Nomothetic and Idiographic Approaches to the Study of Dynamics in Applicant Fairness Perceptions

关于应聘者公平的理论和前人的研究表明，积极的公平感与应聘者在进入组织前和进入后的阶段的各种有利的态度和积极的行为有关，包括对潜在雇主的积极态度，更好的表现，以及参与积极的工作行为。以前的研究传统上采用静态的公平视角，忽视了限制经验和理论证据的重要的时间动态。因此，这项研究项目的核心问题是公平观念如何、为什么以及何时会随着时间的推移而改变。我们通过使用两种连贯和互补的方法来解决这些问题：以变量为中心或典故的方法和以人为中心或具体的方法。本文认为，以人为中心的公平观研究方法是对传统的以变量为中心的方法的重要补充。这两种方法各有长处和局限性，必须适当地使用来解决它们最适合的问题。因此，本研究项目遵循多方法方法。该工作计划包括三项研究，包括一项遵循典故方法的荟萃分析和两项紧随具体方法的纵向实地研究。元分析用于巩固在随机对照试验或公平待遇的重复测量设计中发现的效应大小，即求职者对公平的感知随时间的平均变化。此外，我们寻求确定潜在影响和轨迹的主持人和--首次--调解人。将公平性的变化视为发生在个体层面的非遍历过程(即个体间的非同质性和随时间的非平稳性)，并借助动态公平理论，我们考察了申请者在整个申请过程中公平感的个体变化。为了实现这些目标，该项目还使用了合理的设计(例如，密集的纵向研究)和令人信服的多变量统计方法(例如，元分析结构方程建模、时间序列建模)，这些方法尽管有潜力，但很少用于人员心理研究。总而言之，这个项目通过填补关于申请者公平感动态的经验和理论研究空白，对文献做出了重要和创新的贡献。此外，它还为经理和人事工作人员提供信息，以便在早期阶段描述和预测失灵(下降)的公平认知模式，以防止对公司声誉的负面影响或撤回申请。

Theory and previous research on applicant fairness suggest that positive fairness perceptions are related to a variety of favorable applicant attitudes and positive behaviors at pre- and post-organizational entry stages, including positive attitudes toward the potential employer, higher performance, and engagement in positive workplace behaviors. Prior research has traditionally adopted a static perspective on fairness, neglecting important temporal dynamics that both restrict empirical and theoretical evidence. The central concern of this research project therefore is how, why and when fairness perceptions change over time. We address these questions by using two coherent and complementary approaches: a variable-centered or nomothetic approach and a person-centered or idiographic approach. It is argued that a person-centered approach to the study of fairness perceptions is an important complement to the more traditional variable-centered approach. Both approaches have strengths and limitations and must be used appropriately to address the questions to which they are best suited.Consequently, the present research project follows a multi-methodological approach. The work program entails three studies, including a meta-analysis following the nomothetic approach and two intensive longitudinal field studies following the idiographic approach. The meta-analysis serves to consolidate the effect sizes found in randomized controlled trials or repeated measure designs of fairness treatment on average change in job applicants’ perceptions of fairness across time. Moreover, we seek to identify moderators and – for the first time – mediators of potential effects and trajectories. Considering fairness change as a non-ergodic process (i.e., non-homogeneous across individuals and non-stationary over time) that happens at the individual level, and drawing on the dynamic justice theory, we examine the individual change in applicant fairness perceptions over the entire application process. To achieve these objectives, this project makes also use of sound designs (e.g., intensive longitudinal studies) and convincing multivariate statistical methods (e.g., meta-analytical structural equation modeling, time- series modeling), which have - despite their potential - rarely been used in personnel psychological research. In sum, this project makes an important and innovative contribution to the literature by closing empirical and theoretical research gaps regarding the dynamic of applicants’ fairness perceptions. In addition, it provides managers and personnel staff with information to describe and predict dysfunctional (declining) patterns of fairness perceptions at an early stage to prevent negative impacts on the company’s reputation or the withdrawal of the application.