Trait affectivity and applicant reactions: a multiwave field study
Journal of Managerial Psychology
ISSN: 0268-3946
Article publication date: 25 April 2022
Issue publication date: 16 August 2022
Abstract
Purpose
Although affective accounts of organizational justice theory have been offered, suggesting a role played by trait affectivity dimensions – trait positive affectivity (TPA) and trait negative affectivity (TNA) - in shaping applicant reactions to selection procedures, research in this area relies on cognitive information processing accounts of justice perceptions. Thus, the role played by TPA and TNA in shaping applicant reactions is an underexplored area. This study explicates and tests the role of TPA and TNA in shaping reactions.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors carried out a three-wave field study of police job applicants, measuring TPA and TNA before testing and applicant justice perceptions and recommendation intentions pre-feedback and post-feedback.
Findings
TPA, but not TNA, was positively associated with justice perceptions and recommendation intentions. Mediation analyses suggested that the TPA-recommendation intentions relationship was mediated through justice perceptions.
Practical implications
Recruiting high TPA applicants can benefit future applicant pools due to enhanced recommendation intentions. High TPA applicants react more favorably to positive features; thus, procedures should conform to procedural justice rules so that favorable aspects exist for high TPA applicants to respond favorably towards.
Originality/value
The authors’ work is the first to integrate affective accounts of the justice perception formation process into applicant reactions research. Their work supports a role served by affect in shaping applicant fairness perceptions and provides novel and important insights for both theory and practice.
Keywords
Citation
Harari, M.B., Kraus, E., Boyi, V., Viswesvaran, C. and Haas, C. (2022), "Trait affectivity and applicant reactions: a multiwave field study", Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol. 37 No. 7, pp. 642-654. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMP-11-2020-0620
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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