BRADDY, PHILLIP WAYNE. Internet Recruiting: The Effects of Website Features on Viewers? Perceptions of Organizational Culture. (Under the direction of Drs. Joan J. Michael and Adam W. Meade.)
This study examined the effects that features (pictures, testimonials, organizational policies, and awards won) on ?careers? websites had on shaping people?s perceptions of nine organizational culture attributes. Results indicated that these website features can be used to effectively convey these different aspects of culture to job seekers. Specifically, participants formed stronger impressions of outcome-orientation, diversity, supportiveness, and team-orientation when exposed to ?careers? websites containing culture-specific, or culture-relevant, pictures and testimonials than when exposed to websites containing null, or culture-neutral, pictures and testimonials. These findings also indicated that the attention-to-detail culture attribute was strongly portrayed by using either culture-specific pictures or testimonials; however, using both of these features simultaneously did not more strongly convey this culture attribute than did relying exclusively on culture-specific testimonials. In addition, the use of culture-specific organizational policies and testimonials more strongly portrayed decisiveness and emphasis on rewards than did null policies and testimonials, and websites including culture-specific awards and testimonials better depicted aggressiveness than did websites containing no awards and null testimonials. Finally, this study found support for a partial mediated-moderation model. This model illustrated that individuals with low preferences for a culture attribute formed lower P-O fit impressions as they perceived an organization to more strongly convey that culture attribute, whereas individuals with high preferences for a culture attribute formed stronger P-O fit perceptions as they perceived an organization to more strongly portray the culture attribute under consideration. Regardless of culture preferences, individuals with stronger P-O fit perceptions also reported stronger organizational attraction.
