Flexible work practices and organizational attractiveness in Germany: The mediating role of anticipated organizational support

This study analyzes how flexible work practices (FWPs) such as flexible work schedules, telecommuting, and sabbaticals affect the organizational attractiveness of companies to job seekers in the German job market. We apply conservation of resource theory to propose that FWPs are positively related to perceived organizational attractiveness. Furthermore, we use organizational support theory to suggest that this link is mediated by job seekers' anticipated organizational support. We test our predictions using two complementary studies among German job seekers: A field study (N = 188) at two job fairs and an online scenario experiment (N = 469). Our findings indicate that flexible work practices, in particular flexible work schedules and sabbaticals, significantly increase organizational attractiveness as perceived by job seekers and that these effects are indeed mediated by anticipated organizational support. Our results further suggest that this link is independent of job seekers' attitudes towards FWPs and that the effect of sabbaticals is stronger than the effect of either flexible work schedules or telecommuting.

Automated summary

The study found that in the German job market, flexible work practices (FWPs), especially flexible work schedules and sabbaticals, can significantly increase the attractiveness of companies to job seekers, and this effect is mediated by job seekers' anticipated organizational support.