Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Psychology, Industrial and Organizational

Date of Defense

2-11-2008

Graduate Advisor

James A. Breaugh

Committee

Therese Macan

Mark Tubbs

Haim Mano

Abstract

This study investigated pre-employment knowledge in relation to recruitment methods, job exposure, and organization exposure. In addition, this study investigated a new approach to the measurement of pre-employment knowledge. Specifically, it utilized an agreement approach to measurement (i.e., applicants' responses were compared to job incumbents?) and examined pre-employment knowledge in terms of three subcategories: job, people, and organizational knowledge. Participants completed a questionnaire when they applied for the job. The questionnaire contained measures of recruitment methods, job exposure, and organization exposure, and the three types of pre-employment knowledge. Some support was found for the hypothesis that applicants who used an employee referral have better factual job pre-employment knowledge than applicants who used an advertisement. Some support was also found for the notion that the more useful applicants found the recruitment sources they used, the better their factual pre-employment knowledge and their attribute organization pre-employment knowledge. No support was found for job exposure being related to job pre-employment knowledge or for organization exposure being related to people or organization pre-employment knowledge. When results were examined using the individual pre-employment knowledge items, there was some support for a few of the hypotheses. The results for three of the items indicated a relationship between recruitment methods and pre-employment knowledge agreement. The results for one of the items indicated a relationship between organization exposure and pre-employment knowledge agreement. Results for four of the items indicated a relationship with the overall usefulness of recruitment methods and pre-employment knowledge agreement. Finally, results for three of the items indicated a relationship with the usefulness of employee referrals and pre-employment knowledge agreement. Implications and limitations of the findings are discussed.

OCLC Number

516505578

Included in

Psychology Commons

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