Abstract
This study investigates the relationship between an organization’s religious values, as espoused by the founder or in media messaging, and applicant intentions to pursue a job. Drawing on person-organization fit theory, we also explored interactions between an organization’s espoused religious values and characteristics of the individual applicant. We tested our predictions via two conjoint analysis experiments, one with 191 employed adults collectively making 2292 employment pursuit decisions and a second with 120 employed adults making 1080 employment pursuit decisions. Espousing religious values as a founder or in media messaging yielded lower intentions to pursue a job than when an organization espouses non-religious values. However, when there was fit based on religious values, these relationships were mitigated. The results expand our understanding of person-organization fit by demonstrating the potential influence of espousing religious values on attracting organizational members.
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Notes
Experiment 1 level codes for compensation [0 = low (below average); 1 = mid-range (average); 2 = high (above average)], for founder values [0 = low (non-religious); 1 = high (religious)] and for media message [0 = low (non-religious); 1 = high (religious)]. Combined the codes represent each conjoint profile. The sample profile in Appendix 3, for instance would be 1-0-1. Experiment 2 level codes for founder values [0 = control (no-values); 1 = low (non-religious); 2 = high (religious)] and for media message [0 = control (no-generic); 1 = low (non-religious); 2 = high (religious)]. Regressions treating the levels of founder values and media message values as separate dummy coded variables yielded similar results as treating them as levels of the same variable.
A potential limitation of this approach is loss of information from the individual difference measure (MacCallum, Zhang, Preacher, & Rucker, 2002). We analyzed the data with the continuous versus dichotomized variables and results revealed an insignificant loss of information beyond error.
Table 4 presents significance values for the separate interactions involving the levels of founder values, whereas the F statistic represents the significance of the overall interaction effect. Similar statistics are presented for media message.
The control condition was originally added to provide further evidence that religious content evoked unique reactions among applicants. Although we found that applicants responded similarly to this condition and conditions including religious content, we believe this has more to do with issues related to the control condition than with religious content. That is, participants may have interpreted the explicit reference to lack of values as representing something negative, rather than something neutral as we had originally intended. Given this ambiguity, we place more trust in the differences we observed between the religious and the multiple non-religious conditions. Furthermore, the religious and control conditions did not always operate similarly—participant religious orientation and faith-work integration appear to be more strongly related to applicant intent to purse a job in the religious conditions than in the controls.
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This article is based on research supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant #0925907. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
Appendices
Appendix 1: Background Scenario
You are currently seeking employment and you have applied for a position at RXP Enterprises, Inc., a regional firm in the consumer services industry. The company is well-established and is known for providing high quality service to its customers. You have applied for a position at the firm that fits well with your education and work experience. The company has scheduled you for an interview. The RXP interview is the only interview that you have scheduled at this point in your job search process.
Appendix 2: Attributes and Descriptions
Experiment 1
Compensation—Below Average
The pay and benefits package offered is 20% below the regional average for this position at comparable firms.
Compensation—Average
The pay and benefits package offered is equal to the regional average for this position at comparable firms.
Compensation—Above Average
The pay and benefits package offered is 20% above the regional average for this position at comparable firms.
Founder—Religious
The founder states, “I started the business as a way to glorify God.”
Founder—Non-religious
The founder states, “I started the business as a way to control my own destiny.”
Message—Religious
Company literature is embossed with transcendent message (e.g., “we strive to honor God in all we do”).
Message—Non-religious
Company literature is embossed with customer service message (e.g., “we put the customer first, always”).
Experiment 2
(Control) Founder—No-Values
During the interview, the founder does not state any particular motivating values.
(Low) Founder—Non-religious
The founder states, “I value achievement and I started my company to pursue my own goals.”
(High) Founder—Religious
The founder states, “My religious values are important to me and I started the business as a way to glorify God.”
(Control) Message—Generic
During the interview, the founder explains that company literature has no mention of company values.
(Low) Message—Non-religious
During the interview, the founder explains that company literature is embossed with a company value (e.g., “We deliver industry-leading results”).
(High) Message—Religious
During the interview, the founder explains that company literature is embossed with a company value (e.g., “We strive to honor God in all we do”).
Appendix 3: Example Decision Profile
The Job Offer Is Characterized as Follows
Founder—Religious
The founder states, “I started the business as a way to glorify God.”
Message—Non-religious
Company literature is embossed with customer service message (e.g., “we put the customer first, always”).
Compensation—Average
The pay and benefits package offered is equal to the regional average for this position at comparable firms.
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Neubert, M.J., Wood, M.S. Espoused Religious Values in Organizations and Their Associations with Applicant Intentions to Pursue a Job. J Bus Psychol 34, 803–823 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-018-9594-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-018-9594-1