Date of Award
Spring 5-10-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)
First Advisor
Dr. Matthew T. Oglesby
Second Advisor
Dr. John A. Parnell
Third Advisor
Dr. S. Wes Davenport
Abstract
This study examined how employer risk perceptions, beliefs in rehabilitation, and support for second-chance employment influence hiring decisions regarding individuals with criminal records, while also evaluating whether remote work moderates these relationships. Prior research has extensively explored employer attitudes toward ex-offenders in traditional, in-office environments; however, limited attention has been given to how remote work arrangements may alter perceived risk or hiring willingness. Given the expansion of remote and hybrid work models in the United States, understanding whether physical workplace separation reduces stigma or perceived liability is both theoretically and practically significant.
The study collected survey data from 605 hiring managers across the United States. Participants responded to structured measures assessing perceived risk associated with hiring individuals with criminal records, beliefs about rehabilitation potential, support for second-chance employment initiatives, and overall willingness to hire ex-offenders. Statistical analyses were conducted to examine direct relationships among these variables and to test whether remote work availability served as a moderating factor.
Results indicated that remote work does not significantly moderate the relationship between employer risk perceptions and willingness to hire ex-offenders. In other words, simply offering remote work options does not meaningfully reduce risk concerns nor increase hiring willingness. This finding suggests that perceived risk remains primarily attitudinal rather than situational; physical distance from the workplace does not fundamentally alter employers’ underlying assessments of trustworthiness, liability, or reputational risk.
However, generational differences emerged as a meaningful moderating factor. Younger hiring managers, particularly Millennials, demonstrated a stronger negative relationship between risk perceptions and willingness to hire. For this cohort, higher perceived risk was associated with a significant decrease in openness to second-chance hiring. This indicates that Millennials in managerial roles may exhibit heightened risk sensitivity when evaluating candidates with criminal records.
In contrast, older hiring managers showed a weaker negative relationship between risk perceptions and hiring willingness. While risk perceptions still influenced decision-making, older managers appeared less deterred by perceived risk and more inclined to consider second-chance employment opportunities. This pattern suggests greater tolerance for ambiguity or a broader evaluation framework that may incorporate rehabilitation beliefs and inclusive workforce considerations.
The findings highlight that age functions as a moderating variable in shaping employer decision-making, whereas remote work does not. Generational differences appear more influential than structural work arrangements in determining openness to hiring individuals with criminal histories. These results challenge assumptions that remote work inherently reduces hiring barriers for ex-offenders. Instead, attitudinal and demographic factors remain central determinants.
The study underscores the importance of tailoring second-chance employment advocacy and policy interventions to generational dynamics within management populations. Efforts aimed at reducing stigma and recalibrating risk perceptions may need to specifically address younger managerial cohorts. Future research should further investigate industry-specific risks, occupational contexts, and nuanced perceptions of liability to better understand how employers evaluate ex-offender candidates in evolving workplace models.
Overall, the research contributes to the literature by clarifying that remote work alone does not meaningfully change hiring behavior toward individuals with criminal records, while generational attitudes play a more substantial role in shaping employer openness to second-chance employment.
Recommended Citation
Srinivasan, Sivasubbarayan, "The Complexities of Hiring in a Remote Landscape: Examining the Role of Remote Work Opportunities for Individuals with Criminal Records" (2025). Dissertations. 7.
https://roar.una.edu/dissertations/7
Comments
Additional Theoretical Commentary
Risk Perception as a Stable Cognitive Bias
The absence of a remote work moderating effect suggests that employer risk perceptions may function as relatively stable cognitive schemas rather than situationally flexible evaluations. This aligns with stigma theory, where perceived criminal history operates as a durable identity marker that persists across contexts.
Symbolic vs. Operational Risk
Remote work may reduce operational exposure (e.g., physical access, workplace interaction risk), but employers may interpret criminal history as symbolic risk (trust, integrity, reputational liability). Symbolic risk appears to outweigh structural mitigation strategies such as remote arrangements.
Generational Risk Socialization
Millennials’ stronger risk aversion may reflect broader societal conditioning toward compliance, corporate governance, and reputational protection in an era of heightened regulatory scrutiny and social media transparency. Older managers may rely more heavily on experiential judgment rather than perceived reputational exposure.
Rehabilitation Beliefs as Counterweight
The findings imply that beliefs in rehabilitation may function as a psychological counterbalance to risk perceptions. Where rehabilitation beliefs are strong, hiring willingness may remain stable despite perceived risk.