Applicant commitment to online career services

There has been ample research into the nature of relationship commitment in offline contexts (e.g., Morgan & Hunt, 1994), but very little is known about the bonding mechanisms in online environments that make the providing organizations sustainable (Furtmueller et al., 2012). The aim of this research project is to get such knowledge and concretely contribute to the growing interdisciplinary field of e-HRM (Electronic Human Resource Management) which calls for inquiries into sustainable online career services (Lee, 2011; Bondarouk & Furtmueller, 2012). The depth of the contemporary sustainability issue of career services is compounded by a global pattern of shorter and temporary job contracts and increasing job switches, in particular among young professionals (CedarCrestone, 2011). Ever more applicants turn for advice and queries about their prospective career moves to online career services. Organizations progressively use online career services as a means to building relationships with young professionals, including those who have an interest in a specific organization, job type or branch, but who are currently not available for recruitment (Stone, Stone-Romero & Lukaszewski, 2006). Nearly all Fortune 500 companies use some kind of online career services, many increasingly relying in turn on sophisticated external recruiting services. The scope of this study is thus innovative and considerable. No prior study has examined the building of commitment of young professionals towards online career services; the purpose of this research project is to provide a greater conceptual understanding and empirical validation of such relational behaviour. Building on the foundations of e-HRM, marketing and recruitment theory, along with (organizational) commitment approaches (Meyer & Allen, 1990) and the investment model (Rusbult, 1983), I want to articulate an explanatory conceptual model that answer the central question: "What factors enhance young professionals` commitment to online career services?" This empirically grounded analysis of antecedents of user commitment will fill a major gap in our theoretical understanding of how job seekers perceive the universe of alternative jobs, and all too frequently switch costly strategies in their job-search efforts. The methods employed include a literature review on commitment in an e-services context, using the Grounded Theory Literature Review Method (Wolfswinkel, Furtmueller & Wilderom, 2012); in-depth interviews; and a quantitative survey of at least 400 applicants who are registered with Austrias central career service for young professionals.

While research into bonding and commitment has traditionally been studied in the offline context in sociology, psychology and marketing theory, there is now an increasing necessity to study these concepts in the relatively new paradigm of the online environment, with the aim to make organizations sustainable (in an Austrian, European and global context). In particular, online career services are notorious for their lack of user commitment. This research has shown that scholars use many different theories to explain commitment. The boundaries to related concepts such as loyalty, retention, identification are defined differently across scholarly communities. In bringing the theoretical insights on user commitment from the various literatures together, this research developed an overview of the various factors which have been empirically studied to explain user commitment. The bonding of applicants to career sites is unlike playing games on mobiles rather than on computers (i.e. technology acceptance model), and commitment to a site which compiles resumes of competitive applicants (i.e. brand consumer relationship model) is difficult to enact on career sites. Importantly, the technology acceptance model (Davis et al. 1989), and the theory of planned behaviour (Ajzen, 1991) and a subsequent rich research tradition have examined a range of variables that motivate individuals to accept a new information system (such as career sites). While such understanding of initial acceptance of career sites is an important first step toward realizing information systems success (DeLone & McLean, 2004), long-term sustainability of information systems depends on its continued use rather than first-time use. Reflecting upon societal relevance, the latent job seekers need to become easier to reach, and future online career services need to foster relationships prior to start up. This is relevant not only for the design and architecture of general job boards and organizations online career sections; social and business network services can also learn from latent job seekers long-term intentions to use career services. Concerning economic relevance, a strong bond is desirable for almost every online service: returning customers contribute to the organizations profitability. It is highly relevant for niche career services to develop strong bonds to users because they can benefit from identity-based and common bond based attachments (Meyer et al., 2006). Career services should include design elements that enhance a users commitment to a shared concern (i.e., career move), industry field (IT, chemistry, biotech, entertainment, etc.), region or promise and deliver superior services besides fostering bond-based attachments among applicants and organizations.