Does sustainable recruitment enhance motivation? A cross‐country analysis on the role of person‐organization fit

RESEARCH ARTICLE Does sustainable recruitment enhance motivation? A cross-country analysis on the role of person-organization fit Adolfo Carballo-Penela 1,2 | Emilio Ruzo-Sanmartín 2 | Romina García-Chas 2 | Fernando Troilo 3 1 ECOBAS-Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain 2 Departamento de Organización de Empresas e Comercialización, Facultade de Ciencias Económicas e Empresariais, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain 3 Universidad del CEMA, Buenos Aires, Argentina Correspondence Adolfo Carballo-Penela, Departamento de Organización de Empresas e Comercialización, Facultade de Ciencias Económicas e Empresariais, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Avda. Burgo das Nacións s/n, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Email: [email protected] Funding information Agencia Estatal de Investigación, Grant/Award Number: PID2021-124336OB-I00 Abstract This paper analyses the extent to which implementing sustainable recruitment practices (SRP) relates to person-organization (P-O) fit and motivation. We also examined the extent to which the collectivism and masculinity dimensions of national culture moderate the relationship between SRP and P-O fit. Drawing on the attractionselection-attrition framework, social identity theory and stakeholder theory, the proposed hypotheses were tested in a sample of 534 prospective employees from four countries with different cultural contexts. An experimental design was used to test the proposed relationships. The obtained findings highlight the mediating role of P-O fit in the relationship between SRP and motivation. Collectivism and masculinity moderate the relationship between SRP and P-O fit. We contribute to prior research by demonstrating a link between perceptions of environmental and social sustainability and motivation, and the consideration of different countries allowed us to underline the role of national context when examining the impact of SRP. KEYWORDS motivation, person-organization fit, recruitment, social identity, sustainable development, sustainable human resource management 1|INTRODUCTION Sustainable development can be conceptualized at different levels of analysis, including, for instance, global, national, regional, and organizational (Piwowar-Sulej, 2021). At the organizational level, the Elkington Triple Bottom Line approach (Elkington, 1994)suggests that, to be sustainable, companies need to meet goals that do not compromise the economic, social, and environmental aspects of living in the present and also in the future. This vision notes that organizations should focus not only on economic value, but also on the social and environmental value they add or destroy (Henriques & Richardson, 2013). Alongside sustainability and sustainable development, sustainable human resource management (HRM) is a complex term that can also be defined at different levels of analysis and understood from different perspectives (Aust et al., 2020). At a minimum, sustainable HRM can be related to, first, the development and implementation of sustainable work and HRM systems and, second, it can play a supporting role in the implementation of corporate sustainability strategies (Ehnert et al., 2013). From this perspective, Ehnert, Parsa, Roper, Wagner, & MullerCamen (2016, p. 90) defined sustainable HRM as “the adoption of HRM strategies and practices that enable the achievement of financial, social, and ecological goals, with an impact inside and outside of Received: 3 November 2023 Revised: 17 May 2024 Accepted: 23 May 2024 DOI: 10.1002/sd.3071 This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made. © 2024 The Author(s). Sustainable Development published by ERP Environment and John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Sustainable Development. 2024;1–16. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/sd 1 the organization and over a long-term time horizon while controlling for unintended side effects and negative feedback.”Sustainable HRM practices can be understood as those HRM practices congruent with firms' financial/economic, social, and ecological goals (Jepsen & Grob, 2015). Traditional HRM practices are commonly related to financial or economic issues, so sustainable HRM practices should be oriented to meet firms' environmental and social objectives, in addition to the economic ones. Research on social objectives is notably scarce in many developing countries (Awan, 2018). Sustainable HRM practices are usually classified according to common categorizations of HRM practices, including HR planning, job design, recruitment and section, training, performance appraisal or rewards (Guest et al., 2004). Some examples of sustainable HRM practices include considering environmental issues when designing job descriptions (e.g., green skills) or allowing for paid and unpaid leaves for maternity, paternity or career breaks (Jepsen & Grob, 2015). Prior research has noted that sustainable recruitment and selection practices within HRM can contribute to a firm's sustainability by incorporating employees with a sustainability-oriented culture, who are willing to participate and initiate organizational sustainability activities, while also promoting sustainable behaviors among their colleagues (Carballo-Penela, Ruzo-Sanmartín, ´ Alvarez-González, & Paillé, 2023). In particular, sustainable recruitment practices (SRP) could be oriented towards designing recruitment messages which show firms' commitment to sustainability to achieve good person-organization (P-O) fit, which can ensure a strong culture of sustainability that fits with employees' values. SRP can help organizations to be more sustainable, reduce their environmental impact and improve the quality of life of their employees, which can result in positive outcomes such as satisfaction and organizational commitment (Jepsen & Grob, 2015; Tang et al., 2018). The implementation of SRP can also promote green innovation, which is a useful tool for improving performance in the circular economy (Khan et al., 2023). Researchers from the field of green human resource management (GHRM) have paid attention to several effects of SRP, understood from the environmental side (e.g., Carballo-Penela, Ruzo-Sanmartín, ´ Alvarez-González, & Paillé, 2023; Islam et al., 2020; Khan et al., 2023; Paillé et al., 2020; Pham et al., 2020; Zaid et al., 2018), without taking into account the social bottom line. One stream of research interested in SRP may be found in works from the recruitment literature that examine how employees or prospective employees react to corporate sustainability. These studies have mainly focused on the effects of SRP on organizational outcomes such as organizational attractiveness (e.g., Jones et al., 2014; Waples & Brachle, 2020) or job pursuit intentions (e.g., Aiman-Smith et al., 2001), while largely ignoring employee's related outcomes as motivation. Furthermore, prior research has noted that country-specific factors such as national culture can affect employees' and future employees' perceptions because social behavior can be influenced by the dominant national culture (Wang et al., 2020). Employee and stakeholder behaviors are not only determined by objective assessments of the organizations but also by subjective perceptions that depend on national culture. However, as most of the studies on this topic have used samples from just one country, the role of national culture in the relations around SRP have largely been ignored. There is thus a need for further research examining the effects of SRP on employees' motivation, considering how SRP contribute to P-O fit and taking into account the role of national culture (Gallego- ´ Alvarez & Ortas, 2017). Taking these considerations into account and drawing on both the Attraction-Selection-Attrition framework and Social Identity theory, the main objective of this study is to shed light on the relationship between SRP and motivation. We consider the role of P-O fit when SRP are implemented and the moderating role of national culture, while examining the existence of cross country–level differences. Because stakeholder pressure regarding sustainability issues can vary by country, stakeholder theory is used to examine the moderating role of national culture. With this objective in mind, the following research questions are proposed: 1. Does SRP increase motivation? 2. Do P-O fit mediate the relationship between SRP and motivation? 3. Do the collectivism/individualism and masculinity/femininity dimensions of national moderate the relationship between SRP and P-O fit? By answering these questions, we broaden the empirical scope of previous studies, which have primarily engaged in piecemeal analysis of single countries and fill some important research gaps. Motivation “represents the psychological process that determines the willingness to exert a high level of effort, arousal, direction and persistence to reach goals through voluntary actions in order to satisfy needs”(Mozes et al., 2011, p. 314). Motivation activates human behavior and drives employees to achieve remarkable results (Shapiro & Stiglitz, 1984). It plays a key role in increasing employee efficiency and performance and, as a consequence, contributes to the success of organizations in a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world (van Tuin et al., 2020). Many dominant motivational schemes—such as Maslow's hierarchy of needs (Maslow, 1943); the motivator-hygiene theory (Herzberg et al., 1959); McClelland's need theory (McClelland, 1965), Vroom's expectancy theory (Vroom, 1964), equity theory (Adams, 1965) or the job characteristics model (Hackman & Oldham, 1975)—are grounded in research from the first 75 years of the 20th century. Based on these and other theories, motivational research has considered different drivers of motivation, including sociological, psychological, generational, work, and cultural factors. Those drivers are primarily related to three organizational areas, which are useful to summarize the infinite antecedents of motivation: the job, outcomes from the job and the organizational system (Amar, 2004). The job area includes job characteristics that provide employees with satisfaction when executing tasks (e.g., job content and design, meaningfulness of the work, broader work assignments, and visibility of job achievements). The outcomes from the job refer to all intrinsic and extrinsic rewards, including wages and other monetary and 2CARBALLO-PENELA ET AL. 10991719, 0, Downloaded from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/sd.3071 by Consorcio Interuniversitario Do Sistema Universitario De Galicia (Cisug), Wiley Online Library on [09/07/2024]. See the Terms and Conditions (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/terms-and-conditions) on Wiley Online Library for rules of use; OA articles are governed by the applicable Creative Commons License non-monetary rewards such as work–life benefits, recognition, training, and promotion opportunities. The organizational system comprises antecedents related to the organization's work environment, culture, policies, practices, organizational reputation and other related aspects that increase the organizational attractiveness for employees, including sharing information and empathy between colleagues and supervisors, reducing unnecessary controls and tactfulness or job security (Amar, 2004; Lindner, 1998). The dynamic nature of motivation content makes it difficult to build a detailed summary of the antecedents of motivation. Understanding the motivation process requires continuous adjustments to the existing motivators to understand what effectively motivates employees. For instance, climbing the corporate ladder or decent wages were key motivators for employees in the past but are not for new generations (Amar, 2004; Casey & Sieber, 2016). Because present-day society is quite concerned about sustainability, many employees search for organizations that care for environmental and social issues and demonstrate this through their commitment to the environment or promoting women and minorities (Greening & Turban, 2000). Some researchers (e.g., Casey & Sieber, 2016; Huber & Hirsch, 2017) have suggested that SRP could enhance motivation, but there is a lack of empirical evidence to demonstrate that link. A positive relationship between SRP and prospective employees' motivation would show that, besides being better for an organization's environmental and social performance, SRP could also play a key role in the organization's success and positively influence its economic performance. Understanding the relationship between SRP and motivation involves shedding light on the underlying mechanisms between both variables. It would be particularly interesting to examine whether SRP showing commitment to social and environmental issues increase the perceptions of organization fit among prospective employees and how that fit can contribute to improve employee motivation. As society becomes more concerned about sustainability issues—and particularly environmental and social issues (Carballo-Penela et al., 2020; Carballo-Penela, Ruzo-Sanmartín, & Sousa, 2023; López Pérez, Turnes Abelenda, & Vence Deza, 2023)—than it was some decades ago, this concern could result in greater perceptions of fit with those companies that show commitment to these issues through SRP. Finally, national culture refers to the set of values, beliefs and norms that distinguish the members of a particular culture from different human groups (Hofstede, 1980). Shared values and behaviors can influence social practices and processes and, consequently, social behavior (Gallego- ´ Alvarez & Ortas, 2017). National culture can shape employees' perceptions and behaviors regarding HRM practices and, because societal concern about sustainability issues varies depending on the national culture (US News Best Country Report,2023), sustainable HRM practices in particular. National culture could thus be relevant for understanding the relationship between SRP and P-O fit, as it can play a role in how individuals understand and perceive SRP, which then results in higher or lower fit with the values of organizations that implement SRP. Specifically, the collectivism/individualism and masculinity/ femininity dimensions of national culture are relevant when examining employee perceptions of SRP, as Hofstede derived these dimensions from employees' answers to questions related to job characteristics which can be included in SRP. For instance, employees were asked about how important having enough time for family life or the availability of training opportunities is for them (Gelade et al., 2008). The job characteristics used by Hofstede to define collectivism/ individualism and masculinity/femininity clearly match the description of SRP made in the present research. They were not, however, used when defining the other dimensions of national culture. In this vein, prior research has noted that both dimensions are of particular relevance for research focused on sustainability (Hofman & Newman, 2014). In particular, some studies have remarked the influence of collectivism/individualism on individuals' subjective norms, which can explain differences in perceptions regarding sustainability issues (Han & Kim, 2019; Saracevic et al., 2022). The masculinity/ femininity dichotomy is considered interesting when examining employees' perceptions of sustainability from the perspective of ethics and respect, particularly considering that commitment to sustainability adds instrumental value to the organizations, as we later describe when formulating Hypothesis 4. 2|THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND HYPOTHESES Stakeholder theory, the attraction-selection-attrition (ASA) framework and social identity theory (SIT) (Turner & Tajfel, 1986) can be used for understanding how SRP may influence employees' motivation while considering cross-cultural differences among countries. 2.1 |Stakeholder theory Stakeholder theory (Freeman, 1984) examines how organizations deal with their stakeholders' demands in order to improve their competitive position. The theory suggests that, beyond creating value for the shareholders, companies have responsibilities to different stakeholders (e.g., employees, customers, suppliers or communities), including ethical responsibilities (Freeman et al., 2010). The consideration of ethical issues means stakeholder theory has been widely used for examining how organizations address sustainability issues (Waheed & Zhang, 2022). More specifically, prior research has noted that, in international contexts, stakeholder behaviors and expectations regarding corporations are partially explained by their divergent cultural backgrounds (Carroll & Shabana, 2010). Different national cultures involve different values and norms, which then form social practices. Social practices shape the behavior of national members, because individual behavior is understood within the view of the prevailing culture (Gallego- ´ Alvarez & Ortas, 2017). Differences in national cultures are particularly relevant when addressing sustainability issues, because questions CARBALLO-PENELA ET AL.3 10991719, 0, Downloaded from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/sd.3071 by Consorcio Interuniversitario Do Sistema Universitario De Galicia (Cisug), Wiley Online Library on [09/07/2024]. See the Terms and Conditions (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/terms-and-conditions) on Wiley Online Library for rules of use; OA articles are governed by the applicable Creative Commons License such as national regulations or institutional contexts influence the importance given and ethical sensitivity to environmental and social issues (´ Alvarez-Pérez et al., 2020). 2.2 |The ASA framework The ASA framework suggests that organizations depend on the types of people they contain, and that people are a function on the ASA circle. From a situationist position, Schneider (1987) has pointed out that situations produce behavior. Firms are characterized as situations that contain patterned behaviors, including people whose behaviors make organizations what they are. Individuals engage in particular behaviors because they were previously attracted to a particular environment, were selected by that environment and then remained in it. From the ASA framework view, attraction depends on people's own interests and personality. Employees are thus attracted to organizations that are similar to the individuals who join them. Organizational goals also influence the type of employees attracted, as companies recruit, select and hire people with the kind of competencies needed to meet organizational goals (selection). Once people join an organization, they assess its fit and, if they do not fit, they leave (attrition) (Schneider, 1987). In this process, the similarity among the people who stay increases, which homogenizes their behaviors. 2.3 |Social identity theory From the SIT perspective, organizational identification depends on the individuals' perceptions of the image of the firm. Organizational identification occurs when a firm is perceived in a positive light. Social identification influences the perceptions of individuals' self-concept and the ideal self in particular. To maintaining the ideal self, individuals try to meet organizational expectations, which enhances employee motivation. Organizational identification refers to “a cognitive linking between the definition of the organization and the definition of the self”(Dutton et al., 1994, p. 242). The organizational identity literature has underlined that employee perceptions of the organization's image influence identification with the company, and as the perceptions of organizational attractiveness and exclusivity increase, organizational identification also becomes stronger (Dutton et al., 1994; Glavas & Godwin, 2013). SRP can contain information about the organization that is recruiting in addition to information about the announced job position. That information can be used by prospective employees to form an image of the employer (Waples & Brachle, 2020). Because sustainability issues have become relevant and are socially regarded as positive, organizations often provide information about their strategies and commitment to environmental and social causes. Firms that are recognized for making efforts to preserve the environment or for demonstrating concern for the welfare of their workers are often considered distinctive, prestigious and attractive by people outside and inside the organization (Jones et al., 2014). As a consequence, organizational identification with companies committed to environmental and social issues is likely to be strong. Strong social identification influences perceptions of the ideal self. From an external perspective, the ideal self is formed based on expectations from reference groups (e.g., employers), whose role expectations individuals try to meet to achieve acceptance and gain status to reach the desired ideal self (Leonard et al., 1999). Because individuals need to maintain or enhance the phenomenal self (Leonard et al., 1995; Snyder & Williams, 1982), their behavior tends to be consistent with existing self-perceptions; people tend to maintain and improve the internalized self-view (Leonard et al., 1995). Maintaining and improving the internalized self-view produces intrinsic/extrinsic motivation. Dissonance occurs when there are differences between social feedback and an individual's self-perceptions. Because dissonance means distance with the reference groups, individuals try to reduce dissonance by using different adaptative strategies to meet the expectations of the reference groups. These strategies include greater effort and persistence to reach goals to satisfy the reference group and changing the feedback in the future—that is, motivation (Leonard et al., 1999). As a consequence, individuals can develop a sense of identity with organizations that use SRP to communicate commitment to sustainability issues. Social identification then influences the perceptions of their ideal self, and motivation arises due to individuals' efforts to maintain their self-concepts. Thus, the following hypothesis is proposed: Hypothesis 1. SRP are positively related to motivation. P-O fit refers to the compatibility between people and organizations (Kristof, 1996). Business research has used the ASA framework (Schneider, 1987) to examine the antecedents and consequences of P-O fit. The ASA framework notes that people look for situations that attract them (Schneider, 1987); when applied to organizations, firms can be seen as one particular situation in which good fit determines attractiveness, selection, retention, and attrition, which clearly influence both prospective employees' behavior and the hiring decisions of the business (Sekiguchi, 2004). Good fit is understood based on the characteristics of people and organizations. P-O fit has been measured in terms of congruence between the values of the individuals and the organization (Judge & Bretz, 1992). Perceptions of fit arise because individuals perceive that they possess values that are similar to those of the organization. Because recruitment practices can demonstrate organizational values, SRP are a key antecedent of P-O fit (Cable & Judge, 1994). When there is a fit between employee and organizational values, employees fit well with their organizations (Parks & Guay, 2009). They feel in harmony with their firms and experience positive feelings (Chatman, 1989). The positive feelings from a good fit can be perceived as an emotional compensation that exists as a kind of social exchange (Blau, 1964) or social contract between employees and their organization. Because employees receive emotional compensation, 4CARBALLO-PENELA ET AL. 10991719, 0, Downloaded from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/sd.3071 by Consorcio Interuniversitario Do Sistema Universitario De Galicia (Cisug), Wiley Online Library on [09/07/2024]. See the Terms and Conditions (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/terms-and-conditions) on Wiley Online Library for rules of use; OA articles are governed by the applicable Creative Commons License they want to reciprocate in kind because they are interested in contributing to organizational success. This results in a greater willingness to exert a high level of effort or motivation (Mozes et al., 2011). SRP can demonstrate organizations' environmental and social concerns, including, for instance, their worries about not damaging the environment, desire to promote minorities or to achieve a better work–life balance. Because awareness of environmental and social issues has increased in recent decades (Awan et al., 2023; Glavas & Godwin, 2013; Napathorn, 2022), we propose that concern about environmental and social issues increases P-O fit, and in turn, employee motivation. Hence, the following hypothesis is proposed: Hypothesis 2. The relationship between SRP and motivation is positively mediated by perceptions of P-O fit. The interest in how national culture shapes employees' attitudes towards their working environment has grown rapidly in the recent years (Hofman & Newman, 2014). According to stakeholder theory, national culture provides stakeholders a general rationality which drives their behavior. Stakeholders' perceptions and actions regarding the information reported by organizations are related to their cultural conditions, values, and beliefs (Gallego- ´ Alvarez & Ortas, 2017). In this vein, prior research has underlined the relevance of national culture for influencing business decisions (Su, 2006). As an internal stakeholder, employees' perceptions and reactions regarding organizational information are shaped by their cultural background. Academic research examining how national culture influences employees behavior has mainly used the cultural dimensions theory developed by Hofstede (Hofstede, 1980,2023; Hofstede & Bond, 1984), which provides scores for different cultural dimensions for a wide range of countries all over the world. Collectivism/ individualism indicates “the degree of interdependence a society maintains among its members”(Hofstede, 2023). In collectivistic societies, people's self-image is defined in terms of “we”instead of “I,” and individuals are supposed to prioritize group needs even before their own needs (Yu et al., 2022). Collectivistic societies are more focused on the group than on the individual, and values such as cohesion and consensus are dominant (Gallego-´ Alvarez & Ortas, 2017). People from individualist countries, meanwhile, are expected to only take care of themselves and the members of their immediate family (Hofstede, 2023; Hofstede & Bond, 1984). Companies implementing SRP showing commitment to environmental and social issues demonstrate that the needs of other groups are relevant for them. For instance, organizations concerned about the environment could show that they care about not damaging the planet and the lives of future generations whose survival depends on the Earth's resources and services. SRP related to employees' work– life balance and their health and safety show interest in other groups, apart from shareholders, as employees. Considering that individuals from collectivistic societies tend to put group interests ahead of their own, prior research has suggested that individuals from collectivistic countries would be more likely to be oriented towards prioritizing group needs (e.g., Saleem et al., 2018; Saracevic et al., 2022). Because sustainability involves caring about the needs of groups different from the individual (e.g., the lives of future generations or the rights of minorities), the dominant values of people from collectivistic societies are more in line with the values embedded in SRP than are the dominant values among people from individualistic countries (Han, 2018; Han & Kim, 2019). For instance, in a study of 907 consumers, Laroche et al. (2001) found that people from collectivistic societies tend to be more environmentally friendly than people from individualistic societies. More recently, Saracevic et al. (2022) also found that collectivism reinforces the positive effect of individuals' subjective perceptions in producing pro-environmental behavioral intentions. Because perceptions of fit arise when individuals perceive they share values with organizations, and collectivistic values are more aligned with sustainability values than individualistic values, collectivistic values could reinforce the positive effect of SRP on P-O fit: Hypothesis 3. The positive relationship of SRP with P-O fit is stronger in collectivistic than in individualistic societies. In cultural terms, masculinity/femininity refers to the extent to which people value achievement and economic success. Masculine societies are moved by competition and accomplishments. Individuals from highly masculine countries are characterized as competitive, assertive and focused on value and material rewards. In contrast, quality of life, caring for the weak and social relationships are highly valued in feminine societies (Gallego- ´ Alvarez & Ortas, 2017; Hofstede, 2023). Recent studies have suggested that the relationship between masculinity/femininity and sustainability is complex, and it has been noted that masculine values can be aligned with social and environmental issues (Carballo-Penela, Ruzo-Sanmartín, & Sousa, 2023; Hofman & Newman, 2014). Individuals from masculine societies tend to perform instrumental evaluations of sustainability issues and pay attention to the instrumental value that sustainability brings to the firm (Williams & Zinkin, 2008). They are aware that good social and environmental performance can enhance organizational economic performance by improving, for instance, corporate reputation and image. Some topics related to sustainability, such as taking care of the environment, are socially esteemed at present. Many companies have implemented environmental strategies that have contributed not only to improving business environmental performance, but also their economic performance by saving energy and water, reducing waste or improving corporate reputation and attractiveness (González-Benito & González-Benito, 2005). Different studies have also noted that questions such as treating minorities fairly, organizations' involvement with their community, improving employees' work–life balance or maintaining the health and safety of employees can result in positive organizational outcomes, including improved organizational performance and costs savings CARBALLO-PENELA ET AL.5 10991719, 0, Downloaded from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/sd.3071 by Consorcio Interuniversitario Do Sistema Universitario De Galicia (Cisug), Wiley Online Library on [09/07/2024]. See the Terms and Conditions (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/terms-and-conditions) on Wiley Online Library for rules of use; OA articles are governed by the applicable Creative Commons License (Loeppke et al., 2015; López-Ibor et al., 2010; Thevanes & Harikaran, 2020). Hence, it is possible for individuals from masculine societies to perceive that improving organizational environmental and social sustainability has an instrumental value that can result in better competition, in addition to its ethical value. From this perspective, values embedded in SRP are aligned with the values of individuals from masculine societies, which would result in better P-O fit. Thus, the following hypothesis is proposed: Hypothesis 4. The positive relationship of SRP with P-O fit is stronger in masculine than in feminine societies. Figure 1illustrates the proposed conceptual model. 3|METHOD 3.1 |Research design An experimental between-subjects manipulation with 524 participants was designed to examine prospective employees' reactions to SRP. To promote strong sustainability in the organizational culture by recruiting employees whose personal values fit with the values of sustainability, different job offers were designed that included messages to show different degrees of commitment to environmental and social sustainability issues. This experimental design is in line with other experimental designs on this topic (e.g., Beaudoin et al., 2019; Behrend et al., 2009; Carballo-Penela, Ruzo-Sanmartín, & Sousa, 2023; Waples & Brachle, 2020) using similar sample sizes (112, 172, 412, and 194, respectively). The job offers showing information about the firms' commitment to sustainability were designed considering prior research suggestions (e.g., Ehnert et al., 2013; Jones & Rupp, 2018). Every offer included five messages related to five different aspects of business environmental and social sustainability: (a) commitment to the environment, (b) employees' work–life balance, (c) maintaining the health and safety of employees, (d) promoting women and minorities, and (e) investing in employees' skills. Two different levels were considered for every studied aspect. One level, coded with the value “1,”showed a high commitment to sustainability (e.g., “this organization takes precautions to minimize any potential negative influence of its activities on the environment”). The second level, coded with the value “0,”showed low commitment to sustainability (e.g., “this organization recently paid significant fines because of damage to the environment”). High and low commitment to sustainability values for every aspect were fully crossed with the values of the other, following a 22222 factorial design, which yielded 32 different job offers. Each job offer included a five-digit binary code (e.g., 00011). The participants in the study were randomly assigned to a specific scenario (job offer), and they were asked to imagine that they were in search of a fictitious company (LEIRA&MOR) that was recruiting new personnel. After reading the offer, participants responded to questions related to their P-O fit and motivation as if they would be working at that company. To test the effectiveness of the proposed SRP manipulation, a pilot study among 32 participants was performed to examine differences in the mean level of employee motivation. T-tests showed statistically significant differences in the means for employee motivation when considering high and low levels of SRP (low SRP: mean =3.44, SD =1.79; high SRP: mean =5.56, SD =0.85, t=4.278, p< .001). 3.2 |Measures To summarize the values related to the five aspects of sustainability, an index based on the five-digit binary code attached to every job offer was created to measure SRP. This index reflected the high and low values for the five sustainability aspects included in every job offer (e.g., 00011) and adding those values together (e.g., 0 +0+0 +1+1=2). Index values thus ranged from “0”to “5.” P-O fit was measured adapting the Likert-type scale developed by Cable and Judge (1996). Employee motivation was measured adapting the Likert-type scale developed by Wright (2004). Finally, collectivism and masculinity were assessed based on Hofstede's classification of natural cultures and the scores provided from Hofstede (2023). See Appendix Afor further information about the used measures. 3.3 |Data collection A convenience sampling method was used to guarantee cultural variance in the selection of sub-samples from different countries. Because prior research has noted that country culture could influence individuals' perceptions of both HRM practices and sustainability issues (Jiang et al., 2012; Ren et al., 2020), cultural variance constitutes a strength of this research. A total of 524 prospective employees taking part in the last courses of management and marketing programmes in Argentina, Ecuador, Kazakhstan, and Spain participated in this study. Data were collected in classrooms from written questionnaires during regular classes. FIGURE 1 Conceptual model. 6CARBALLO-PENELA ET AL. 10991719, 0, Downloaded from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/sd.3071 by Consorcio Interuniversitario Do Sistema Universitario De Galicia (Cisug), Wiley Online Library on [09/07/2024]. See the Terms and Conditions (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/terms-and-conditions) on Wiley Online Library for rules of use; OA articles are governed by the applicable Creative Commons License Countries were selected with an eye to diversity in both economic and cultural contexts, with more attention on Latin American countries where research on SRP is still very scarce. Differences in, for example, the form of government—republic (Argentina and Ecuador), unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy (Spain), unitary presidential constitutional republic (Kazakhstan)—or per capita GDP—($45,825) in Spain Kazakhstan ($30,810), Argentina ($26,505), and Ecuador ($12,822)—were also relevant. The resulting cultural differences are also remarkable in terms of Hofstede dimensions, including collectivistic and individualistic countries (e.g., Ecuador and Spain), masculine and feminine (Argentina and Spain), high and low power distance (e.g., Kazakhstan and Argentina) or normative and pragmatic countries (e.g., Ecuador and Kazakhstan). Table 1shows the descriptive statistics of the measures for the total sample and the four country sub-samples. There appear to be statistically significant differences among respondents from the different countries in terms of the key variables of the research model, P-O fit and motivation, which provides evidence of the cultural differences among the selected countries. Respondents were, on average, 21.99 years of age (SD =2.45); 53.2% of them were female; 28.0% were Ecuadorians, 27.3% Argentinians, 23.1% Spanish, and 21.6% were Kazakhstani. Most (64.9%) had previously worked, with an average of 10.76 months of work experience (SD =18.33). The four samples were similar in terms of age, work experience, and gender. 3.4 |Data analysis approach Data analysis was performed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and conditional process analysis, which are widely used in this line of research (e.g., Chaudhary, 2021; Choi et al., 2021; Kao et al., 2019). First, we performed CFA to assess the convergent validity, discriminant validity and reliability of the proposed measurement model, following the guidelines of Gerbing and Anderson (1988), Hu and Bentler (1999), and Hair et al. (2019). Then, based on the complexity of the suggested model, which integrates direct, mediating and moderating relationships, we used conditional process analysis to test the offered hypotheses, simultaneously following the approach developed by Hayes (2022) for mediation, moderation and moderated mediation analysis based on the use of bootstrapping. 4|RESULTS 4.1 |Measurement reliability and validity The measures proposed were based on a comprehensive literature review and on a previous revision by scholars with expertise in the field under study, which thus ensured content validity. We performed CFA using IBM SPSS AMOS (version 29) software to evaluate scale reliability as well as convergent and discriminant validity, following standard procedures (Gerbing & Anderson, 1988; Hair et al., 2019; Hu & Bentler, 1999). Returned fit indices were within the recommended cut-off thresholds (Table 2), so the model was considered acceptable (Kline, 2015). Values for the Cronbach's alpha coefficient (CA), composite reliability coefficient (CRC) and average variance extracted (AVE) were larger than the recommended values (0.70, 0.60 and 0.50), so reliability was adequate (Bagozzi & Yi, 1988). In addition, every observed variable was related to its specific latent variable, with individual loadings significant and high; convergent validity was thus acceptable (Anderson & Gerbing, 1988). Finally, the AVE for the latent variables was higher than the correlations among them, which indicated discriminant validity (Fornell & Larcker, 1981). The measurement proposed was thus adequate in terms of scale reliability, convergent validity and discriminant validity (Bollen, 1989; Hair et al., 2019). 4.2 |Direct and indirect effects To test the direct and indirect relationships proposed in our model, we applied a mediation model (Model 4) using the PROCESS macro for SPSS developed by Hayes (2022) in IBM SPSS Statistics (version 29); this included a mediator (P-O fit) between the independent (SRP) and dependent variables (motivation). This framework is recommended to analyze mechanisms and conditions that may affect relationships between variables, as well as for using bootstrapping to test hypotheses (to avoid potential errors due to non-normal data). Table 3 shows the results of this mediation model. First, the estimated coefficient between SRP and motivation was positive but not significant (0.084; p> 0.05; CI =0.032; 0.200), so Hypothesis 1was not supported. Second, a mediating effect requires a significant association between the independent and mediatingvariablesaswellasasignificant association between the mediating and dependent variables (Kenny et al., 1998). The estimated coefficient between SRP and P-O fit was positive and significant (0.523; p< 0.001; CI =0.401; 0.645), and the estimated coefficient between P-O fit and motivation was also positive and significant (0.302; p< 0.001; CI =0.228; 0.376), which provided initial evidence for the indirect effect. TABLE 1 Descriptive statistics by country sample. PO.FIT MOTIV Spain 2.51 4.10 Ecuador 3.79 4.80 Argentina 3.04 4.35 Kazakhstan 3.76 4.50 Total 3.28 4.45 ANOVA (F-stat., significance) 17.048*** 5.008** Abbreviations: MOTIV, employee's motivation; ns, not significant; PO.FIT, person-organization fit. *p< .05; **p< .01; ***p< .001. CARBALLO-PENELA ET AL.7 10991719, 0, Downloaded from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/sd.3071 by Consorcio Interuniversitario Do Sistema Universitario De Galicia (Cisug), Wiley Online Library on [09/07/2024]. See the Terms and Conditions (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/terms-and-conditions) on Wiley Online Library for rules of use; OA articles are governed by the applicable Creative Commons License The confidence intervals estimated by bootstrapping also showed that the indirect effect of SRP on motivation via P-O fit was positive and significant, because they did not contain zero (0.158; CI =0.107; 0.216), thus providing support for the mediating hypothesis (Hypothesis 2). Considering that the direct effect was not significant, our results indicate that P-O fit fully mediates the relationship between SRP and motivation. This finding is interesting because it highlights the relevance of fit between individual and organizational values for increasing employee motivation. 4.3 |Moderated-only and moderated mediation effects Finally, to test the moderating effects included in our model, we applied a moderated mediation model (Model 9) using the PROCESS macro for SPSS developed by Hayes (2022) in IBM SPSS Statistics (version 29); this included a mediator (P-O fit) and two moderators (collectivism and masculinity). Table 4shows the results of this moderated mediation model. TABLE 2 Confirmatory factor analysis: reliability, validity, and correlations between constructs. CA CRC AVE 1 2 3 4 5 1. SRP - - - - 2. PO.FIT 0.878 0.879 0.784 0.359 0.886 3. MOTIV 0.798 0.890 0.592 0.183 0.416 0.769 4. COLL - - - 0.007 0.259 0.128 - 5. MASC - - - 0.001 0.090 0.099 0.625 - Model fit summary: Chi-square =12.001; df =13; CFI =0.999; IFI =0.999; TLI =0.999; NFI =0.992; RMSEA =0.001. Note: Bold is the square root of the AVE. Abbreviations: AVE, average variance extracted; CA, Cronbach alpha; CFI, comparative fix index; COLL, national culture collectivism; CRC, composite reliability coefficient; IFI, incremental fit index; MASC, national culture masculinity; MOTIV, employee's motivation; NFI, normed fit index; PO.FIT, personorganization fit; RMSEA, root mean square error; SRP, sustainable recruitment practices; TLI, Tucker Lewis index. TABLE 3 Direct and indirect effects: parameter estimates, bootstrap confidence intervals, and model fit summary. Coeff SE pLLCI ULCI R 2 Fp SRP !PO.FIT 0.523*** 0.062 0.000 0.401 0.645 0.190 24.33 0.000 SRP !MOTIV 0.084 ns 0.059 0.157 0.032 0.200 PO.FIT !MOTIV 0.302*** 0.038 0.000 0.228 0.376 0.137 41.23 0.000 Coeff BootSE BLLCI BULCI SRP !PO.FIT !MOTIV 00.158* 0.028 0.107 0.216 Note: Bootstrap confidence intervals derived from 5000 samples (95% level of confidence). Abbreviations: Coeff, non-standardized coefficient; MOTIV, employee's motivation; ns, not significant; PO.FIT, person-organization fit; SRP, sustainable recruitment practices. *p< 0.05; **p< 0.01; ***p< 0.001. TABLE 4 Moderating effects (interactions): parameter estimates, bootstrap confidence intervals, test of unconditional interaction, and index of moderated mediation. SRP !PO.FIT Coeff SE pLLCI ULCI INT1 (COLL) !PO.FIT 0.413* 0.187 0.027 0.780 0.047 INT2 (MASC) !PO.FIT 0.455** 0.160 00.005 0.140 0.769 ΔR 2 Fp Test of unconditional interaction (INT1) 0.008* 4.901 0.027 Test of unconditional interaction (INT2) 0.013** 8.080 0.005 SRP !PO.FIT !MOTIV Coeff BootSE BLLCI BULCI Index of partial moderated mediation (INT1) 0.125* 0.059 0.248 0.017 Index of partial moderated mediation (INT2) 0.137* 0.052 0.041 0.244 Note: Bootstrap confidence intervals derived from 5000 samples (95% level of confidence). Abbreviations: Coeff, non-standardized coefficient; COLL, national culture collectivism (0: individualism; 1: collectivism); INT1, SRP INDIV; INT2, SRP MASC; MASC, national culture masculinity/femininity (0: femininity; 1: masculinity); MOTIV, employee's motivation; ns, not significant; PO.FIT, personorganization fit; SRP, sustainable recruitment practices. *p< 0.05; **p< 0.01; ***p< 0.001. 8CARBALLO-PENELA ET AL. 10991719, 0, Downloaded from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/sd.3071 by Consorcio Interuniversitario Do Sistema Universitario De Galicia (Cisug), Wiley Online Library on [09/07/2024]. See the Terms and Conditions (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/terms-and-conditions) on Wiley Online Library for rules of use; OA articles are governed by the applicable Creative Commons License The test of unconditional interaction was significant for both variables, and the confidence intervals estimated for interactions did not contain zero, being negative for collectivism (0.413; p< 0.05; CI =0.780; 0.047) and positive for masculinity (0.455; p< 0.01; CI =0.140; 0.769). These results indicate that collectivism negatively and masculinity positively moderate the relationship between SRP and P-O fit, thus providing support for the Hypothesis 4. Although the sign of the moderation is different, the effect size is similar for both dimensions of national culture. Finally, the confidence intervals estimated by bootstrapping for the index of partial moderated mediation excluded zero and were therefore significant; they were negative for collectivism (0.125; CI =0.248; 0.017) and positive for masculinity (0.137; CI =0.041; 0.244). This indicated the presence of a moderated mediation effect for SRP on motivation via P-O fit, in this case conditioned by collectivism and masculinity. To provide a detailed analysis of the influence of these moderators, Table 5shows the indirect effects of SRP on motivation via P-O fit, estimated with bootstrapping, for each of the four countries included in the sample. Spain provided the largest indirect effect, which was positive and significant (0.196; CI =0.064; 0.366), while Kazakhstan provided the smallest indirect effect, which was also positive but nonsignificant (0.070; CI =0.039; 0.183). The other countries returned intermediate values for indirect effects, with both Ecuador (0.171; CI =0.074; 0.287) and Argentina (00.123; CI =0.035; 0.242) showing positive and significant indirect effects. This result shows that perceptions about sustainability issues can vary depending on the studied country. This variety in the results means that the potential fit between organizational sustainability values included in SRP and employees' values can be different. 5|DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS This research sought to contribute to the literature on sustainable HRM by shedding light on the relationship between SRP and employee motivation. Our results highlight that SRP are positively related to motivation through P-O fit and demonstrated the moderating role of collectivism and masculinity in the relationship between SRP and P-O fit. Because the dynamic nature of the motivation process, there is a need to examine the existing motivators constantly to find out what effectively motivates employees. Considering that sustainability has become a relevant concern for present-day society, it is interesting to examine the role of sustainability issues as motivators. This study demonstrated that SRP influence prospective employees' motivation. This is not a direct influence, as we proposed in Hypothesis 1, but an indirect influence through P-O fit (Hypothesis 2). Our findings showed that P-O fit fully mediates the relationship between SRP and employee motivation. In line with ASA theory (Schneider, 1987) and the value congruence perspective (Chatman, 1989), we highlight that the relevance of environmental and social issues for today's society create a situation in which the values contained in SRP could increase individual perceptions of fit. Prior research has noted that SRP are positively related to organizational outcomes such as attractiveness (e.g., Jones et al., 2014; Waples & Brachle, 2020). In line with Huber and Hirsch (2017), our results showed that in, the absence of fit, there is not a direct effect of SRP on motivation. This finding suggests the need for a refined analysis of the perceptions of employees regarding sustainability. For those who have individual values in line with sustainability issues, P-O fit will mean that when companies engage in SRP, their motivation increases. However, demonstrating concern for sustainability may not be a sign of organizational prestige, which means that organizational identification is not strong and has no influence on the ideal self, as SIT proposes. That would mean that the relationship between SRP and motivation is not statistically significant. The fact that our sample consisted of prospective employees from different countries could involve different perceptions about SRP. SRP are not perceived as a sign of prestige in some countries, Hypothesis 1would not be supported when considering the total sample, although the relationship would be significative for some particular country. We also hypothesized that the positive relationship of SRP with P-O fit would be stronger in collectivistic than in individualistic societies (Hypothesis 3). However, the results showed that this relationship was weaker in collectivistic societies, which is an unexpected finding. Sustainability requires that individuals strive to be concerned about others (e.g., the environment or other groups) and not only concerned about themselves. As individuals from collectivistic societies tend to put the group's needs before individual interests (Middleton & Jones, 2000), we expected that collectivistic values would reinforce the relationship between SRP and P-O fit. Prior research has underlined that within-culture heterogeneity can explain some unexpected findings related to the collectivism/ individualism dimension of national culture (Rao et al., 2010). Although a country's culture can be characterized as collectivistic, many citizens can still display individualistic values regarding certain topics and situations due to other factors. For instance, Derné (1995) demonstrated that many men in a strongly collectivistic country had individualistic values regarding family, marriage and taking care of children. Hence, within-culture variance can mean that other TABLE 5 Indirect effects by country: parameter estimates and bootstrap confidence intervals. SRP !PO.FIT !MOTIV Coeff BootSE BLLCI BULCI Spain 0.196*0.077 0.064 0.366 Ecuador 0.171*0.054 0.074 0.287 Argentina 0.123*0.053 0.035 0.242 Kazakhstan 0.070 ns 0.055 0.039 0.183 Note: Bootstrap confidence intervals derived from 5000 samples (95% level of confidence). Abbreviations: Coeff, non-standardized coefficient; MOTIV, employee's motivation; ns, not significant; PO.FIT, person-organization fit; SRP, sustainable recruitment practices. *p< 0.05. CARBALLO-PENELA ET AL.9 10991719, 0, Downloaded from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/sd.3071 by Consorcio Interuniversitario Do Sistema Universitario De Galicia (Cisug), Wiley Online Library on [09/07/2024]. See the Terms and Conditions (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/terms-and-conditions) on Wiley Online Library for rules of use; OA articles are governed by the applicable Creative Commons License and work engagement. Frontiers in Psychology,11, 572343. https:// doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.572343 Versace, C., & Abssy, M. 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An Example of a job offer: LEIRA&MOR is a professional consulting company that provides business solutions across all segments of business all over the world. We are looking for passionate talented people to join to our team in different positions. LEIRA&MOR pays salaries that tend to be 40% higher than the average for the same position in the industry. In addition, the number of work-related accidents happening in this company is clearly lower than the average of the industry. However, questions such flexible working hours and work-life balance of employees and hiring women and minorities are not a priority for this company and it is not concerned about them. This firm does not provide adequate training and development opportunities to employees. It recently paid significant fines because of damage to the environment. PERSON-ORGANIZATION FIT (P-O FIT). Adapted from Cable and Judge (1996). •My values “match”or fit in this organization. •My values match those of current employees in organization. EMPLOYEE'S MOTIVATION. Adapted from Wright (2004). •If I would work for this company, I would put forth my best effort to get my job done regardless of the difficulties. •If I would work for this company, I would be willing to start work early or stay late to finish a job. •If I would work for this company, I would do extra work for my job that is not really expected of me. 16 CARBALLO-PENELA ET AL. 10991719, 0, Downloaded from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/sd.3071 by Consorcio Interuniversitario Do Sistema Universitario De Galicia (Cisug), Wiley Online Library on [09/07/2024]. See the Terms and Conditions (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/terms-and-conditions) on Wiley Online Library for rules of use; OA articles are governed by the applicable Creative Commons License