Matching individuals and organizations: evidence from the Greek public sector

Abstract

PurposeRealizing the importance of value congruence between employees and organizations, the purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of person‐organization (P‐O) fit on employee behavior through the exit, voice, loyalty, and neglect typology within the Greek public sector. Furthermore, it tests the mediating role of job satisfaction on these relationships.Design/methodology/approachThe study took place in all three public hospitals located in a major Greek city, where 125 usable questionnaires are gathered. The statistical analyses include descriptive statistics and stepwise regression analyses.FindingsEvidence from the private sector in the field of P‐O is transferable, at least to some extent, to the public sector, as the level of P‐O fit increases loyalty and reduces neglect. However, job satisfaction mediates the relationship only between P‐O fit and loyalty.Practical implicationsIn an era that a major goal for both private and public organizations is to maximize performance ensuring a compatible workforce is an imperative. It is thus highly important that human resource management policies and practices are decentralized, to allow public organizations meet economic and social challenges.Originality/valueThe added value of the present paper lies in the fact that the factors related to the setting and the individual are decisive for the impact that P‐O fit has on employee responses.