Discounting person-organization misfit and pursuing prestige: Imagined benefits as a needs-meeting mechanism

Recognizing the ability of organizational prestige to meet financial, social, and status needs, we posit that job seekers will pursue employment with prestigious firms in the face of person-organization (PO) misfit feedback. Drawing upon social identity theory, the theory of symbolic attraction, and the motivational model of fit, we suggest that when job seekers disagree with PO misfit feedback, prestige and the imagined benefits of employment motivate job seekers to pursue employment. These imagined benefits serve as the needs-meeting mechanism aiding self-esteem, self-worth, and perceived social status. To explore this phenomenon, we conducted a between-subjects experiment investigating PO fit feedback, agreement with PO fit feedback, employer image. Notably, we found when job seekers disagreed with misfit feedback, they reported greater pursuit intentions when (1) the organization was prestigious (vs. socially responsible) and when (2) perceived external prestige was high (vs. low). We discuss theoretical and practical implications of job seeker reactions to PO fit feedback and organizational prestige as a needs meeting mechanism.