Dynamics of the Job Search Process: Developing and Testing a Mediated Moderation Model

Taking a self-regulatory perspective, we develop a mediated moderation model explaining how within-person changes in job search efficacy and chronic regulatory focus interactively affect the number of job interview offers and whether job search effort mediates the cross-level interactive effects. A...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of applied psychology 2013-09, Vol.98 (5), p.771-784
Main Authors: SHUHUA SUN, ZHAOLI SONG, LIM, Vivien K. G
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological and medical sciences
Dynamics
Efficacy
Employment - psychology
Employment - statistics & numerical data
Employment interviews
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Human
Humans
Interviews
Interviews as Topic - methods
Job Applicant Interviews
Job Application
Job hunting
Job Search
Job searching
Job seekers
Male
Mediation
Moderated
Moderation
Occupational psychology
Organizational behavior
Orientation. Selection. Evaluation
Personnel Selection - methods
Personnel Selection - statistics & numerical data
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Regulation
Self control
Self-Regulation
Selfregulation
Students
Students - psychology
Studies
Undergraduate students
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Summary:Taking a self-regulatory perspective, we develop a mediated moderation model explaining how within-person changes in job search efficacy and chronic regulatory focus interactively affect the number of job interview offers and whether job search effort mediates the cross-level interactive effects. A sample of 184 graduating college students provided monthly reports of their job search activities over a period of 8 months. Findings supported the hypothesized relationships. Specifically, at the within-person level, job search efficacy was positively related with the number of interview offers for job seekers with strong prevention focus and negatively related with the number of interview offers for job seekers with strong promotion focus. Results show that job search effort mediated the moderated relationships. Findings enhance understandings of the complex self-regulatory processes underlying job search.
ISSN:0021-9010
1939-1854
DOI:10.1037/a0033606