The use of person–organization fit and person–job fit information in making selection decisions

Two policy-capturing studies were conducted to investigate how person–organization (PO) fit and person–job (PJ) fit information are weighted and combined when hiring decision makers evaluate job candidates, and how the process is influenced by the position’s characteristics. Regarding the combining process, we detected a nonlinear, conjunctive rule in which a low level of PJ fit was paid more attention, the levels of PO fit and PJ fit interacted, and candidates with moderate levels of PO fit and PJ fit were preferred over those with high and low levels. Regarding the weighting process, we found that PO fit was weighted more heavily for a permanent position, and PJ fit for a fixed-term and/or a knowledge-intensive position. In addition, the position’s contract duration (permanent vs. fixed-term) and task elements (managerial vs. knowledge-intensive) interacted in influencing the weighting of PO fit and PJ fit.     

Core self-evaluation and life satisfaction: The person-environment fit perspective

This study is the first to test the mediating roles of three person-environment (P-E) fit variables (i.e., person-major fit, person-university fit, and person-society fit), in the relationship between core self-evaluation and life satisfaction. Data from 794 Chinese university students were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results supported a partial mediating effect for all three P-E fit variables on the relationship between core self-evaluation and life satisfaction. Person-major fit and person-university fit partially mediated the relationship between core self-evaluation and person-society fit. Additionally, person-society fit partially mediated the relationships of life satisfaction with person-major fit and person-university fit. The findings reveal the complicated mechanisms underlying the influence that core self-evaluation has on life satisfaction and suggest important implications for future research.     

Linking the fits, fitting the links: Connecting different types of PO fit to attitudinal outcomes

In this paper we explore the linkages among various types of person-organization (PO) fit and their effects on employee attitudinal outcomes. We propose and test a conceptual model which links various types of fits—objective fit, perceived fit and subjective fit—in a hierarchical order of cognitive information processing and relate them to employee organizational commitment and job satisfaction. By unveiling how the different types of fit relate to each other in influencing individual outcomes, we address some of the theoretical and methodological concerns in the use of different methods in measuring PO fit.     

A time-lagged investigation of the mediating role of person–organization fit in the relationship between leader–member exchange and employee affective organizational commitment

This study provides a new perspective on the relationship between LMX and affective organizational commitment, treating person-organization fit (P-O fit) as an explanatory mechanism and identifying co-worker support and customer recognition as moderators of the first stage of this indirect relationship. Results of a three-wave time-lagged study of survey responses obtained from 137 employees working in the retail service sector over a three-year period were consistent with the proposed model. Multiple regression and moderated mediation analyses revealed that LMX indirectly and positively predicted affective organizational commitment through its positive relationship with P–O fit, suggesting that LMX provides a means by which supervisors are able to instill organizational values in employees and/or signal the degree to which their values match those of the organization. Moreover, co-worker support and customer recognition each moderated the first stage of this indirect relationship, such that the relationship between LMX and P–O fit and, in turn, its indirect relationship with affective organizational commitment is stronger as support from co-workers or customer recognition is lacking. At high levels of co-worker support and customer recognition, LMX exhibits no significant relationship with P–O fit. Together, these results provide new explanations for how and under which conditions LMX might influence employee commitment, suggesting that LMX is particularly salient when employees are lacking other sources of relational support or recognition and that high-quality relations with co-workers and/or customers may serve to compensate for low LMX quality in shaping P–O fit and affective organizational commitment.     

Person–job fit versus person–organization fit as predictors of organizational attraction and job acceptance intentions: A longitudinal study

This longitudinal field study examined the relationship between perceived person–job (PJ) and person–organization (PO) fit and organizational attraction, intentions to accept a job offer, and actual job offer decision. Data were collected from 193 graduate applicants prior to the selection process, during the selection process, at the end of the selection process, and after job acceptance decision. The findings showed support for the hypothesis that perceptions of PJ and PO fit influenced attraction at different stages of selection. The second hypothesis that the relationship between perceptions of PJ and PO fit and intentions to accept a job offer are mediated by organizational attraction was partially supported. Mid‐selection, the relationship between PJ fit perceptions and intentions to accept a job offer was mediated by organizational attraction; in contrast, at the end of the selection process, there was a direct relationship between PJ fit perceptions and intentions. PO fit perceptions were unrelated to intentions to accept a job offer. PJ and PO fit perceptions (before and during the selection process) were unrelated to actual job acceptance decision. These findings highlight the importance of ensuring that applicants have sufficient information about the job during the recruitment and selection process.     

A gender perspective on Person-Manager fit and managerial advancement

This article presents two studies examining (1) the relationship between Person-Manager (P-M) fit and managerial advancement of women and men with, and without managerial aspirations and (2) the P-M fit as related to managerial and non-managerial women. The P-M fit was assessed by computing the congruence between participants' self-rated personality profile and the perceived personality profile of a manager. Sex (men show a higher P-M fit than women), gender (the higher the individual's masculine gender-role, the higher the P-M fit) and group (managers and managerial aspirants show a higher P-M fit than non-managerial aspirants and non-managers) hypotheses were tested. There was no support for the sex difference hypothesis. However, the group and gender hypotheses were confirmed showing that managers and managerial aspirants had a higher P-M fit than non-managers and non-aspirants. Further, analyses revealed that the higher the participants' masculinity scores, the higher the P-M fit. Implications of these findings are discussed in relation to the gendered image of the managerial role and adaptation theory.     

Person-supervisor fit,needs-supplies fit,and team fit as mediators of the relationship between dual-focused transformational leadership and well-being in scientific teams

Team-based work structures have become prevalent in science. Scientific teams, however, are characterized by competing individual-level and team-level needs (i.e., by mixed-motive situations). This makes leading scientific teams particularly challenging: Balancing competing individual-level goals and common team-level goals requires a specific type of leadership that simultaneously considers both satisfying individual-level needs as well as team-level needs. The current study addresses this issue by combining the dual-focused model of transformational leadership with person-environment fit theory. Specifically, we investigated needs-supplies fit, person-supervisor fit, and team fit as mediators of the relationship between transformational leadership and scientific team members’ job satisfaction and work-related strain. In doing so, we provide a new perspective on leadership in scientific teams by explicitly differentiating individual-level and team-level effects of transformational leadership. We tested our hypotheses using a three-wave design with a sample of 134 members of 42 scientific teams. The relationships between individual-focused transformational leadership, job satisfaction, and work-related strain were mediated by needs-supplies fit and person-supervisor fit. Team-focused transformational leadership was positively related to job satisfaction and negatively related to work-related strain. Our findings contribute to further clarifying the mechanisms underlying the relationship between transformational leadership and members’ well-being in scientific teams.     

The relationship between objective and perceived fit with academic major, adaptability, and major-related outcomes

This study examined the effects of fit with college major on major commitment, GPA, college satisfaction, and changing one’s major. We further examined how individual adaptability may moderate the importance of fit on these outcomes. College students (N = 198; 160 women and 38 men; mean age = 19.14 years) completed an interest inventory used to assess objective fit with major, and also indicated their perceived fit with major. Results revealed little correlation between perceived fit and objective fit, with differential relationships to these outcomes. Perceived fit showed stronger positive correlations with affective major commitment and academic self-efficacy than did objective fit. Regarding the moderating role of adaptability, individuals higher in adaptability reported higher institutional satisfaction when there was lower perceived fit. Adaptability also had a main effect on major-related outcomes above and beyond the effects of fit. Practical and theoretical implications of these results are discussed.     

Person–organization fit effects on organizational attraction: A test of an expectations-based model

This study investigates the mechanisms that explain why person–organization (PO) fit impacts organizational attraction. Adopting Edwards and Cable’s (2009) approach, an integrative model is developed around the idea that experiencing value congruence during the recruitment process perpetuates certain expectations about future work environments and employer relationships. These expectations in turn have a positive impact on organizational attraction. Evidence from a longitudinal study on a sample of job seekers suggests that expected opportunities for value expression and need fulfillment offered the most viable explanations of value congruence effects. The implications of important observed differences in the experience of PO fit between job seekers and full-time employees are discussed.     

The role of leader relationship quality in the development of employee fit perceptions

Despite being a subject of scholarly inquiry for nearly a century, some components of person–environment fit remain enigmatic. This research seeks to explore the relational factors that are associated with employee identity and how this lens can provide explanatory factors that link leader–employee relationships to employee performance. Across a two‐study, multi‐rater constructive replication design, our results support the tenets of the identity theory that suggests the quality of the leader–employee relationships informs employees of their person–organization (PO) and person–job (PJ) fit, leading to higher performance. Across both the studies, high‐quality leader–employee relations (conceptualized as LMX and trust in leader) were related to higher levels of PO and PJ fit. Our results also indicate that PO and PJ fit uniquely drive higher levels of performance as rated by multiple constituents, helping delineate the impact of PO and PJ fit on work outcomes. Specifically, in Study One (N = 111), PJ fit mediated the relationship between LMX and leader‐rated performance, whereas in Study Two (N = 94), PO fit mediated the relationship between trust in leader and peer‐rated performance. This work provides preliminary support that leaders, through their relationships, can help shape employee fit perceptions and ultimately impact performance. Such knowledge can inform organizations and leaders, and emphasizes the formative role that leaders play in the organizational lives of their employees.     

The Problem with Having Two Watches: Assessment of Fit When RMSEA and CFI Disagree

The root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) and the comparative fit index (CFI) are two widely applied indices to assess fit of structural equation models. Because these two indices are viewed positively by researchers, one might presume that their values would yield comparable qualitative assessments of model fit for any data set. When RMSEA and CFI offer different evaluations of model fit, we argue that researchers are likely to be confused and potentially make incorrect research conclusions. We derive the necessary as well as the sufficient conditions for inconsistent interpretations of these indices. We also study inconsistency in results for RMSEA and CFI at the sample level. Rather than indicating that the model is misspecified in a particular manner or that there are any flaws in the data, the two indices can disagree because (a) they evaluate, by design, the magnitude of the model's fit function value from different perspectives; (b) the cutoff values for these indices are arbitrary; and (c) the meaning of “good” fit and its relationship with fit indices are not well understood. In the context of inconsistent judgments of fit using RMSEA and CFI, we discuss the implications of using cutoff values to evaluate model fit in practice and to design SEM studies.     

Chameleonic obsessive job passion: demystifying the relationships between obsessive job passion and in-role and extra-role performance

In seeking to address the theoretical ambiguity regarding how and when obsessive job passion (OJP) leads to work performance, we integrate both self-verification and person–environment (P-E) fit perspectives to propose and test a moderated mediation model linking OJP to performance. We argue that OJP is indirectly related to co-worker-rated in-role and extra-role performance through self-verification, and these indirect links are conditioned by perceived demands–abilities (D-A) fit and needs–supplies (N-S) fit. Results from 190 healthcare professionals and their co-workers collected at three different time periods revealed the contrasting roles played by these two moderators. Individuals with higher OJP self-verify more when they perceive low D-A fit, but self-verify less when they perceive high N-S fit, whereas the opposite holds true for high D-A fit and low N-S fit. Contrary to predictions, negative relationships were found between self-verification and both types of performance. Specifically, OJP is associated with greater in- and extra-role performance (because of reduced self-verification) under high perceived D-A but low N-S fit, whereas the opposite results are observed under low perceived D-A and high N-S fit. The findings underscore the contingent nature of OJP and contribute to job passion, self-concept, and person–environment fit research.     

Un examen empirique de l’intention de quitter des millénariaux à travers diverses dimensions de l’adéquation individu/environnement

The purpose of this paper is to examine the simultaneous effect of three person-environment fit dimensions, namely person-organization fit, person-group fit and person-supervisor fit on the millennials’ intent to leave. Data were collected among a sample of 178 employees born after 1980 working in Quebec organizations from various industries. Results indicate that the three person-environment fit dimensions are linked to intent to leave, but that only person-organization fit has an effect on intent to leave.     

How identity related goals moderate the role of attributes in product evaluation

This research examines how identity related goals influence product evaluation. It is proposed that products are evaluated based on an attribute level to fulfill an identity related goal. Further, the positive relationship between an attribute level and product evaluation is strengthened by goal activation (the degree to which a goal occupies a consumer's thinking) and goal‐product fit (the extent to which consumers think a product is related to a particular goal). Results of three experimental studies support the above propositions. The research makes contributions in that it identifies two moderators, that is, goal activation and goal‐product fit, in the relationship between attributes ability and product evaluation. First, identity‐related goals are higher order and likely to have higher priority for consumers. However, results in this paper show that it still needs to be activated before it can exert an influence on attribute importance. Specifically, when an identity related goal (e.g., one supportive of the fair trade goal) is activated, it takes over a lower‐order goal (e.g., seek for a good taste or a good priced coffee in this case). As goal activation increases, relevant attributes become more important, and the positive relationship between an attribute level and product evaluation strengthens. Second, this paper introduces a new construct of goal‐product fit into identity‐related goals and product evaluation literature. The results of study three suggest that when goal‐product fit becomes stronger, the relevant attribute that can fulfill the goal becomes more important in the overall product evaluation.     

Selecting entrepreneurial employees using a person-group fit perspective

As jobs become unstructured and collective endeavor oriented, it is increasingly being realized that work groups must become more autonomous and entrepreneurial. The selection literature is however silent on the predictive mechanisms that may be leveraged to select group members with the desired competencies. The person-group fit perspective enables us to hypothesize and demonstrate that selection instruments geared toward gauging an individual's fit within a group are likely to manifest entrepreneurial competencies and behaviors in the individual. Further, the nature of the job, in terms of the structuredness of work (task formalization) and the repetitiveness of work activities (task routinization), has a moderating impact on the relationship between overall entrepreneurial competence and selection practices. The study has implications for incorporating the principles of person-group fit into the design of job profiles.     

资质过剩感对个体绩效的作用效果及机制：基于情绪-认知加工系统与文化情境的元分析

近年来, 资质过剩作为一种特殊的个人-环境不匹配现象, 引发了较多学者的关注, 但相关研究结论尚有争议。对包含383项独立研究、945个效应值及575061个研究样本的321篇文献开展元分析：(1)直接效应检验表明, 资质过剩感与消极情绪(愤怒、无聊)显著正相关, 与积极自我概念(自尊、自我效能感)的相关性不显著; 在个体绩效方面, 资质过剩感与消极角色外行为(反生产行为、离职)显著正相关, 与积极角色外行为(创新、组织公民行为等)和任务绩效的相关性不显著。(2) 结构方程模型元分析表明, 资质过剩感能够通过增强消极情绪, 进而增加消极角色外行为、减少积极角色外行为和任务绩效; 能够通过增强积极自我概念, 进而增加积极角色外行为和任务绩效、减少消极角色外行为; (3)集体主义文化倾向在资质过剩感通过情绪-认知加工系统影响个体绩效的过程中发挥调节作用, 在高集体主义文化情境中, 资质过剩感对消极情绪的负向影响较弱, 且能对积极自我概念产生正向影响; 在低集体主义文化情境中, 资质过剩感对消极情绪的负向影响较强, 且能对积极自我概念产生负向影响。(4)资质过剩感与个人-工作匹配相关性较强, 与个人-组织匹配相关性较弱; 与二者相比, 资质过剩感对压力感、离职的预测效果最强。研究结果有助于理解资质过剩感对个体绩效的复杂作用机制和边界条件, 并为组织如何管理资质过剩员工提供参考。     

Applying the Bradley-Terry-Luce method to P-E fit

This study attempted to increase the size of the correlation between person-environment (P-E) fit and job satisfaction by rescaling the instrumentation of the Theory of Work Adjustment using the Bradley-Terry-Luce method and a probability-based fit index. This approach worked as well as, but failed to outperform, the currently used correlation-based fit index. However, a probability-based fit index offers the advantage of being intuitively easier to understand than a correlation-based index. The very high correlation between the correlation-based fit index and the probability-based fit index suggests that both assess the same construct. It is argued that, considering the restriction of range common to all assessments of job satisfaction, the correlation between fit index and job satisfaction may not represent an upper limit, but rather a lower bound of the relationship between P-E fit and job satisfaction.     

Perceived Organizational Support and Turnover Intention: The Mediating Effects of Personal Sacrifice and Job Fit

ABSTRACT

This study examines the mediating role of job fit on the relationship between perceived supervisor support (PSS) and perceived organizational support (POS), and the mediating role of personal sacrifice on the relationship between POS and turnover intention. We use structural equation modeling (SEM) with a data set consisting of a sample of 346 individuals in a manufacturing firm to test our proposed model of PSS, POS, and turnover intention. Consistent with prior literature, our hypothesized model confirms that PSS is a predictor of POS and that POS is a predictor of turnover intention. By testing two additional competing and theoretically derived nested models, our findings indicate that job fit partially mediates the relationship between PSS and POS, and that personal sacrifice partially mediates the relationship between POS and turnover intention. Our study is among the first to examine job fit and personal sacrifice as mediators within the POS-turnover intention model.     

Engagement and Disengagement in Mutual-Help Addiction Recovery Housing: A Test of Affective Events Theory

This study tested an affective events theory (AET) model in the Oxford House network of recovery homes. Residents’ congruence with their home (P–E fit) was hypothesized to directly influence behavior that supported the house and other residents—citizenship behavior. We further hypothesized P–E fit would be related to member intentions to leave, with attitudes toward the home mediating that relationship. To assess this, we administered a cross‐sectional national survey to 296 residents of 83 randomly selected Oxford Houses. Although the AET model demonstrated good fit with the data, an alternative model fit better. This alternative model suggested an additional indirect relationship between P–E fit and citizenship mediated by attitudes. Results suggested affective experiences such as feeling like one fits with a community may influence engagement and disengagement. There appears to be a direct influence of fit on citizenship behavior and an indirect influence of fit through recovery home attitudes on both citizenship and intentions to leave the home. We conclude affective experiences could be important for community engagement and disengagement but AET may need to integrate cognitive dissonance theory.     

The effects of managerial regulatory fit priming on reactions to explanations

We investigated the interactive effects of regulatory focus priming and message framing on the perceived fairness of unfavorable events. We hypothesized that individuals’ perceptions of fairness are higher when they receive a regulatory focus prime (promotion versus prevention) that is congruent with the framing of an explanation (gain versus loss), as opposed to one that is incongruent. We also hypothesized that these effects are mediated by counterfactual thinking. Three studies revealed that primed regulatory fit (promotion/gain or prevention/loss) led to higher levels of justice perceptions than regulatory misfit (promotion/loss or prevention/gain). Additionally, “could” and “should” counterfactuals partially mediated the relationship between regulatory fit and interactional justice (Study 3).