An Empirical Analysis Of The Relationship Of Realistic Vision Preview And Human Resource Effectiveness In Entrepreneurial Firms

How to keep core employees is becoming a critical human resource issue problem for all firms. Realistic job preview was proved to be an effective retention strategy for employee recruitment and socialization. By reviewing the RJP literature, it was found that previous research concerned with the predictive validity, and the results were mixed. The research trend is to emphasize organizational level of information preview. Since vision is an important organizational variable, four relative sub-studies were conducted on content construct, performance mechanism, organizational effectiveness, moderator effect, preview modes, and individual and organizational differences of realistic vision preview (RVP).In study I , realistic vision preview practice in twelve firms were investigated and summarized under different entrepreneurial stage, corporation size and ownership via semi-structured interview with top or middle managers. The results indicated that the objective of implementing realistic vision preview was to improve employee's organizational identification, achieve person-organization fit, and attract talent. Generally, vision was composed of long-term development goal, achievement approach, and potential risk. Because the attitude toward risk was different for different corporations, there were three typical preview modes. The information source, focal medium and content of vision preview were close correlated with preview timing. Above-mentioned results established a preparatory construct framework for follow studies.In study II, the concept of realistic vision preview was defined and validated in entrepreneurial firms. Based on the literatures and interviews, realistic vision preview questionnaire was developed, and delivered to new employees in entrepreneurial firms. The 150 returned questionnaires were valid. Exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis revealed that realistic vision preview had four dimensions: proactive-strategic action, developmental goal, cooperatively shared culture, and potential risk and challenge. A four-dimension model was more stable than any other substiitutional model, and the constructs had acceptable convergent validity and discriminant validity except for dimension of developmental goal. Meanwhile, this study showed that the higher level the employee, the higher the level of realistic vision preview, and the more the experience, the higher the level of realistic vision preview; and the preview level in private-holding, traditional and smallcompanies was higher than in state-owned, high-tech, and big companies, respectively.In study III, the relationship between realistic vision preview and new employees was investigated retention, and functioning mechanism of RVP was validated. Based on RVP questionnaires, and scales of leadership, organizational identification, affective commitment, and employee retention intention. The sample of 145 valid cases focused on antecedent variable, mediator variables, moderator variables, and incremental validity of RVP. The results indicated that the leadership was an important drive force to carry RVP into execution, and that transformational leader was more outstanding compared with transactional leader. Although RVP was positively correlated to employee retention significantly, the relationship between RVP and employee was totally mediated by organizational identification and affective commitment. RVP influenced employee retention indirectly. Meanwhile, the effects of RVP on employee retention, organizational identification and affective commitment were moderated by individual and organizational variables such as new employee's experience, corporate size, entrepreneurial stage and industry, etc. Noticeably, RVP showed predictive validity and incremental validity.In study IV, the effects of RVP modes on organization-entry outcomes were investigated by operationalizing the proportion of positive and negative vision information. An experiment was performed which simulated applicant job decision making. The results ind...