Abstract
We conduct a discrete choice experiment to investigate how the mission of high-tech companies affects job attractiveness and contributes to self-selection of science and engineering graduates who differ in prosocial attitudes. We characterize mission by whether or not the company combines its profit motive with a mission on innovation or corporate social responsibility (CSR). Furthermore, we vary job design (e.g. autonomy) and contractible job attributes (e.g. job security). We find that companies with a mission on innovation or CSR are considered more attractive. Women and individuals who are more altruistic and less competitive feel particularly attracted to such companies.
Highlights
Each organization has a mission: a motive for its existence
We find that companies with a mission on innovation or corporate social responsibility (CSR) are considered more attractive
Concerning the mission of the company, we find that respondents have a clear preference for working in a commercial organization with a focus on innovation or CSR & sustainability
Summary
Each organization has a mission: a motive for its existence. Organizations in the private sector naturally have a profit motive, but they often have broader objectives that play a key role in their long-term strategy such as being innovative or being socially responsible. For example, Tesla prominently advertises its mission “to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy”, and Philips advertises its mission “to make a healthier, more sustainable world”. Despite the importance of organizations’ mission, little is known about how an organization’s mission affects the perceived attractiveness of a job, and how it affects the composition of the pool of applicants with regard to their personality traits and attitudes.. Organizations with a mission regarding social responsibility may attract applicants with prosocial attitudes, whereas competitive individuals may feel more at ease in companies that merely focus on making profit. This question is important for organizations that want to hire graduates in science and engineering, since those graduates can choose among a wide range of organizations that value their skills
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