How EMNEs and DMNEs can attract applicants in emerging and developed countries–a cross-national conjoint analysis on the role of country-of-origin and CSR

Abstract

Multinational enterprises (MNEs) have increasingly expanded worldwide, so they need to recruit talent abroad. Nevertheless, the extant recruitment literature lacks an international perspective, as most research has been conducted in a single country context and in developed countries, creating a gap regarding how MNEs can develop optimal international recruiting strategies, considering not only developed but also emerging countries. Based on a cross-national conjoint analysis in an emerging country (Vietnam) and a developed country (the US), we calibrate the relative importance of organizational/job attributes, especially those with symbolic value such as MNEs’ country-of-origin (emerging vs. developed) and the three dimensions of CSR (economic, social and environmental responsibilities), together with other instrumental factors (e.g. pay, career opportunities), to young applicants in the two countries. Our results reveal some differences. Applicants from an emerging market attach more value to the economic dimension of CSR; still, they also value to the social and environmental CSR dimensions. Unexpectedly, emerging market MNEs (EMNEs) suffer more from the liability of emergingness in other emerging countries than in developed countries. Despite the persistence of certain cross-national differences, the overall influential structure on job choice remains largely similar across countries, opening up the possibility for a global employer branding strategy. Our results, moreover, suggest that symbolic attributes are as important as instrumental attributes to applicants. Most interestingly, the economic dimension of CSR and the country of origin are considered even more important than salary in Vietnam.