Do students view environmental sustainability as important in their job search? Differences and similarities across culture

Abstract

Organisations are increasingly concerned about environmental sustainability; yet, there is little international research on how ecological values influence job-seekers' attraction to organisations and intentions to pursue a job. This study examines the influence of environmental sustainability in recruiting by exploring variances in perceptions between students from the USA, India, and China. This study identifies overall differences in respondents from these countries. A distinct difference in how students view environmental values and where responsibility for the environment is placed is noted across different cultures. Despite the differences, findings support a consistent relationship among respondents from all three countries: students who perceive ecological values as being important also view organisations with environmental sustainability values as more attractive and as someplace they would be more likely to pursue employment. Therefore, organisations with environmental sustainability values may have more ability to hire individuals who will help support their organisational efforts.