Cornell University
Library
Cornell UniversityLibrary

eCommons

Help
Log In(current)
  1. Home
  2. Cornell University Graduate School
  3. Cornell Theses and Dissertations
  4. When losers become leavers: Rejection and turnover in internal labor markets

When losers become leavers: Rejection and turnover in internal labor markets

File(s)
Dlugos_cornell_0058O_10093.pdf (1.83 MB)
Permanent Link(s)
https://doi.org/10.7298/X40V89XR
https://hdl.handle.net/1813/51559
Collections
Cornell Theses and Dissertations
Author
Dlugos, Kathryn Elizabeth
Abstract

This study explores when employees are more or less likely to voluntarily exit after having unsuccessfully applied for a new job within their organization. Although prior work suggests that employees react negatively to rejection, we propose that employees will react differently based on how their experience during the hiring process shapes their perceptions about their prospects for future internal mobility. Drawing on insights from the literatures on vacancy chains, social exchange, and expectancy violations, we argue that rejected internal candidates will use three sources of information from the hiring process in assessing their potential for future advancement: (1) whether the “winner” was an internal or external candidate, (2) how far they made it in the hiring process, and (3) how likely they were to be hired for the job. Using data on over 2,000 internal losers at a single organization, we find that rejected internal candidates are less likely to leave when the job is filled with another internal candidate, when they make it further in the hiring process before rejection, and when their expectations of being hired for the job are likely to be lower. The results highlight the importance of understanding how rejection shapes careers and mobility in contemporary internal labor markets.

Date Issued
2017-05-30
Keywords
Management
•
Careers
•
Hiring
•
Internal labor markets
•
Mobility
•
Rejection
Committee Chair
Keller, Joseph H
Committee Member
Zitek, Emily M
Degree Discipline
Industrial and Labor Relations
Degree Name
M.S., Industrial and Labor Relations
Degree Level
Master of Science
Type
dissertation or thesis

Site Statistics | Help

About eCommons | Policies | Terms of use | Contact Us

copyright © 2002-2026 Cornell University Library | Privacy | Web Accessibility Assistance