none

This study demonstrates the complex place stress has in the workplace by investigating both positive (eustress) and negative (distress) stress responses. An international sample of 140 individuals was recruited from various industries and organisational levels and these individuals participated in a confidential online survey. A moderated mediation model was proposed in which organisational stressors (person-job fit and role overload) influenced employee affective wellbeing directly and indirectly through stress responses, moderated by individual factors (work-family conflict and self-efficacy). Person-job fit influenced eustress which had positive effects on employee affective wellbeing. Role overload influenced distress which negatively impacted affective wellbeing. Self-efficacy moderated these relationships, with high levels increasing stress responses both negative and positive. Work-family conflict moderated relationships by reducing the positive effect of eustress and increasing the negative effect of distress. The findings not only advance current knowledge but have implications for organisational stress management practices.

The present study has made a comparative assessment of recruitment source effectiveness. The study is based on the pre-hire measures of the quantity and quality of applicants, with a specific focus on e-recruitment. A nine year longitudinal study was employed over a period of pre-internet and post-internet use by a large organisation which enabled the exploration of changes in applicant data. Recruitment source effects were assessed through two perspectives: applicant and organisational. The relationship between source and applicant was explored in terms of key job and organisational attributes communicated to attract quality applicants, and their subsequent intention to pursue the job. The research was designed with two studies to capture the two perspectives. Applicant perspectives were assessed through the distribution of a survey to real applicants of the organisation. Organisational perspectives were captured through interviews with Human Resource Practitioners of eight mid- to large-size organisations. Results indicated that the quality of applicants generated by e-recruitment is equivalent to or less than that of other sources, therefore it is not the most effective recruitment source. Furthermore, recruitment sources had some effect on applicant intentions to pursue the job, but this relationship was not mediated by applicant perspectives. In terms of source information, job attributes were considered more important than organisational attributes in attracting quality applicants from both perspectives. Overall, the research has provided evidence to support the need for organisations to develop a recruitment strategy which incorporates a diverse range of sources to reach quality applicants in the desired target market.

The recent global economic downturn has stimulated a growing interest among scholars in how employees interpret and respond to the circumstance of being overqualified. However, the overqualification literature has been hindered by uncertainty regarding the extent to which employees’ perceptions of being overqualified are based in reality. The present study sought to address this concern by proposing and testing a theoretical model of objective overqualification, perceived overqualification, job satisfaction, and well-being using a cross-sectional sample of full-time employees who had recently graduated from college. Additionally, the present study investigated cognitive ability, achievement striving, and trait negative affectivity as potential moderators of several relationships delineated in the proposed model. Results indicated that the data were consistent with the proposed model, which argues that objective overqualification predicts employees’ perceptions of being overqualified, which creates feelings of relative deprivation and ultimately manifests in poorer job satisfaction and reduced well-being. Importantly, however, the pattern of relationships among study variables suggested that strain outcomes were mostly driven by perceived overqualification. Furthermore, employees’ perceptions of being overqualified appeared to be influenced considerably by unmeasured factors besides objective overqualification, potentially including dissatisfaction with other aspects of the job. There was no support for the hypothesized individual moderators. Overall, the study highlights the importance of taking a more nuanced approach to studying overqualification phenomena and cautions against the assumption that being objectively overqualified is a necessarily undesirable circumstance for individuals and their employers.

Person-environment (PE) fit has been considered one of the most pervasive concepts in psychology. This study presents an integrative investigation of three levels of PE fit: person-vocation (PV) fit, person-organization (PO) fit, and person-job (PJ) fit, using multiple conceptualizations (e.g., value congruence, needs-supplies fit) of each fit level. While a trend in the PE fit literature has been the inclusion of only one fit level with a single conceptualization, researchers call for the addition of multiple conceptualizations of multiple fit levels in a single study. Traditionally, PO fit has been conceptualized as value congruence, whereas PV fit has remained untouched in the literature investigating the direct measurement of fit perceptions. Therefore, new fit perceptions scales assessing PO fit using a needs-supplies fit conceptualization and PV fit using a variety of conceptualizations were introduced. To address the limitation of employing direct measures, common method variance was modeled with a positive affect factor. The study accomplished two objectives. First, a previously supported three-factor model of fit perceptions consisting of PO value congruence (PO-VC), PJ needs-supplies (PJ-NS), and PJ demands-abilities (PJ-DA) fit was strongly replicated. Second, this model was expanded by examining additional conceptualizations (needs-supplies, demands-abilities fit, value, personality, and interest congruence) of fit levels (PV, PO, and PJ fit). Results suggested that professionals make distinctions based on both the fit level and fit conceptualization and these fit perceptions uniquely influence their attitudes and behaviors. A six-factor model (PO-VC, PJ-NS, PJ-DA, PO needs-supplies fit [PO-NS], PV demands-abilities fit [PV-DA], and general PV fit) best fit the data. Providing ample evidence of construct validity, PO fit perceptions (PO-VC and PO-NS fit) were related to the organization-focused outcome of organizational identification, whereas the profession-focused outcome of occupational commitment was exclusively predicted by PV fit perceptions (PV-DA and general PV fit). As expected, both needs-supplies fit perceptions (PO-NS and PJ-NS fit) predicted intentions to quit and job satisfaction. Recommendations for future research are suggested.

Thesis advisor: Zhushan Li / Higher education institutions are expected to improve the employability-related outcomes of their graduates. Previous assessments of graduate employability have largely focused on assessing the quality of a graduate’s first career-related position after graduating, referred to as their first destination, under the assumption that graduates who secure higher quality first destinations are more highly employable. Previous assessments of first destinations have focused more on simple descriptive information (e.g., monetary compensation, number of hours worked per week, etc.) as opposed to evaluating more complex, multidimensional constructs related to employment quality. Assessing these types of constructs would not only provide institutions with more information on graduate employability outcomes, but could also improve the quality and utility of this information. This study investigated whether the theory of Person-Job (P-J) Fit could be generalized to assess a new self-report employment quality construct for recent Bachelor’s degree graduates called First Destination Fit (FDF). Using a mixed-methods research design, the study investigated the dimensionality of this construct, the extent to which the construct is invariant for graduates who secure employment first destinations versus all other types of first destinations (e.g., continued education, military service, etc.), and the extent to which the construct is associated with similar constructs as P-J Fit. Survey scale items were rigorously developed, evaluated, and refined using both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, including both exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, as well as cognitive interviews. The results suggested a four-dimensional framework for understanding FDF. These dimensions were Needs-Tasks fit, Needs-Field fit, Previous-Experience-Tasks fit, and Previous-Experience-Field fit. In large part, these dimensions were found to be related to similar constructs as P-J fit has been found to be related to, particularly for graduates with employment-type destinations. However, this four-dimensional framework was found to be better fitting for graduates with employment-type destinations compared to graduates with non-employment destinations. The study contributes a newly developed and rigorously evaluated scale for HEIs to use to collect new, important information about their graduates’ employability. It also began the process of validating this new scale using advanced psychometric testing. Implications for the scale and future directions for research are discussed. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2021. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Research, Measurement and Evaluation.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the mediating role of person-job (P-J) fit on the impact of organizational resources (training and service technology), and a personal resource (customer orientation) on frontline bank employees’ job performance and turnover intentions. Design/methodology/approach – A large-scale survey of 530 frontline employees of a national bank in New Zealand serves as the study setting. Findings – Among others, results show that P-J fit fully mediates the impact of training on turnover intentions and job performance. Research limitations/implications – The cross-sectional nature of the study does not allow causal inferences. Therefore, future studies should adopt longitudinal designs. Practical implications – Management should be careful in planning and providing organizational resources to frontline employees to enhance their perception of P-J fit. Also investing in the recruitment and selection of customer-oriented frontline employees would be a prudent course of action. Originality/value – Empirical research in the banking services literature pertaining to the mediating role of P-J fit is scarce. There is also a lack of research regarding the interaction between personal and organizational resources resulting in complementary or supplementary effects on frontline employees’ fit perceptions. This study fills in the void in both areas.

This qualitative study aims to gain a deepened understanding of talent acquisition in small finance companies' selection processes by focusing on person-job and person-organization fit. Talent acquisition is defined as hiring quality candidates that meet the organization's needs (Mathis et al., 2016). It is crucial to hire the right candidates since the organization is less likely to succeed without qualified employees (Mathis et al., 2016). This study focuses on two aspects of person-environment fit: person-job fit and person-organization fit. Ensuring these aspects can lead to successful employment (Sekiguchi, 2004). Person-job fit evaluates three factors, knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA), and how they match the job task (Carless, 2005). Person-organization also evaluates three factors, attraction-selection-attrition, and how they match the employees' values and the organization's values and needs (Verquer et al., 2002).  The empirical data is based on semi-structured interviews with six small finance companies, where we gained a deepened understanding of their employee selection process. We connect previous research to our empirical data to gain a deepened understanding of how small finance companies can acquire talented candidates by ensuring person-job fit and person-organization fit. We used a thematic analysis to code our empirical data and draw conclusions from it.  This study has shown that knowledge is not as accounted for as previous research claims. Small finance companies consider a candidate’s skills and abilities more. Skills are assessed by job-related tests that show how fast and at what level the candidate will be able to perform. Ability is the most critical factor that small finance companies consider. If the candidate shows dedication and an entrepreneurial mindset, it indicates that the candidate possesses certain traits that the small finance companies desire. Attraction is whether the candidate and the organization share the same values and small finance companies can tailor-make roles to attract talented candidates. Selecting talent in small finance companies depends on the candidate's ability to fit into the group dynamic rather than fitting into the organization’s culture. The candidate and the organization’s expectations of attrition must match. However, it is up to the small finance companies to keep their employees satisfied.

The purpose of the study is to discuss the Engineer¡¦s working Passion and detects the inner meaning by way of inquiring senior engineering managers firstly. In this research, the inner meanings are applied to developing the framework and questionary. The inquiry result is that working passion¡¦s sources affect working passion¡¦s behaviors, and working passion behaviors bring working passion effect. In this study, working passion source is defined as independent variable, working passion effect is defined as dependent variable, and working passion behavior is defined as a mediator. Furthermore, person-organization fit and person-job fit are defined as interfered variables. The thesis adopted questionnaire survey and target on R&D dept. engineers in Taiwan high-technology industry. 388 copies of the 450 questionnaires issued are returned, among which 369 copies are valid. The data were analyzed by reliability analysis, factor analysis, one-way ANOVA, hierarchical regression and Canonical correlation analysis to discuss the relationships. The findings of the study are as follows. (1) A positive relationship between the working passion sources and the working passion effects. (2) A positive relationship between the working passion behaviors and the working passion effects. (3) Working passion behaviors mediate the relationship between the working passion sources and the working passion effects. (4) Person-organization fit and person-job fit interfere in each other variables. The more person-organization fit, the more motivation and leadership result in working passion behaviors. The more person-job fit, the more leadership and team birr bring working passion behaviors.

In the field of organizational behavior, it has been a long-range debate whether personality attributes or situations impact individuals¡¦ behavior more significantly. Actually, person and work environment both can not be ignored, researcher have noticed the concept of person-environment (P-E) fit proved to influence various work outcomes significantly. Furthermore, there is an emerging issue about common method variance (CMV) in the field of fit researches. As a result, this research intends to develop four Q-sort profiles to apply Q-methodology for measuring P-O, P-J, P-S as well as P-G fit such that the bias of common method variance can be reduced. We proposed five research objectives in this research: (1) to develop four valid and manageable Q-sort profiles as indirect measures of P-O, P-J, P-G, and P-S fit; (2) to test the correlation between direct and indirect measures of P-E fit such that the criterion-related validity of the four Q-sort profiles can be verified; (3) to test the individual relationships between four main types of P-E fit and their outcome criteria so as to verify the criterion-related validity; (4) to understand the overall and relative impacts of four types of P-E fit on their outcomes; (5) to manifest the most desirable and undesirable organizational culture, job contents, supervisor leadership behaviors, and workgroup characteristics of employees in Taiwan. Thus, the four Q-sort profiles (i.e., condensed OCP, Job Characteristics Profile, Supervisor Leadership Profile, and Workgroup Characteristics Profile) have been developed, and validated by two categories of criteria (i.e. direct measures and work0related outcomes). Despite that the correlation between indirect and direct measures of P-E fit is not significant, indirect measure of P-O, P-J, P-G, and P-S fit are significantly correlated with at least three work-related outcomes. Next, we test our hypotheses with a regression analysis, and the result reveals that P-O and P-S fit have strong impacts on their work-related outcomes, but the impacts of P-J and P-G fit are not salient. Finally, we present the preferences of employees in Taiwan through their own rankings.