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Green career choices: The influence of ecological stance on recruiting

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Abstract

Ecological issues have become a growing concern to businesses. This experimental study examined the effect of a pro-environmental stance on the recruiting efforts of a fictitious firm. Results supported the idea that a proactive company stance on the environment would be positively related to perceived company attractiveness, intentions to pursue employment with that company, and acceptance of a job offer (n=303). Further, personal environmental stance influenced only the intent to pursue employment. This suggests that a positive environmental stance articulated in a recruitment brochure could positively affect potential recruits, even when a recruit does not personally see herself or himself as being particularly pro-environmental.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Business, Portland State University, P.O. Box 751, 97207-0751, Portland, Oregon

    Talya N. Bauer

  2. Purdue University, USA

    Lynda Aiman-Smith

Authors
  1. Talya N. Bauer
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  2. Lynda Aiman-Smith
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Correspondence to Talya N. Bauer.

Additional information

The authors would like to thank Margaret L. Williams for helping with the generation of the recruitment brochures and Chris J. Berger for his support of this research project. In addition, David K. Palmer and Frances L. Dobbs are thanked for help with data collection. Additional thanks are given to Chris J. Berger, Stephen G. Green, David K. Palmer, and Margaret L. Williams for reviewing an earlier draft of this article.

The materials for this study were recycled when possible and the ink on the recruitment brochures is environmentally friendly soy ink.

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Bauer, T.N., Aiman-Smith, L. Green career choices: The influence of ecological stance on recruiting. J Bus Psychol 10, 445–458 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02251780

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