Modeling the Structure of Applicant Reactions: An Empirical Study Within the Belgian Military

This article describes the modeling of applicant reactions within the Belgian military. In a preparatory phase, 250 applicants were interviewed about the three-hurdle hiring procedure of the military. Content analysis resulted in an initial model with 221 applicant-generated items. Subsequently, an expert analysis was performed to validate the model's underlying structure. Fifty-three military field experts (e.g., recruiters) sorted the items and labeled each Q-sort according to its underlying meaning. Multi-dimensional scaling and additive tree modeling revealed a two-dimensional solution for the first and second selection hurdle and a three-dimensional solution for the third hurdle. Interpretative analyses were performed on the labeling of the Q-sorts. Both the graphic MDS solution and labeling came close to the theoretical categories of the initial model. Besides generic categories, very context-specific also categories emerged. Specifically, the study shows “differentiation” as an important but rather underrepresented dimension. Methodological, theoretical, and practical relevance of study findings are discussed.