Effects of ethical certification and ethical eWoM on talent attraction
Effects of ethical certification and ethical eWoM on talent attraction
Whilst previous studies indicate perceived company ethicality as a driver of job seekers’ job-pursuit intentions, it is poorly understood how and why ethical market signals actually affect their application decisions. Perceptions of company ethicality result from market signals that are either within the control of the company (e.g. ethical certifications) and from market signals that are beyond the company’s control (e.g. ethical eWoM). Building on communication and information processing theories, this study therefore considers both types of ethical market signals, and examines the psychological mechanisms through which they affect job seekers’ intention to apply for a job. The results from a controlled online experiment show that both types of ethical market signals increase job seekers’ job-pursuit intentions. These relationships are mediated by applicants’ attitude towards the job advertisement, their perceptions of corporate employment image and self-referencing. Consequently, the present study alerts practitioners to consider the effects of company-controlled and non-company-controlled ethical market signals, particularly when aiming to recruit highly-qualified millennial candidates.
Ethical certifications, Ethical eWoM, Job-pursuit intentions, Millennial employment
535-548
Osburg, Victoria‑Sophie
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Yoganathan, Vignesh
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Bartikowski, Boris
146dfcb0-1816-49f8-a3b9-18dd47b78bf9
Liu, Hongfei
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Strack, Micha
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1 July 2020
Osburg, Victoria‑Sophie
81b05eb9-cc14-4b0d-b883-f6a2ae258469
Yoganathan, Vignesh
67b17a5c-7863-44ba-b858-a9f1371ea624
Bartikowski, Boris
146dfcb0-1816-49f8-a3b9-18dd47b78bf9
Liu, Hongfei
7d65edcf-20c9-452a-83c2-8b545b12f68c
Strack, Micha
ba1f04b2-9dc8-48ea-b371-9d5a3e8b64b0
Osburg, Victoria‑Sophie, Yoganathan, Vignesh, Bartikowski, Boris, Liu, Hongfei and Strack, Micha
(2020)
Effects of ethical certification and ethical eWoM on talent attraction.
Journal of Business Ethics, 164 (3), .
(doi:10.1007/s10551-018-4018-8).
Abstract
Whilst previous studies indicate perceived company ethicality as a driver of job seekers’ job-pursuit intentions, it is poorly understood how and why ethical market signals actually affect their application decisions. Perceptions of company ethicality result from market signals that are either within the control of the company (e.g. ethical certifications) and from market signals that are beyond the company’s control (e.g. ethical eWoM). Building on communication and information processing theories, this study therefore considers both types of ethical market signals, and examines the psychological mechanisms through which they affect job seekers’ intention to apply for a job. The results from a controlled online experiment show that both types of ethical market signals increase job seekers’ job-pursuit intentions. These relationships are mediated by applicants’ attitude towards the job advertisement, their perceptions of corporate employment image and self-referencing. Consequently, the present study alerts practitioners to consider the effects of company-controlled and non-company-controlled ethical market signals, particularly when aiming to recruit highly-qualified millennial candidates.
Text
Osburg 2018 Article Effects Of Ethical Certification A
- Version of Record
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 12 September 2018
e-pub ahead of print date: 20 September 2018
Published date: 1 July 2020
Keywords:
Ethical certifications, Ethical eWoM, Job-pursuit intentions, Millennial employment
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 439653
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/439653
ISSN: 0167-4544
PURE UUID: f79065ff-5f50-430d-81c3-8ceccc3b9472
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Date deposited: 29 Apr 2020 16:30
Last modified: 06 Jun 2024 02:08
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Contributors
Author:
Victoria‑Sophie Osburg
Author:
Vignesh Yoganathan
Author:
Boris Bartikowski
Author:
Micha Strack
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