Can a firm's environmental innovation attract job seekers? Evidence from experiments

Abstract

Based on social identity theory, this study proposes a model to explore the link between the environmental innovation perceived by job seekers and a firm's attractiveness by focusing on the mediating role of pride and the moderating role of moral identity. We tested our hypotheses using two experiments. The results showed that a firm's environmental innovation was related positively to a firm's attractiveness and that this relationship was mediated by job seekers' pride. In addition, moral identity played positive moderating role between environmental innovation and job seekers' pride. The findings of this study provide theoretical contributions and managerial implications that indicate new directions for research related to environmental innovation and a firm's attractiveness.

Green certification and organizational attractiveness: The moderating role of firm ownership

“…Mentioning GEC appears to be a signal to job seekers which leads them to perceive the company as more prestigious and in line with their values and, therefore, as a more attractive employer. By offering an understanding of complex microlevel processes and in line with recent studies (Chaudhary, 2019; Liao & Cheng, 2020), this research contribute to a better understanding of complexity of multiple mechanisms through which GHRM influences prospective employee outcomes.…”

“…According to social identity theory, when individuals seek jobs in the market, they will compare the companies that conduct environmental innovation with those that do not and are more likely to imagine themselves being member of companies that undertake more environmental responsibility (Tajfel & Turner, 1979). From an empirical point of view, when a firm engages in environmental innovation or in GHRM (i.e., green training, green performance management, green compensation…), this can increase a job seeker's sense of pride in a specific firm and influence the firm's attractiveness to them (Chaudhary, 2019; Liao & Cheng, 2020). Hence, we might expect that communicating an employer green logo acts as a signal of the firm being highly desirable or prestigious employers and contributes to increasing their perceived organizational attractiveness.Hypothesis The effect of communicating a green certification logo on organizational attractiveness as perceived by job seekers is positively mediated by its perceived prestige .…”

Modeling Corporate Environmental Responsibility Perceptions and Job-Seeking Intentions: Examining the Underlying Mechanism

“…Additionally, respondents' demographic information was taken into consideration as control variables of the present study. Respondents' gender, age, and education status were controlled for analysis because they were reported to be influential on job-seeking intentions in previous studies (e.g., [43,44]).…”

Towards sustainable development: Environmental innovation, cleaner production performance, and reputation

“…EI or eco‐innovation comprises the development of new ideas, behaviors, technologies, products and processes that contribute to a reduction of environmental burdens or to ecologically specified sustainability targets (Rennings, 2000). EIs help companies to improve their efficiency, reduce cost, and meet the demands of consumers, internal staff, shareholders, and society which are concerned about the environment, thus benefiting corporate reputation and public image (Amores‐Salvadó et al, 2014; Liao & Cheng, 2020).…”