Effects of ethical certification and ethical eWoM on talent attraction

Osburg, Victoria Sophie; Yoganathan, Vignesh; Bartikowski, Boris; Liu, Hongfei; Strack, Micha

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.

Citation

Osburg, V. S., Yoganathan, V., Bartikowski, B., Liu, H., & Strack, M. (in press). Effects of ethical certification and ethical eWoM on talent attraction. Journal of Business Ethics, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-018-4018-8

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 12, 2018
• Online Publication Date: Sep 20, 2018
• Deposit Date: Sep 12, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 22, 2018
• Print ISSN: 0167-4544
• Electronic ISSN: 1573-0697
• Publisher: Springer Publishing Company
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-018-4018-8
• Keywords: Ethical certifications; Ethical eWoM; Millennial employment; Job-pursuit intentions
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/1039865
• Publisher URL: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10551-018-4018-8#enumeration