Beliefs about job-seeking strategies: dimensionality, measurement and outcomes
Journal of Managerial Psychology
ISSN: 0268-3946
Article publication date: 6 April 2022
Issue publication date: 16 August 2022
Abstract
Purpose
Job-seeking success relates to engagement with specific job-seeking strategies, so it is important to understand the beliefs that job-seekers have of them. Using multiple methods, this study aims to establish a typology of the beliefs job-seekers have about strategies, create and validate a measure of these beliefs and relate them to job-seeking behavior.
Design/methodology/approach
In the first sample, the authors interviewed 77 job-seekers about their job-seeking strategy beliefs. The authors then created a measure and verified its psychometric properties using 396 job-seekers. Finally, using a sample of 628 job-seekers, the authors continued their evaluation of the measure and related strategy beliefs to job-seeker motivation and behavior.
Findings
The authors initially identified 21 beliefs about job-seeking strategies. The authors ultimately found support for 15 dimensions, replicating the factor structure across samples. Strategies are perceived to differ on most beliefs, and eight beliefs had unique relationships with job-seeker effort and/or motivation.
Practical implications
The study results can help organizations and job-seekers increase job-seeking motivation by targeting specific beliefs found to have the strongest relationships with strategy use.
Originality/value
This is the first measure of job-seeking strategy beliefs that generalizes across strategies. Furthermore, the authors establish several beliefs that have the strongest relationships with job-seeking motivation.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Nicole Celin is now at Tobii Technology, Reston, Virginia. Ryan Murcko is now at the Parker-Hannifin Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio. Brittany Bate is now with Be Bold Psychology and Consulting, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Portions of this manuscript were presented at the 26th, 27th and 30th Annual Conferences of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology. This project was conducted with support from Cleveland State University's Research Council Faculty Development Program. The authors would also like to thank Patricia Carter, Staci Harris, Kara Johnson and Amy Powell for their assistance with this research.
Citation
Horvath, M., Celin, N.A., Murcko, R., Bate, B.P. and Davis, C.A. (2022), "Beliefs about job-seeking strategies: dimensionality, measurement and outcomes", Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol. 37 No. 7, pp. 624-641. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMP-07-2020-0413
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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