Social Influence: The different channels of
Word-of-Mouth and Job Choice Prediction.
Melanie Sundahl
Introduction
Reduced labor pool Research gap: informational influence part WOM Contribution: different WOM channels
Contribution: Normative influence, perceived pressure to conform
Are job choices influenced by Word-of-Mouth?
Do different channels of Word-of-Mouth have different effects on job choice?
If so, which Word-of-Mouth channel have the strongest effect on job choice?
Concepts
Job choice: a process that can be characterized as a series of decisions made
by an applicant, starting with the evaluation of information obtained from
various sources, following employment pursuance decisions with specific
organizations (Gatewoord, Gowan & Lautenschlager, 1993)
WOM: an interpersonal communication, independent of the organization,
about an organization as an employer
(Bone, 1995; Van Hoye & Lievens, 2005)
Personal WOM vs Electronic WOM
Hypotheses
Positive PWOM of family and friends have a positive influence on job choice
Positive PWOM of employees have a positive influence on job choice, but lower than the impact of PWOM of family and friends have on job choice
Positive EWOM of friends on Facebook have a positive influence on job choice, but lower that the impact of PWOM of family and friends have on job choice
Positive EWOM of online reviews have a positive influence on job choice, but lower than the impact of PWOM of family and friends have on job choice
a) A high tie strength will have a stronger impact on job choice than if tie strength is low
b) A high credibility level will have a stronger impact on job choice than if the credibility level is low
a) As pressure to conform increases, the applicant places more value on PWOM, and hence is more responsive to PWOM, thus increasing the effect of PWOM of job choice
b) As pressure to conform increases, the applicant places more value on EWOM, and hence is more responsive to EWOM, thus increasing the effect of PWOM on job choice
Methodology
Preference measurement Choice-based conjoint analysis
Attributes: WOM, Salary, Location, Opportunities for promotion and job security
Control for tie strength and credibility
Fractional factorial design with 12 choice sets Best and worst choice option
Validation by r2 adjusted, the hitrate and the likelihood ratio test
Results
Positive PWOM of family and friends have a positive inlfuence on job choice
Positive PWOM of employees have a positive influence on job choice, but lower than the impact of PWOM of family and friends have on job choice
Positive EWOM on friends on Facebook have a positive influence on job choice, but lower that the impact of PWOM of family and friends have on job choice
Positive EWOM of online reviews have a positive influence on job choice, but lower than the impact of PWOM of family and friends have on job choice
a) A high tie strength will have a stronger impact on job choice than if tie strength is low
b) A high credibility level will have a stronger impact on job choice than if the credibility level is low
a) As pressure to conform increases, the applicant places more value on PWOM, and hence is more responsive to PWOM, thus increasing the effect of PWOM of job choice
b) As pressure to conform increases, the applicant places more value on EWOM, and hence is more responsive to EWOM, thus increasing the effect of PWOM on job choice
