A Self-Regulation Approach to Person-Environment Fit

Details

• Personal Author:
  Chang C-H ; Johnson RE ; Kawamoto CK ; Taing MU
• Description:
  Person-environment (PE) fit refers to the compatibility between ideal aspects and experienced aspects of people's external environment (Edwards, 1991; Kristof, 1996). Typically, when fit exists, employees report more favorable attitudes, experience greater well-being, and perform more effectively (Hoffman and Woehr, 2006; Kristof-Brown et al, 2005; Verquer, Beehr, and Wagner, 2003). Much of the attention in the PE fit literature has revolved around how fit is conceptualized (e.g., supplementary versus complementary fit) and measured (e.g., direct versus indirect measures; Billsberry et al, 2005; Edwards et al, 2006; Muchinsky and Monahan, 1987). Although this research has advanced our understanding of the phenomenon of PE fit, additional theory is needed to better understand why the extent to which workers fit with their environment predicts their attitudes, behavior, and well-being. Employees are motivated to attain a sufficient level of fit and they regulate their cognition and behavior in order to do so (Latham and Pinder, 2005). Despite this motivation to attain fit, there have been relatively few attempts to integrate the concept of PE fit with contemporary theories of self-regulation (for exceptions, see Edwards, 1992, and French et al, 1982). This lack of integration is unfortunate because understanding how PE fit "fits" within the broader context of employee self-regulation helps bridge current gaps in PE fit theory as well as identify promising directions for future research. In this chapter we draw attention to the parallels, between theories of self-regulation and PE fit. It is our belief that self-regulation theories, which explain why discrepancies between desired conditions and experienced conditions influence affect, cognition, and behavior (Austin and Vancouver, 1996; Bandura, 1986; Carver and Scheier, 1998; Johnson, Chang, and Lord, 2006), can be leveraged to advance PE fit theory. Our central thesis is that PE fit can be conceptualized as a discrepancy between people's ideal conditions, which are derived from their own needs and values, and experienced conditions, which are based on perceptions of their environment. Take, for example, a situation where job applicants decide whether or not to apply to a particular company based on person-organization ethical fit (see Coldwell et al, 2008). In this example, applicants compare their ideal standards for ethical behavior to their experienced levels of the company's corporate responsibility in order to judge the extent to which fit exists between the two. Other instances of PE fit can be similarly framed as ideal-experienced discrepancies (see Edwards, 1992; French et al, 1982). In the sections below we first provide an overview of the goal-based process of self-regulation and then specify how this process can be applied to PE fit. Given what we know about human self-regulation, the remainder of this chapter is devoted to discussing three key implications of self-regulation theory for PE fit theory. These implications concern the hierarchical organization of different bases of PE fit, changes in PE fit over time, and motivation-based individual differences that may moderate the effects of PE fit on its outcomes. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Behavior Environment Men Nervous System Occupational Health Safety Women Workload Workplace
• Keywords:
  Attitude Cognitive Function Employees Employee Satisfaction Environmental Factors Humans Work Capability Work Capacity Work Environment Worker Motivation Workers Work Performance

  More +
• ISBN:
  9780470683613
• Publisher:
  John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Book
• Place as Subject:
  Florida ; Michigan ; OSHA Region 4 ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  74-98
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20062830
• Citation:
  Organizational fit: key issues and new directions. Kristof-Brown AL, Billsberry J, eds. Oxford, UK: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 2012 Nov; :74-98
• Editor(s):
  Kristof-Brown AL; Billsberry J
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2013
• Performing Organization:
  Sunshine Education and Research Center, University of South Florida
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Organizational fit: key issues and new directions
• End Date:
  20290630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:b93535f43c6e437e7cc9ba004034beff198f9e1665ddf14e2d983320e925a65d2ede34a06e2a10c3dba750358ec6625a19b1d70118977e333ba7e371bcb034ce
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/226009/cdc_226009_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 264.54 KB ]