signaling theory

In the relational models between human resource management and organizational performance, employees' perceptions of human resource practices play a crucial role. For an organization to achieve its desired outcomes, it is essential that employees understand and interpret HR practices as they are intended by the organization. One of the key goals of human resource management is to foster positive employee attitudes, behaviors, and performance. In other words, organizations design and implement HR systems and processes that aim to achieve these goals and desired outcomes. According to relational models between HR management and performance, such as the process model of strategic human resource management (Wright and Nishii, 2007, 2013), employees' perceptions of HR practices are more closely related to attitudinal, behavioral, and performance outcomes than the actual HR practices themselves. Therefore, shaping and aligning employees' perceptions with the intended goals of HR management can significantly contribute to achieving desired results at various levels—individual, team, and organizational. In light of this importance, the present study was conducted to address two key research questions: How can HR messaging be optimized to reduce the gap between the messages sent by HR professionals and the messages received by employees? Additionally, what specific factors influence and shape employees' perceptions of HR practices? The main goal of this research was to identify the drivers, antecedents, or elements that significantly influence the formation of employee perceptions of HR practices
 To conduct the present research, a systematic literature review (SLR) method was employed. Using keywords related to employee perceptions of human resources, approximately 1,000 articles from 2004 to 2022 were identified and reviewed. Ultimately, 134 articles were analyzed to extract the antecedents of employees' perceptions of HR practices, according to the dimensions of signaling theory. The analysis sought to understand how these antecedents interact with and influence employees’ perceptions across different contexts.
The research findings indicate that employee perceptions of HR practices are influenced by the characteristics of HR management signalers, the nature and clarity of HR management signals, environmental or contextual conditions, and the characteristics of the receivers of HR signals. Additionally, the study highlights that seeking and obtaining regular feedback from employees about HR practices can help refine and improve the effectiveness of HR signals, the role of HR signalers, and contextual factors under the organization's control, thereby better aligning employee perceptions with the strategic objectives of HR practices.
To effectively create and evaluate HR practices, HR managers and researchers must pay close attention to employee perceptions and the factors that shape them. Considering this, HR communication and its various dimensions can play a significant and effective role in shaping and improving employee perceptions. By focusing on the antecedents of employees' perceptions of HR management, managers can reduce the gap between the three levels of HR management: intended HR management, implemented or actual HR management, and perceived HR management. Moreover, a deep understanding of these perceptions can empower organizations to develop more strategic and impactful HR practices that resonate well with employees, leading to improved organizational performance and employee satisfaction.

In this paper, the efforts aligned with the 17 sustainability goals as one of the precursors of employer branding; It will connect two very current and underexplored marketing topics. Therefore, this study aims to design and explain the employer's brand model using a sustainable marketing approach.In summary, this research aims to answer the main question using a qualitative method and a grounded theorizing approach, "How is the presentation of the employer branding model with a sustainable marketing approach?" Also, this study aims to create a positive image of social responsibility actions and align with companies' sustainability goals under employer branding (with a sustainable marketing approach) to help recruit job applicants and keep talents in the company.Considering the nature of this research, which is exploratory research, the strategy is grounded theory, and the sampling method is theoretical sampling.The paradigm model of this research was designed based on the paradigm model of Strauss and Corbin. In this model, after implementing Open Coding, Axial Coding and Selective Coding, the final research model consists of 16 main categories, 40 sub-categories and 147 concepts.This research showed the consequences of building an employer brand with a sustainable marketing approach at four levels: a. subjective characteristics of sustainable employer brand; b. Sensory characteristics of the sustainable employer brand, c. Symbolic features of sustainable employer brand; and d. The instrumental characteristics of a sustainable employer brand are achievable.

The purpose of this research is to investigate how the matching of values and empowerment of Bank Melli employees affect the attractiveness of its employer brand and also show the effect of the attractiveness of the employer brand on the employer value proposition in this bank. The research method has been applied and developmental in terms of purpose, and the structural equation method with SMART PLS software has been used for data analysis. This research's statistical population is the National Bank employees, which is determined based on Morgan Table 394. In this research, a questionnaire was used to measure the variables. The reliability of this questionnaire has been confirmed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Convergent and divergent methods have also been used in the narrative section. This research shows that catching individual values with National Bank's values makes the employer's brand more attractive to employees. In addition, the results of the alignment of this research with signal theory show that empowered employees are critical resources while participating in the bank, and sending positive signals leads to strengthening the attractiveness of the employer's brand. Another significant result shows that the employees of the National Bank have a higher identity with the internal groups, consider themselves members of the bank's big family, and take measures to improve the bank's performance.

The main purpose of this study is the meta-synthesis of effective signaling to internal and external stakeholders. This is developmental research that is qualitative in terms of data nature, and documentary- meta-synthesis in terms of data collection. The CASP- Critical Assessment Skills Program is used for evaluating articles. For 72 selected articles from valid scientific databases, the process of extracting information from the results and analysis of these articles was performed, Finally, 48 articles were approved and screened. By examining the backgrounds and models of the approved articles, a conceptual model is resulted based on the achieved codes and categories. The company gives different signals to its target audience with its different actions and chosen signaling mix. Receivers of signals can be a group of internal and external stakeholders of the company depending on the company's signaling goals and signals sent by the company’s signaling mix. According to research articles, the focus is more on some kind of signals and also some stakeholders as receivers; For example, companies generally target their external stakeholders, especially the customer and competitor. On the other hand, the repetition of signaling to internal stakeholders is less among the studies. The emphasis of this study is on effective signaling to stakeholders, because the company tries to signal the true quality of itself and also decreases the gap between intended signals and perceived signals by receivers. The characteristics of the signals and the signaling process, in general, can determine the effectiveness of the signals and signaling itself.

The main purpose of this research is the meta-synthesis of Signaling through a new product launch strategy. The present study is developmental in terms of purpose, qualitative in terms of data nature, and in terms of data collection is documentary meta-synthesis. The Critical Assessment Skills Program (CASP), can be used to evaluate articles. The process of extracting information from the results and analysis of these articles was performed Based on 46 selected articles from valid scientific databases. After evaluating each of them, 25 articles were finally Approved and Screened. Then a new conceptual model is obtained from examining the backgrounds and models of approved articles. Based on signaling theory, a company sends a signal from the companychr('39')s private information area to the audience and creates information symmetry. A company can use its own signaling mix for signaling; in this research, the main purpose is using signaling mix which is focusing on a new product lunch strategy. Based on the results, the new product lunch strategy includes market and product strategies, lunch tactics and information published by the company all can be the components of a signaling mix. This kind of signaling mix can send quality signals and market signals, that are generally addressed to competitors and customers.

Retail brand research is one of the most interesting topics in the field of marketing. Some retailers try to attract a lot of customers by using the manufacturer's logo that is usually used on their headboards. Although the use of manufacturers' logos and its impact on product sales has been studied, this issue and its effect on retail selection have been less studied. On the other hand, in the researches, the reasons for this influence have been less discussed according to the theories of consumer behavior. In this research, an attempt has been made to investigate the effect of using the manufacturer's logo on the selection of retail stores. Besides, to explain the relationship between the manufacturer's logo and the retailer's selection, the Context effect and signaling theory has been used. To test the research hypotheses, the motor oil industry (motor oil auto services that are responsible for retail in this industry) has been selected and the hypotheses of this research have been tested using a quasi-experimental research method and random sampling of a group of 416 auto service customers. A questionnaire was used to collect data. The findings of this study show that the use of the logo of the engine oil producer (as a related Signal) has had a significant effect on the selection of retailers, but the effect of using the logo of the automobile manufacturer (as an unrelated Signal) was not confirmed. In addition, customer satisfaction with the manufacturer's brand, loyalty to the manufacturer's brand, and access to the manufacturer's brand are factors that increase the selection of retailers that used the manufacturer's logo on their headboard

Information asymmetry between business owners and investors is a common problem in all investments, but this problem becomes more apparent in equity crowdfunding because potential investors in equity crowdfunding are generally non-professional investors and do not have enough time and experience to scrutinize the investment plan. Therefore, based on the received signals, they decide on the quality of the designs and ultimately their participation / non-participation. The purpose of this study is to comprehensively identify these signals and their sources and also to measure their effectiveness.This is a mixed research in which, qualitative data were gathered through semi structured interviews and analyzed with thematic analyze method. Quantitative part of the research forms the main part of it and contains a descriptive survey which its data were analyzed by second order confirmatory factor analysis. Based on the results, three sources of signals, respectively including: ECF platform, third parties and business owners and are involved in motivating investors to participate, and for each source, four effective signals were identified.

Signaling theory, with economic origin, addresses information asymmetry between two sides and refers to the signs sent to moderate these information. This concept has recently entered the literature of human resource management and is employed in selection and recruitment. The purpose of this study is to apply this concept for creating organizational attractiveness for jobseekers. Therefore, the effect of signaling variable, consisting of signals at individual and organizational levels, on the attitudes of jobseekers as a mediating variable and its effect on jobseekers’ attractiveness are studied. The moderating role of organizational identity in the relationship between signaling and jobseekers’ attitudes are also investigated. This is an applied research in terms of purpose and a descriptive-survey one in terms of data collection method. The statistical population consists of all employees participating in the work exhibition in 2018. Structural equations modeling through partial least squares approach and Smart PLS2.6 software were employed for data analysis. The results signified that signals at personal and organizational levels significantly affected the attitude of the applicants toward organization. The effect of applicants’ attitudes on the attractiveness of the organization was also confirmed. The moderating role of organizational identity was significant in the relationship between signals at organizational level and employees' attitudes toward organizations; however, this variable did not significantly moderate the relationship between signals at individual level and the attitude of the applicants toward the organization.