Ex ante i-deals, perceived external prestige and turnover intentions

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to conceptualize ex ante idiosyncratic deals (or i-deals) as a way to foster individual perceptions of a positive employer image by offering customized additional instrumental benefits.Design/methodology/approachA survey is led among 182 engineers in demand on a local labor market to test whether ex ante i-deals combine to a more global and external perception of a good employer, measured by perceived external prestige (PEP), to explain turnover intentions.FindingsThe results validate all research hypotheses, and show that the moderating effect of ex ante i-deals in the PEP-turnover intention relationship is significant during the first years spent in the company.Originality/valueThis research contributes to the literature on employees’ attraction and retention by building bridges between the literatures on employer image and i-deals.