A person-environment fit approach to environmental sustainability in the workplace

Abstract

In times of multiple environmental crises, considering environmental sustainability in the context of work and organizations is imperative. Although research suggests that environmental sustainability may offer benefits for organizations, the implications of environmental sustainability for employees’ job attitudes have been largely overlooked. Drawing on person-environment (P-E) fit theory, we examine the role of environmental employee characteristics and corresponding environmental work characteristics in shaping job attitudes, including job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and turnover intentions. We introduce environmental self-efficacy and values as environmental employee characteristics and environmental job demands, job autonomy, coworker support, supervisor support, and organizational climate as environmental work characteristics. In addition to analyzing direct effects of the interactions between environmental employee characteristics and environmental work characteristics on job attitudes, we also examine indirect relationships via five types of perceived environmental P-E fit (i.e., environmental demands-abilities, needs-supplies, person-team, person-supervisor, and person-organization fit). A sample of 2265 employees in Germany participated in a three-wave panel study across two months. Results of structural equation modeling showed that interactions between environmental employee characteristics and environmental work characteristics were significantly related to job attitudes. Specifically, combinations of high levels of environmental employee characteristics and corresponding environmental work characteristics were associated with higher job satisfaction, higher organizational commitment, and lower turnover intentions. These associations were partly mediated by perceived environmental P-E fit. The findings suggest that organizations should maximize environmental P-E fit to foster favorable job attitudes of those employees motivated to, and capable of, protecting the environment.