Relational communication and mutual influence in the employment interview /
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| Other Authors: | , |
| Format: | Thesis Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
1990.
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | ProQuest, Abstract Link to OAKTrust copy |
| Abstract: | The interaction that takes place between an applicant and an interviewer is often the only information upon which an employment decision is based. Unfortunately, there is little empirical research that examines this interaction process. The present research is designed to examine this interaction process by analyzing employment interviews from a relational communication perspective. Specifically, what impact applicant's impression management tactics have on the interviewer's communication in an employment interview is examined. Theory and research in the areas of the employment interview, impression management, and relational communication offer insights into how the interaction process in the employment interview may unfold. Based on these insights, a conceptual model of the interview process was developed and tested. The model suggested that the situation or purpose of the interview may influence both the applicant and the interviewer. Additionally, individual differences of both the applicant and the interviewer will moderate the types of communication behaviors each select to use in the interview. Finally, the model indicated that the interview process is cyclical in nature, and therefore, the communication behaviors of each participant will in turn influence the responses each will receive. To examine the proposed model, both a laboratory and field study were conducted. The laboratory study focused on the responses of interviewers to impression management attempts by an applicant. The field study examined both the applicant's use of impression management tactics in the interview, and the interviewer's responses to these tactics. The interviews in both the laboratory and field were videotaped and later coded using both a relational communication and impression management coding scheme. The results of the two studies indicated that impression management tactics, although not as many as predicted by past research, are used by applicants in an employment interview. Also, these studies indicated that the interactions in employment interviews and an applicant's use of impression management tactics, can be reliably coded using a relational communication coding scheme. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are presented. |
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| Item Description: | Typescript (photocopy). Vita. "Major subject: Management." |
| Physical Description: | xii, 267 leaves : illustrations ; 29 cm |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references. |