Flexible work practices and organizational attractiveness in Germany: The mediating role of anticipated organizational support. Issue 3 (4th February 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kröll, Claudia; Nüesch, Stephan; Foege, J. Nils
• Is Part Of: International journal of human resource management. Volume 32:Issue 3(2021)
• Page Start: 543
• Page End: 572
• Publication Date: 2021-02-04
• Subjects: Flexible work practices -- anticipated organizational support -- organizational attractiveness -- conservation of resources theory -- organizational support theory; Personnel management -- Periodicals; Human capital -- Management -- Periodicals; 658.3
• DOI: 10.1080/09585192.2018.1479876
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0958-5192

Abstract

Abstract: This study analyzes how flexible work practices (FWPs) such as flexible work schedules, telecommuting, and sabbaticals affect the organizational attractiveness of companies to job seekers in the German job market. We apply conservation of resource theory to propose that FWPs are positively related to perceived organizational attractiveness. Furthermore, we use organizational support theory to suggest that this link is mediated by job seekers' anticipated organizational support. We test our predictions using two complementary studies among German job seekers: A field study ( N = 188) at two job fairs and an online scenario experiment ( N = 469). Our findings indicate that flexible work practices, in particular flexible work schedules and sabbaticals, significantly increase organizational attractiveness as perceived by job seekers and that these effects are indeed mediated by anticipated organizational support. Our results further suggest that this link is independent of job seekers' attitudes towards FWPs and that the effect of sabbaticals is stronger than the effect of either flexible work schedules or telecommuting.