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

理论和以往的研究表明，积极的公平感与各种有利的申请人的态度和积极的行为，在前和后的组织进入阶段，包括对潜在雇主的积极态度，更高的性能，并参与积极的工作场所行为。以往的研究传统上采取了静态的公平的角度来看，忽视了重要的时间动态，既限制了经验和理论证据。因此，本研究项目的核心问题是公平观念如何、为什么以及何时随着时间的推移而变化。我们通过使用两种连贯和互补的方法来解决这些问题：以变量为中心的方法和以人为中心的方法。有人认为，以人为中心的方法来研究公平的看法是一个重要的补充，更传统的变量为中心的方法。这两种方法都有优点和局限性，必须适当地用于解决它们最适合的问题，因此，本研究项目遵循多方法的方法。该工作计划需要三项研究，包括一个元分析后的规范方法和两个密集的纵向实地研究后的具体方法。荟萃分析的目的是巩固在随机对照试验或重复测量设计的公平待遇的平均变化的求职者的公平感随着时间的推移的效果大小。此外，我们试图确定主持人和-第一次-调解人的潜在影响和轨迹。将公平性变化视为非遍历过程（即，非同质的个人和非平稳的时间），发生在个人层面上，并借鉴动态公正理论，我们研究了申请人的公平观念在整个申请过程中的个人变化。为了实现这些目标，该项目还利用了良好的设计（例如，深入的纵向研究）和令人信服的多变量统计方法（例如，元分析结构方程模型、时间序列模型），尽管它们具有潜力，但很少用于人员心理学研究。总之，这个项目作出了重要的和创新的贡献，文学关闭实证和理论研究的差距，申请人的公平感的动态。此外，它还为管理人员和人事人员提供信息，以便在早期阶段描述和预测公平感的功能失调（下降）模式，以防止对公司声誉产生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.