Person-vocation and same organization bridge employment intention: Testing the mediating and moderating roles of person-organization fit

Abstract

BACKGROUND: During the last decades, much research has been accomplished on the antecedents of bridge employment. Nevertheless, there is limited investigation into the influence of person-environment fit levels on retirement intentions. OBJECTIVE: This study’s purpose was to examine the interactive effect of person-environment fit levels on the intention to pursue bridge employment. More specifically, the authors investigated the mediator and moderator roles of person-organization fit on the relationship between person-vocation fit and the intention to pursue bridge employment within the same organization. METHODS: Data from 246 older executives working in the French banking sector were used to test the hypotheses. RESULTS: The results indicated the existence of a positive and significant relationship between person-vocation fit and the intention to pursue bridge employment within the same organization. Further, the findings confirmed the mediating and moderating roles of person-organization fit on this relationship. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study have theoretically and empirically extended person-environment fit theory, continuity, and role theories to shed light on the underlying mechanisms through which person-vocation fit impact bridge employment intention. The findings of this study can be used by career counsellors and managers to design more effective actions to retain older workers.