Gender equality is becoming a more important value day by day, which is also recognized by the United Nations itself. However, reaching gender equality is a difficult aspect. One measure to reach...Show moreGender equality is becoming a more important value day by day, which is also recognized by the United Nations itself. However, reaching gender equality is a difficult aspect. One measure to reach gender equality is by introducing gender quotas. Countries can implement legislated or voluntary quotas to have a more equal gender division in their national parliaments, which represents countries’ citizens. Most of the existing theory discusses that gender quotas are expected to influence the gender division positively. This thesis tests whether quotas in general, legislated quotas, and voluntary quotas do influence the gender division of a countries’ parliament. There have been performed 10 regressions to test the drafted hypotheses. Even though the correlation was expected to be positive, the results show the opposite. Found estimators representing the influence of (different kind of) gender quotas are unsignificant and remarkably low. However, the found effects are negative which goes against most of the existing theory. There is not a clear answer yet to the question if quotas influence the gender division, but if the negative results are correct, this need to be further researched. Therefore, more research and the inclusion of more variables would be beneficial.Show less
This thesis investigates the problem of Affinity Bias in recruitment processes, particularly in Dutch public organizations. Affinity Bias refers to the tendency for recruiters to favor candidates...Show moreThis thesis investigates the problem of Affinity Bias in recruitment processes, particularly in Dutch public organizations. Affinity Bias refers to the tendency for recruiters to favor candidates with similar backgrounds or characteristics, resulting in hiring decisions based on personal preferences rather than qualifications, skills, and experience. This bias can have a detrimental effect on diversity and inclusiveness in the workplace. The thesis aims to identify Affinity Bias’s manifestation in recruitment and selection processes and its impact on Dutch Public Organizations. The theoretical model proposed in this paper builds on existing literature on Diversity and Inclusion, Recruitment and Selection Processes, Social Identity Theory, and Affinity Bias. The inductive research design applies interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to explore how public sector recruiters make sense of their experiences through Semi-Structured Interviews. This thesis aims to contribute to the existing literature on Affinity Bias and its interrelation with the Social Identity Theory, as well as provide empirical evidence on the presence of affinity bias in Dutch public organizations, extending existing knowledge by exploring a model in a new context and a different population, and providing practical implications for public organizations in the Netherlands and beyond.Show less
This study aimed to determine the influence of student’s images of scientists by students currently studying at a Dutch university on their willingness to work at a public university as scientists....Show moreThis study aimed to determine the influence of student’s images of scientists by students currently studying at a Dutch university on their willingness to work at a public university as scientists. Based on the social Identity theory and the concept of social normative influence, an experimental survey was designed to measure this influence. Due to errors made in the research design and methodology, the implemented manipulation did not have the necessary effect. This paper further focusses on what went wrong and what could have gone better in the research design phase and offers several recommendations for future research. These recommendations are implementing an instrumental manipulation check (IMC), piloting the survey prior to distribution, and using more or stronger forms of manipulation vignettes. For future research on this subject with other research designs, it is recommended to perform semi-structured interviews or conduct a large N survey.Show less
This qualitative study examined the impact of recruitment sources in the public sector, using inhouse internal recruiters or by outsourcing to external recruiters. Through nine semi- structured...Show moreThis qualitative study examined the impact of recruitment sources in the public sector, using inhouse internal recruiters or by outsourcing to external recruiters. Through nine semi- structured interviews with representative internal and external recruiters insights from a practical level where gleaned. Theoretical insights were used, such as the ASA model, theories involving person-environment fit and challenges in recruitment to indicate the research gap and to develop theoretical contributions together with the practical insights. The research led to several theoretical contributions. The first highlighted the contemporary challenges recruiters deal with, especially the tight labor market. Additionally, inefficient HR departments and the role of the vacancy holder or client also cause hinderance. The second contribution addressed the ‘public sector worker’-type, indicating the increased willingness to work for the public sector, however, there are limited (suitable) people available. Furthermore, the results show that public sector workers are characterized by specific competencies and motivations related to political-administrative sensitivity and desire to give back to society. The third contribution compared the different recruitment processes. The recruiters follow similar steps but it appears that external recruiters have more capacity and advanced systems, enabling them to put more effort in realizing a qualitative match. Although internal recruiters are fundamentally capable of delivering the same work, they face capacity constraints creating difficulties. Besides, not every public organization has the resources to outsource the recruitment process.Show less
In light of the evolving human capital crisis faced by the public sector in recent decades, there has been a heightened research focus on identifying the determining factors for public sector...Show moreIn light of the evolving human capital crisis faced by the public sector in recent decades, there has been a heightened research focus on identifying the determining factors for public sector attraction. However, the timeless attraction of the characteristic features commonly found in public organizations has diverted attention away from several other factors that may contribute to individuals' willingness to pursue employment in the public sector. This thesis contributes to the ongoing research by exploring the influence of work flexibility and a diverse work environment on an individual's attention to apply for work in the public sector. To this end, a vignette-based survey experiment with (N=153) participants was conducted. The respondents were asked to rate two randomly assigned job advertisements, each differing in terms of the flexibility and diversity condition. The results obtained from the survey experiment showed that both factors play a significant role in shaping the intention to seek employment in the public sector. This indicates that public organizations can enhance applicant attraction by including flexible work arrangements and actively promoting diversity in their job advertisements.Show less
