Do the People Make the Place? A 40-Year Review of Research on ASA Theory

Abstract

Attraction-selection-attrition (ASA) theory proposes that “the people make the place” and has served as a foundation for many areas of organizational research. In this review, we take stock of the ASA literature to identify what we know and what we need to know about ASA processes and their effects on organizations. Based on a review of over 6,000 articles that cited ASA, we identified 321 studies that used the theory as a basis for their hypotheses. However, only 77 (24%) of those studies actually tested an aspect of the theory. For example, although ASA is an organizational-level theory, most studies used the theory to test phenomena at other levels, such as individuals, teams, or occupations. Among studies that did test the theory, very few directly assessed its core hypotheses. For instance, only one published study directly tested the central hypothesis that ASA processes lead to homogeneity. Moreover, some parts of the theory were not supported. As an example, although the theory suggests that ASA processes will reduce organizational effectiveness, several studies found that homogeneity was associated with better performance. Although the amount of empirical support for ASA theory was uneven, we believe it still has the potential to help understand organizations and the people that make them. To that end, we provide an agenda for future research that prioritizes how to best test ASA’s core hypotheses. We also highlight connections between ASA and other theories and literatures that examine similar phenomena to inspire future research opportunities.