The Effects of Safety on Job Applicants

Clifford Haimann

Advisor: Lois E Tetrick, PhD, Department of Psychology

Committee Members: Eden King, Seth Kaplan

July 01, 2014, 10:00 AM to 06:30 AM

Abstract:

Some organizations, such as construction companies, advertise the importance of employee safety on their websites; however, few research efforts have sought to understand if this safety information has any effect on potential applicants' attitudes. On one hand, safety information may promote anticipated organizational support (APOS) and safety climate perceptions, which may make an organization seem more attractive. On the other hand, website safety content may backfire by reminding individuals that the job may be hazardous, which could make an employer less appealing. To explore these possibilities, this study used an experimental design to determine if different kinds of safety information related to APOS, safety climate perceptions, hazard perceptions, and attraction. This research also sought to verify if different types of safety information interacted when predicting outcomes and if website safety content's effects varied by industry. Results showed that two types of safety information positively predicted APOS and safety climate, and one type of safety information diluted the effects of another when predicting safety climate. Safety information had little impact on hazard perceptions, and there was evidence that the effects of certain information were stronger when presented on a finance company website compared to a construction company website. Last, APOS mediated the relation between safety information and attraction. Given the positive effects of website safety content, more companies may now want to consider adding it to their websites.