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Applicant Reactions to Selection Events: Four studies into the role of attributional style and fairness perceptions
Author(s) -
Schinkel Sonja,
van Vianen Annelies E. M.,
Marie Ryan Ann
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
international journal of selection and assessment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.812
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1468-2389
pISSN - 0965-075X
DOI - 10.1111/ijsa.12134
Subject(s) - attractiveness , psychology , social psychology , attraction , perception , style (visual arts) , selection (genetic algorithm) , attribution , outcome (game theory) , physical attractiveness , field (mathematics) , linguistics , philosophy , mathematics , archaeology , mathematical economics , neuroscience , artificial intelligence , computer science , psychoanalysis , pure mathematics , history
In four studies, applicants’ ( N = 478) organizational attractiveness perceptions and recommendation intentions following selection outcomes were measured. In three field studies, actual applicants’ perceptions were measured in authentic, high‐stakes application contexts, both preprocedure and postoutcome. A fourth, hypothetical, study was added to increase internal validity. Consistent positive relationships between procedural fairness and reactions were found. Further, attributional style moderated the distributive fairness–attractiveness relationship in the field studies, but not in the laboratory study. In general, optimistically attributing applicants reported higher organization attraction than less optimistic individuals when the outcome was perceived as fair, but lower attraction when the outcome was perceived as unfair. For recommendation intentions, results were less consistent. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.