The Role Of Social Networking Information On Pre-Employment Background Checking Process:Evidence From Bangladesh

Purpose:The role of social networking sites(SNSs)and social networking information(SNI)on different HRM practices are gaining substantive importance from the academic and practical viewpoints.This thesis paper covers substantial empirical investigation and aims to identifythe various components of social networking information(SNI)on a very under-researched but crucial part of hiring process,pre-employment background check(PBC)within Bangladeshi job context.Design/Methodology:The whole thesis paper has been divided into three unique but inter-related sub-studies covering a number of distinctive variable(s)to identify the role of various and diversified components of SNI on the single dependent variable(PBC)in more coherent and justifiable manner.Although the sub-studies are interrelated to some extent,they include different independent and unique components as well as mediators and/or moderated-mediators with separate survey instruments(3 questionnaires for three sub-studies).Sub-study-1 has only one independent variable(SNI)and only one dependent variable(PBC),a single mediator organizational reputation(OR).Further,the author employed a single control variable(Gender)as moderator to test if there is any gender influence on the direct relationship.The sub-study was carried out on the valid samples of 798.Sub-study-2 has three independent variables: perceived availability of information(PAI),perceived accuracy of information(PACI)and perceived reliability of information(PRI);and single dependent variable(PBC).Further,the author employed two mediating variables: perceived benefit(PB)and organizational branding(OB).The sub-study was carried outbased on samples of 1062.Finally,sub-study-3 includes three independent variables: perceived availability of information(PAI),perceived relevance of information(PRI)and perceived usability of information(PUI)with a single dependent variable: PBC.The author employed two variables in this sub-study that acted both as mediators and moderators: employers’ behavioral intention(EBI)and legal consideration(LC).This sub-study was conducted on the largest number of valid sample size,1141.The respondents(having organizational Facebook or Linked In profiles)were chosen using purposive sampling method and were requested to fill a structured measurement tool for collecting primary data from them.The total number of respondents stood to 3001(798+1062+1141).As far as the author concern,this is one of the largest sample size ever used to collect primary data.Further,the author employed some volunteers enthusiastic to contribute to the study,but not as respondents.These volunteers are graduate job seekers or already applied for the job as candidates,and particularly,which is one of the main conditions for them is to have an active social media account: Facebook or Linkedin.Written permissions were taken from them in order to disclose that they agreed to volunteer on their own will.The number of volunteers participated in this study is 327.The author conducted both the descriptive analysis and second generation statistical technique(SEM)for processing the data into information.SPSS(24)was utilized for descriptive analysis and structural equation modeling(SEM)(using AMOS 24)was utilized for testing the hypothesized relations.Findings: The major outcomes of the three studies are consistent with the previous literature while some findings are unique in the Bangladeshi job context.However,the findings have been highlighted separately on the following paragraphs.Sub-study-1 found that SNI has a noteworthy positive influence on PBC.The single mediator,OR partially mediates the positive influence of SNI on PBC.The sub-study also revealed that gender does not have any noteworthy moderating influence on the direct and mediating relationships.Sub-study-2 revealed that out of three independent components,only PAI is significantly and positively related to PBC.PRI is significantly and negatively related to PBC whereas such relationship for PACI is not significant.OB can partially mediate the relationships between the PAI & PBC and PRI & PBC respectively.The same variable cannot mediate the relationship between PACI and PBC.The other mediating variable,perceived benefit(PB)cannot mediate any direct relationship at all.Finally,according to the Sub-study-3,two independent components,PAI and PUI have significant positive relationship with the dependent variable PBC while such relationship with PRI is negative but not significant.Regarding the mediating effects,it was identified that EBI can completely and moderately mediate the relationship between PRI and PBC as well as PAI and PBC respectively although it cannot mediate the relationship between PUI and PBC.In a similar manner,LC can completely and partially mediate the relationship between PRI and PBC and PAI and PBC respectively while it cannot mediate the relationship between PUI and PBC.Regarding the moderating effect,LC,can strengthens the positive relationship between PAI and PBC whereas the same variable dampens(or weakens)the positive relationship between PUI and PBC.Again,LC strengthens the negative relationship between PRI and PBC.On the contrary,EBI strengthens the positive relationship between PAI and PBC while same factor strengthens the negative relationship between PRI and PBC although the moderating effect is weak.Again,EBI dampens the positive relationship between PUI and PBC.Research implications: The thesis article is projected to be constructive for the scholars devoted in identifying the influence of social networking information on pre-employment background check as a recent and rewarding research theme.Practical implications: The HR professionals particularly involved in hiring process can exploit the results of this empirical research as the founding guiding principles for crafting and executing a successful and uniform social media background checking strategy.Originality/Value/Contribution: Using social networking information for different HRM functions is relatively a new but rising practice.However,the experiential investigation concerning this recent area is almost missing in academic domain.This elaborate study,as one of the very early attempts to disclose the role of SNI on PBC can fill that acute gap at least to some degree and may direct prospective research attempts.Moreover,the HR and hiring professionals are anticipated to be benefitted from the experiential results in crafting and executing an effective social media policy(SMP)that will assist them in using the SNI in a competent and equitable manner.