Person–ownership status fit and employer attractiveness of hospitals: An empirical study among medical students in Germany

Abstract

This study investigates how stereotypical perceptions of corporations' images (i.e. ‘warmth’ and ‘competence’) affect their attractiveness as employers. We use the stereotype content model in our analysis, which focuses on hospitals with different ownership status (for-profit, religious-nonprofit, nonprofit, and public). The model is enhanced by perceived person–ownership status fit. Based on a survey of medical graduates, our results show that perceived warmth has a positive effect on employer attractiveness. Person–ownership status fit partially mediates the effect of perceived warmth on employer attractiveness. Moreover, ownership status affects all of perceptional constructs examined in our study. In the competition for scarce skilled personnel, our results suggest that medical students are attracted by employers that signal a high level of warmth, which conforms to their professional ethics. Nonprofit as well as public hospitals could attract more medical graduates by using their ownership status as part of their recruitment advertising.