkage, but not on the concerns about losing the job itself→turnover intention linkage. Moreover, the mediating effect of work engagement on the relationship between concerns about losing job privileges and turnover intention was found to be stronger for women than for men. For men, work engagement acts only as a partial mediator, suggesting that concerns about the loss of job privileges exerts its effects on turnover intentions both directly and indirectly. Although the direct effect of concerns about losing the job itself on turnover intention is significant, the indirect effect through work engagement turns out to be nonsignificant for both genders. Our findings are discussed considering the business environment in Turkey as a Muslim country.     

The Impact of Organizational Culture on Attraction and Recruitment of Job Applicants

Purpose  

This research examined how job pursuit and application decisions of male and female job applicants are impacted by beliefs about the organization’s culture.     

Recruiting Highly Educated Graduates: A Study on the Relationship Between Recruitment Information Sources,the Theory of Planned Behavior,and Actual Job Pursuit

Using the theory of planned behavior, we examined the effects of different recruitment-related information sources on the job pursuit of highly educated graduates. The study was conducted using a real-life longitudinal design. Participants reported on potential employers they were interested in. We used hierarchical linear modeling to analyze within-participant relationships of different information sources with the theory of planned behavior variables, job pursuit behavior, and actual job choice. The theory of planned behavior relationships was supported. Recruitment advertising and positive word of mouth related positively to job pursuit intention and behavior. Negative publicity and word of mouth partly related to job pursuit behavior, indicating their role in the recruitment process. On-campus presence related negatively to job pursuit intention and behavior, suggesting that recruiters should convey parsimonious and realistic job-related information.     

Reactions to Recruitment Web Sites: Visual and Verbal Attention, Attraction, and Intentions to Pursue Employment

Purpose

We investigate job seeker visual and verbal attention, and perceptions regarding company web sites in the applicant generation phase of recruitment.

Design/Methodology/Approach

We report three studies using varied methodological approaches including eye-tracking, verbal protocol analysis (VPA), and survey data.

Findings

Eye-tracking results suggest Web-based job seekers focus visual attention on information containing hyperlinks and on text more than graphic images or navigation tools. VPA suggests Web-based job seekers focus verbal attention on content more than design, especially job opening information. Survey results suggest content, design, and communication features are all related to applicant attraction. Design explains the most incremental variance in web site evaluation, while perceptions of communication features explain the most incremental variance in attitude toward the organization and intentions to pursue employment.

Implications

We provide multi-method evidence concerning features that attract applicant visual and verbal attention, and influence attraction and intentions to pursue employment. The findings also provide practical implications for designing recruitment web sites.

Originality/Value

We report three methodologically distinct perspectives on an important and timely issue: Web-based recruitment. We are aware of no other psychomotor eye-tracking studies in the recruitment literature, and only one other VPA. Combining multiple methods in this way provides unique perspective.     

Perceived Organizational Support and Turnover Intention: The Mediating Effects of Personal Sacrifice and Job Fit

ABSTRACT

This study examines the mediating role of job fit on the relationship between perceived supervisor support (PSS) and perceived organizational support (POS), and the mediating role of personal sacrifice on the relationship between POS and turnover intention. We use structural equation modeling (SEM) with a data set consisting of a sample of 346 individuals in a manufacturing firm to test our proposed model of PSS, POS, and turnover intention. Consistent with prior literature, our hypothesized model confirms that PSS is a predictor of POS and that POS is a predictor of turnover intention. By testing two additional competing and theoretically derived nested models, our findings indicate that job fit partially mediates the relationship between PSS and POS, and that personal sacrifice partially mediates the relationship between POS and turnover intention. Our study is among the first to examine job fit and personal sacrifice as mediators within the POS-turnover intention model.     

Exploring the Moderating Roles of Perceived Person–Job Fit and Person–Organisation Fit on the Relationship between Training Investment and Knowledge Workers' Turnover Intentions

Previous studies have documented inconsistent results in terms of the relationship between knowledge workers' perceived training investment and their turnover intentions. In order to clarify the inconsistencies, the present study extends previous research by exploring the moderating roles of perceived demand–ability (D–A) job fit and person–organisation (P–O) fit. Data were collected from 303 research and development (R&D) engineers from 30 high‐technology firms in Taiwan. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to test the hypotheses. The results show that perceived D–A fit, P–O fit, and perceived training investment interact jointly to predict knowledge workers' turnover intentions. Specifically, while the main effect of perceived training investment on turnover intentions was negative, under situations of extremely high perceived D–A fit and extremely low P–O fit, the relationship between knowledge workers' perceived training investment and their turnover intentions became positive, and under situations of low perceived D–A fit and high P–O fit, the relationship between knowledge workers' perceived training investment and their turnover intentions remained negative. Theoretical and practical implications are also discussed. Les études antérieures ont donné des résultats contradictoires quant aux relations entre la connaissance que les salariés perçoivent de l’investissement dans la formation et leurs intentions de changer. Dans le but de clarifier ces incohérences, la présente étude prend la suite de recherches antérieures en explorant les rôles modérateurs de la compatibilité perçue entre la compétence et les nécessités au travail (DA) et de la compatibilité entre la personne prise dans sa globalité et les caractéristiques de l’organisation qui l’emploie (PO). Les données ont été collectées auprès de 303 ingénieurs en recherche et développement (R&D) de 30 entreprises de haute technologie à Taiwan. Des analyses de régression hiérarchique ont conduit à tester les hypothèses. Les résultats montrent que la compatibilité D‐A, la compatibilité P‐O et l’investissement perçu dans la formation interagissent conjointement pour prédire les intentions de changement des employés. Plus spécifiquement, alors que le principal effet de l’investissement perçu dans la formation sur les intentions de changement est négatif, dans des conditions de compatibilité D‐A perçue comme étant basse et de compatibilité P‐O haute, la relation entre la connaissance que les salariés perçoivent de l’investissement dans la formation et leurs intentions de changement reste négative. Les implications théoriques et pratiques sont aussi discutées.     

The Moderating Role of Intergroup Contact in Race Composition,Perceived Similarity,and Applicant Attraction Relationships

Purpose

This study investigated the moderating effect of intergroup contact on the relationship between the race composition of organizational representatives, perceived similarity, and minority applicant attraction.

Design/Methodology/Approach

344 minority Malaysian-Chinese university students read a job advertisement that varied the racial composition of organizational representatives (100 % Malay or 50 % Malay–50 % Chinese or 100 % Chinese). Of these participants, 161 were Malaysian-Chinese in Malaysia (high intergroup contact location) and 183 were Malaysian-Chinese in Australia (low intergroup contact location). After reading the advertisement, participants responded to a series of scale items (e.g., perceived surface-level similarity, perceived deep-level similarity, and applicant attraction).

Findings

Results showed that the effect of race composition on attraction was stronger for minority participants in Australia than for minority participants in Malaysia. Perceived deep-level similarity mediated this moderated relationship.

Implications

The study findings suggest that organizations should include minority representatives in their recruitment advertising to attract minority applicants, particularly to attract minorities in locations with few opportunities for intergroup contact.

Originality/Value

By testing the mediating effects of perceived surface-level and deep-level similarity, this study contributes to our understanding of the mechanism linking the interaction between race composition and location with applicant attraction.

     

Confidence in Dyadic Decision Making: The Role of Individual Differences

Groups typically express more confidence than individuals, yet how individual‐level confidence combines during collaborative decision tasks is not well understood. We prescreened 686 community members using a novel confidence measure (a true/false trivia test) intentionally designed to be difficult (accuracy rates were not significantly better than chance) and randomly assigned 72 individuals to collaborate on a matched version of the same test in dyads composed of two low‐confidence individuals, two high‐confidence individuals, or one of each (“mixed”). Consistent with past research, we found that the confidence expressed by dyads was higher than the confidence expressed by individuals; importantly, however, this pattern varied markedly by dyad type, with low‐confidence dyads showing the largest increase, mixed dyads showing a moderate increase, and high‐confidence dyads showing no increase—despite the fact that all dyads showed similarly low accuracy (about 55%). These results highlight the conditions under which groups express greater confidence than individuals and offer insights for the composition of collaborative decision‐making teams. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Favorable Job Conditions and Perceived Support: The Role of Organizations and Supervisors1

Two studies were conducted to examine the linkages between favorable intrinsically (IS) and extrinsically satisfying (ES) job conditions, and perceived support from the organization (POS) and the supervisor (PSS). Using a sample of 427 employees, Study 1 showed through a longitudinal design that, controlling for PSS, both favorablc IS and ES job conditions exerted a significant effect on POS, while only favorable IS job conditions contributed to PSS when the effects of POS were controlled for. Study 2, conducted with a sample of 292 employees, showed that the organization's discretionary control over IS job conditions moderated the relationship between IS job conditions and POS, while supervisor's control over IS job conditions moderated the relationship between IS job conditions and PSS.     

Gender Differences in Mental Health: The Mediating Role of Perceived Personal Discrimination

Why is women's mental health inferior to that of men? This study hypothesized that women's mental health is not as good as men's because women perceive more personal discrimination. It was confirmed that women obtained higher scores than did men on a subjective scale of psychological distress. Additionally, women perceived greater personal and group discrimination than did men. Perceived personal discrimination proved to be the more robust predictor of psychological distress. This was evident when results of a mediation analysis revealed that gender differences in subjective distress were mediated by the measure of perceived personal discrimination, but not by the measure of group discrimination.     

Effects of Individual Differences on the Perceived Job Relatedness of a Cognitive Ability Test and a Multimedia Situational Judgment Test

Although there is a growing number of publications concerning applicant reactions to different selection instruments, the relationships between individual differences and applicant reactions have largely remained unexplored. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of several testing‐related and general individual differences (anxiety, self‐evaluations, and personality) on the most commonly studied dimension of applicant reactions, namely the perceived job relatedness of selection instruments. Participants were 153 psychology students, who completed a cognitive ability test and a multimedia situational judgment test as part of their educational program. Our results indicated that computer anxiety negatively affected perceived job relatedness and core self‐evaluations, subjective well‐being, agreeableness, emotional stability, and openness to experience positively affected perceived job relatedness. Openness to experience was the most consistent predictor of perceived job relatedness. The results of our study suggest that certain individuals may be more predisposed to react positively to selection instruments. Therefore, we concluded that the nature of the applicant pool should be carefully considered when designing interventions to improve applicant reactions.     

The Joint Role of Locus of Control and Perceived Financial Need in Job Search

Guided by economic rational choice theory and the behavioral‐coping literature, the present study examined contrasting perspectives of the role of job‐search locus of control (JSLOC) and perceived financial need in predicting job‐search intensity. Data were collected in two independent studies in the Netherlands and in the United States, both using a two‐wave longitudinal design. Results from both studies suggested that job seekers with external JSLOC and high perceived financial need engaged in more intense search behavior to compensate for anticipated difficulties in finding employment. Findings suggested that stress may mediate this relation, and may play a positive role in the job‐search process.     

The Role of Individual Differences and External Variables in a Test of the Sufficiency of Fishbein's Model to Explain Behavioral Intentions to Conserve Water

The sufficiency of fishbein's attitude model was tested with respect to behavioral intentions to conserve water. Regression analysis showed subjective norms (SN) to be the variable most highly correlated with intentions. It was also found that, contrary to the model, SN and evaluative attitudes (Aact) did not adequately mediate all the variation in intentions accounted for by the variables included in this analysis. Age was found to be an important external variable in explaining water conservation intentions, The equations of the models which predict SN and Aact were also analvzed. Analysis of regressions for dichotomized groups revealed strong individual differences in regression equations. Age, along with SN and Aact, was found to be an important variable in accounting for individual differences. The findings are discussed in relation to the sufficiency of Fishbein's model and the role of individual differences in Understanding water conservation intentions.