Talent management: understanding the relationship between perceived authenticity and economic mobility

Purpose The current study investigates how job seekers' perceptions of workplace authenticity and perceived economic mobility shape organization attractiveness for job seekers. Design/methodology/approach A temporal three-wave survey was administered to 228 adults actively seeking employment. Drawing on Conservation of Resources (COR) theory and the Kaleidoscope Career Model (KCM), we propose that perceived economic mobility mediates the effect of perceived workplace authenticity on employer attractiveness and that psychological entitlement attenuates this mediation. Findings By introducing perceived economic mobility to organisational behaviour research, this study integrates relational (authenticity) and transactional (mobility) attributes into a unified framework and identifies psychological entitlement as a critical moderator. Originality/value Implications of the study suggest that cultivating authentic and meritocratic workplaces enhances employer appeal, especially for less-entitled candidates.