Fear of adverse consequences
Although researchers have studied fear of adverse consequences in performance management contexts [Items measuring fear of legal consequences included: “Worried about being sued for defamation of character by the applicant because of the reference check”, “Concerned that the applicant might file a lawsuit against me because of the reference check”, and “Fearful of legal concerns with the applicant because of the reference check”. Items measuring fear of interpersonal consequences included: “Worried about getting into a disagreement with the applicant because of the reference check”, “Concerned about having an argument with the applicant because of the reference check,” and “Fearful about getting into a fight with the applicant because of the reference check”. Responses were on a “1” (