Organization and Occupation Influences in the Attraction-Selection-Attrition Process

This study tested predictions from B. Schneider's (1987) attraction-selection-attrition (ASA) model across 5 organizations ( n = 681). Organization membership and occupational attributes interacted with individuals' turnover intentions to predict several personality variables. Relationships among organization membership, occupation type, and personality were partially mediated by perceived structure. The 3-way interaction analyses indicated that occupation type may compensate for the effects of organizational characteristics in making particular traits more suitable for a given organization. The overall pattern of findings supports the more general ASA predictions, but the findings also suggest a need to develop a more refined conceptualization of the trait homogenization process. The authors also discuss what trait homogenization processes may imply about interpreting findings in organizational behavior research in general and better understanding organizational diversity, culture, and organizations' capabilities in responding to change.