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The Effectiveness of Different Recruitment Sources: A Mediating Variable Analysis
Author(s) -
Werbel James D.,
Landau Jacqueline
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
journal of applied social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.822
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1559-1816
pISSN - 0021-9029
DOI - 10.1111/j.1559-1816.1996.tb00074.x
Subject(s) - psychology , contingency , newspaper , variables , social psychology , test (biology) , sample (material) , turnover intention , variable (mathematics) , advertising , job satisfaction , business , statistics , mathematics , paleontology , philosophy , linguistics , chemistry , chromatography , biology , mathematical analysis
Previous research suggests that one or more of three mediating variables account for the relationships between recruiting sources and applicant effectiveness. This paper offers a critical test of the three mediating variables: demographic characteristics, realistic expectations, and perceived person‐job fit. Using a sample of 242 newly hired marketing representatives, the study found that employees recruited through college placement offices had better initial levels of performance than did employees recruited through newspaper advertisements. While all of the proposed mediating variables were associated with some recruitment sources, none of them mediated the effects of recruitment sources on performance or turnover. This paper suggests that there may be complex contingency relationships between recruitment sources and employee performance and turnover.