Nghiên cứu sinh Nguyễn Hữu Đăng Khoa bảo vệ luận án tiến sĩ
ORIGINAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE DISSERTATION
Dissertation title: Employer attractiveness, corporate reputation and job pursuit intention: A study of employer brand in the Vietnamese young workforce
Specialization: Business Administration (E-PhD) Specialization code: 9340101
PhD candidate: Nguyen Huu Dang Khoa
Supervisor(s): Assoc.Prof.Dr. Vu Huy Thong
Institution: National Economics University
Original contributions on academic and theoretical aspects
This research advances the "Inspired-by" and "Inspired-to" conceptualization by empirically validating its sequential operation within the pre-employment phase. By identifying the mechanism through which affective evocation (inspired-by) must precede action-oriented motivation (inspired-to), this study clarifies the psychological transition from passive evaluation to behavioral conation in recruitment. This study contributes to Signaling Theory by disentangling the distinct roles of distal and proximal antecedents. It establishes that corporate reputation functions as a broad, institutional signal that evokes admiration, whereas employer attractiveness serves as a proximal, person-specific judgment. This distinction reveals that "early inspiration" is not a monolithic response but is driven by a hierarchy of cognitive and affective cues.. By introducing perceived value congruence as a selective moderator, this research provides a nuanced understanding of the limits of organizational signaling. The findings demonstrate a critical theoretical boundary: while institutional prestige (reputation) commands admiration independently of personal alignment, the motivational activation required to move an applicant toward a job pursuit is contingent upon a deep perceived fit. This refines the boundary between broad admiration and personal motivational engagement
Recommendations derived from the findings of the dissertation
Organizations should utilize broad institutional cues to build baseline credibility, but must deploy authentic, value-aligned messaging regarding the work environment to successfully convert passive interest into active inspiration. To transition candidates from "inspired-by" to "inspired-to," recruitment efforts should pair digital branding with high-touch engagement tools, such as realistic job previews and direct employee interactions, to solidify pursuit intentions. Future studies should extend this model beyond young, inexperienced cohorts (aged 19–22) to older professionals, examining how prior workplace experience influences the processing of indirect organizational signals. Research should transition to longitudinal designs to track the temporal evolution of the inspiration sequence and link psychological intent to objective outcomes, such as actual application rates.
