Investigating the Impact of Over Qualification on Employee Performance, Satisfaction and Employee Relations

Abstract

– In the contemporary job market, the phenomenon of overqualification has emerged as a prevalentissue with potential implications for both employees and organizations. Overqualification occurs whenindividuals possess qualifications, skills, or educational backgrounds that surpass the requirements of theircurrent job positions. This research aims to investigate the impact of overqualification on employeeperformance, job satisfaction, and interpersonal relations within the workplace. Employing a mixed-methodresearch design, this study collected data from a diverse sample of employees through quantitative surveysa confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using SPSS Amos to analyze data collected from employees in variousindustries and educational institutes. The quantitative analysis revealed a significant positive correlationbetween overqualification and employee performance, indicating that individuals who perceive themselvesas overqualified may experience good job performance. Additionally, overqualification was found to havea positive association with job satisfaction, as overqualified employees reported higher levels of overall jobsatisfaction compared to their adequately qualified counterparts. The qualitative findings complementedthe quantitative results by providing deeper insights into the emotional experiences of overqualifiedemployees, highlighting feelings of underutilization, frustration, and disengagement. Furthermore, theresearch indicated that overqualification can detrimentally impact interpersonal relations in the workplace,potentially leading to communication challenges and good relations among employees.