Athletic participation brings more job opportunities, true or false?

Abstract

Fair recruitment matters, as it affects employees, managers and the organization. The phenomenon of athletic-participation-preference (APP) concerns both scholars and managers, affecting the policy and implementation of fair recruitment. Drawing on the stereotype theories, the current research clarifies the formation and implications of APP in recruitment, along with three unique findings. Firstly, the influence of athletic participation in recruitment is not universal, as recruiters may possess different views. Secondly, the influence of athletic participation in recruitment is not consistent. APP does not boost wage, and the APP is perceived differently between age groups. Finally, team-spirit and goal-orientation are not relevant to APP, as both values exist in both sport and non-sport fields. Research findings have implied that recruiting education and trainings, ethics workshops, and recruiting experiences are crucial to the fair recruitment, alleviating the impact of athletic-participation-preference in recruitment. Suggestions for future studies and fair recruiting practices are also discussed.