Get 20M+ Full-Text Papers For Less Than $1.50/day. Start a 14-Day Trial for You or Your Team.

Learn More →

Overqualified? A conceptual model of managers’ perceptions of overqualification in selection decisions

Overqualified? A conceptual model of managers’ perceptions of overqualification in selection... Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a conceptual model for conducting research on how human resource and hiring managers form impressions of overqualified individuals and how these impressions affect their treatment of overqualified individuals during selection decisions. Design/methodology/approach – Given the central role of psychological processes within the proposed model, this conceptual paper builds on a social cognition approach. Findings – The proposed model consists of seven primary factors that can help propel research that is dynamic and contextually driven: attributes of the overqualified individual; job attributes; observers’ cognitive overqualification schemas; observers’ attitudes; observers’ categorization processes; the organizational context; and individual factors, all of which influence the observers’ treatment of overqualified individuals. Originality/value – Most research has focussed on individual‐level outcomes of overqualification such as job satisfaction, turnover intentions, and physical and psychological health, while overlooking how organizational decision makers perceive overqualification and how this subsequently affects the likelihood of individuals being selected for an interview. Given the global growth in the number of overqualified workers, understanding antecedents and correlates of overqualification and how these affect organizational selection decisions is a pressing need. The proposed model outlines several factors that can help us better understand the phenomenon of overqualification. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Personnel Review Emerald Publishing

Overqualified? A conceptual model of managers’ perceptions of overqualification in selection decisions

Download PDF
18 pages

Loading next page...
 
/lp/emerald-publishing/overqualified-a-conceptual-model-of-managers-perceptions-of-YcmbdLUMtr
Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
Copyright © 2014 Emerald Group Publishing Limited. All rights reserved.
ISSN
0048-3486
DOI
10.1108/PR-06-2013-0104
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a conceptual model for conducting research on how human resource and hiring managers form impressions of overqualified individuals and how these impressions affect their treatment of overqualified individuals during selection decisions. Design/methodology/approach – Given the central role of psychological processes within the proposed model, this conceptual paper builds on a social cognition approach. Findings – The proposed model consists of seven primary factors that can help propel research that is dynamic and contextually driven: attributes of the overqualified individual; job attributes; observers’ cognitive overqualification schemas; observers’ attitudes; observers’ categorization processes; the organizational context; and individual factors, all of which influence the observers’ treatment of overqualified individuals. Originality/value – Most research has focussed on individual‐level outcomes of overqualification such as job satisfaction, turnover intentions, and physical and psychological health, while overlooking how organizational decision makers perceive overqualification and how this subsequently affects the likelihood of individuals being selected for an interview. Given the global growth in the number of overqualified workers, understanding antecedents and correlates of overqualification and how these affect organizational selection decisions is a pressing need. The proposed model outlines several factors that can help us better understand the phenomenon of overqualification.

Journal

Personnel Review – Emerald Publishing

Published: Aug 26, 2014

Keywords: Qualitative; Conceptual model; Overqualification; Selection decisions; Underemployment

References

  • Multiple skills, multiple types of education, and the labor market: a research agenda
    Altonji, J.G.
  • Validating the human resource system structure: a levels‐based strategic HRM approach
    Arthur, J.B.; Boyles, T.
  • How well can we measure graduate over‐education and its effects?
    Battu, H.; Belfield, C.; Sloane, P.
  • The Economics of Discrimination
    Becker, G.S.
  • Human Capital. A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis, With Special Reference to Education
    Becker, G.S.
  • Over‐education: what influence does the workplace have?
    Belfield, C.
  • Workplace harassment: double jeopardy for minority women
    Berdahl, J.L.; Moore, C.
  • The mutability of educational credentials as hiring criteria: how employers evaluate atypically highly credentialed candidates
    Bills, D.B.
  • Attention, perception, and social cognition
    Bodenhausen, G.V.; Hugenberg, K.
  • Overqualification in employment
    Brynin, M.
  • The theory of differential overqualification: does it work?
    Büchel, F.; Battu, H.
  • Why Good People Can’t Get Jobs: The Skills Gap and What Companies Can Do About It
    Cappelli, P.
  • The perceived importance of person‐job fit and person‐organization fit between and within interview stages
    Chuang, A.; Sackett, P.R.
  • Modes of theorizing in strategic human resource management: tests of universalistic, contingency, and configurational performance predictions
    Delery, J.D.; Doty, D.H.
  • A process view of the selection recruitment interview
    Dipboye, R.L.; Macan, T.M.
  • Introduction to underemployment and its social costs
    Dooley, D.; Catalano, R.
  • Underemployment and depression: longitudinal relationships
    Dooley, D.; Prause, J.; Ham‐Rowbottom, K.
  • Person‐job fit: a conceptual integration, literature review and methodological critique
    Edwards, J.R.
  • An examination of competing version of the person‐environment fit approach to stress
    Edwards, J.R.
  • Understanding the benefits and costs of overqualification: the moderating role of employee empowerment
    Erdogan, B.; Bauer, T.N.
  • Overqualified employees: making the best of a bad situation for individuals and organizations
    Erdogan, B.; Bauer, T.N.; Peiro, J.M.; Truxillo, D.M.
  • Overqualification theory, research, and practice: things that matter
    Erdogan, B.; Bauer, T.N.; Peiro, J.M.; Truxillo, D.M.
  • A labor economic perspective on overqualification
    Feldman, D.C.; Maynard, D.C.
  • Overqualification and selection in leadership training
    Fine, S.
  • Too smart for their own good? A study of perceived cognitive overqualification in the workforce
    Fine, S.; Nevo, B.
  • Overqualified as a euphemism for too old?
    Finkelstein, L.M.
  • Should you hire an overqualified candidate?
    Gallo, A.
  • Entry‐level frustration often greets grads; statscan study finds 20% overqualified for initial jobs
    Galt, V.
  • Labor market structure and re‐employment rates: unemployment dynamics in West Germany and the United States
    Gangl, M.
  • Stereotypes
    Hamilton, D.L.; Sherman, J.W.
  • Beyond relational demography: time and the effect of surface‐ versus deep‐level diversity on group cohesiveness
    Harrison, D.A.; Price, K.H.; Bell, M.P.
  • Sex bias in work settings: the lack of fit model
    Heilman, M.
  • Skills ‘mismatch’ hurts US. Jobless as openings grow: economy
    Homan, T.R.
  • Perceived overqualification and dimensions of job satisfaction: a longitudinal analysis
    Johnson, G.J.; Johnson, W.R.
  • An evaluation of a perceived overqualification scale across work settings
    Johnson, W.R.; Morrow, P.C.; Johnson, G.J.
  • Layoffs and unemployment discrimination: a new stigma
    Karren, R.; Sherman, K.
  • Person perception in organizations: an overview of the field
    Klimoski, R.J.; Donahue, L.M.
  • Person‐organization fit: an integrative review of its conceptualizations, measurement, and implications
    Kristof, A.L.
  • Perceived applicant fit: distinguishing between recruiters’ perceptions of person‐job and person‐organization fit
    Kristof‐Brown, A.L.
  • Consequences of individuals’ fit at work: a meta‐analysis of person‐job, person‐organization, person‐group, and person‐supervisor fit
    Kristof‐Brown, A.L.; Zimmerman, R.D.; Johnson, E.C.
  • The human resource architecture: toward a theory of human capital allocation and development
    Lepak, D.P.; Snell, S.A.
  • Overqualified shut out
    Levitt, H.
  • How People Evaluate Others in Organizations
    London, M.
  • Leveraging the skills of knowledge workers
    Lowe, G.S.
  • Overqualified women: what can be done about this potentially bad situation?
    Luksyte, A.; Spitzmueller, C.
  • I have a job, but…: a review of underemployment
    McKee‐Ryan, F.M.; Harvey, J.
  • Life after the layoff: getting a job worth keeping
    McKee‐Ryan, F.M.; Virick, M.; Prussia, G.E.; Harvey, J.; Lilly, J.D.
  • A conceptual and empirical analysis of the cognitive ability‐voluntary turnover relationship
    Maltarich, M.A.; Nyberg, A.J.; Reilly, G.P.
  • Objective and subjective overqualification: distinctions, relationships, and a place for each in the literature
    Maltarich, M.A.; Reilly, G.; Nyberg, A.J.
  • Study: nearly half are overqualified for their jobs
    Marklein, M.B.
  • Underemployment: Psychological, Economic and Social Challenges
    Maynard, D.C.; Feldman, D.C.
  • Underemployment, job attitudes and turnover intentions
    Maynard, D.C.; Joseph, T.A.; Maynard, A.M.
  • Applicant overqualification: perceptions, predictions, and policies of hiring managers
    Maynard, D.C.; Taylor, E.B.; Hakel, M.D.
  • The myth of the overqualified worker
    O'Connell, A.
  • Work group demography, social integration, and turnover
    O'Reilly, C.; Caldwell, D.; Barnett, W.
  • Taking the workers back out: recent trends in the structuring of employment
    Pfeffer, J.; Baron, J.
  • Linguistic structures as cues for social cognitive functions
    Pishwa, H.
  • Performance appraisals as heuristic judgments under uncertainty
    Reb, J.; Greguras, G.J.; Luan, S.; Daniels, M.A.
  • The role of education in selection and allocation in the labor market: an empirical study in the Netherlands
    Semeijn, J.; van der Velden, R.; Heijke, H.; van der Vleuten, C.; Boshuizen, H.
  • Stereotype efficiency reconsidered: encoding flexibility under cognitive load
    Sherman, J.; Lee, A.; Bessenoff, G.; Frost, L.
  • Overqualified employees: perspectives of older workers
    Shultz, K.S.; Olson, D.A.; Wang, M.
  • A multilevel approach to understanding employee overqualification
    Sierra, M.J.
  • Underemployment among minorities and immigrants
    Slack, T.; Jensen, L.
  • Market Signaling: Information Transfer in Hiring and Related Screening Processes
    Spence, A.
  • The social identity theory of inter‐group behavior
    Tajfel, H.; Turner, J.C.
  • Social Cognition: From Brains to Culture
    Taylor, S.; Fiske, S.
  • Generating Inequality
    Thurow, L.C.
  • Have degree, driving cab: nearly half of college grads are overqualified
    Trumbull, M.
  • Impact of overqualification on job search
    Wald, S.
  • A review of women's experiences of three dimensions of underemployment
    Weststar, J.
  • Overqualified for a job? Here's what they really mean
    Worthington, J.
  • Receiving advice on matters of taste: similarity, majority influence, and taste discrimination
    Yaniv, I.; Choshen‐Hillel, S.; Milyavsky, M.
  • Organizational demography: the differential effects of age and tenure distributions on technical communication
    Zenger, T.R.; Lawrence, B.S.