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The effect of explanations on prospective applicants reactions to firm diversity practices
Author(s) -
Williamson Ian O.,
Slay Holly S.,
Shapiro Debra L.,
ShiversBlackwell Sheryl L.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
human resource management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.888
H-Index - 94
eISSN - 1099-050X
pISSN - 0090-4848
DOI - 10.1002/hrm.20214
Subject(s) - diversity (politics) , attractiveness , perception , race (biology) , diversity management , psychology , marketing , identity (music) , business , public relations , social psychology , sociology , political science , law , gender studies , physics , neuroscience , acoustics , psychoanalysis
Drawing on the recruitment, marketing, and explanation literatures, we examine how the language used to describe diversity practices in employee recruitment advertisements influences the organizational attractiveness perceptions of white, black, and Asian prospective applicants. Results show that prospective applicants' reactions to advertised support for identity‐conscious diversity practices were moderated by applicants' race, applicants' previous discrimination experiences, and the type of explanation a firm used to support its use of diversity practices. The results of this article provide new insights into how firms can effectively attract a diverse applicant pool. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.