Person–Environment Fit and Creative Behavior: Differential Impacts of Supplies–Values and Demands–Abilities Versions of Fit

Abstract

Numerous studies that have demonstrated interaction effects between individual and contextual factors suggest the potential positive effect of congruent personal and environmental characteristics on creativity. None of the prior studies, however, has explicitly and systematically tested the formal theory of person–environment fit in the context of creativity. This study examined the effects of two versions of person–environment fit (supplies–values and demands–abilities fit) on creative behavior and context satisfaction. The results, based on longitudinal data collected from management students and their instructors, showed that creative behavior was almost exclusively predicted by personal characteristics (desire for creative climate, actual creative abilities), whereas context satisfaction was strongly influenced by environmental characteristics (current creative climate, required creative abilities). The present results indicate a potential division of roles between personal and environmental characteristics with respect to affective and behavioral outcomes. Implications for research and practice are discussed.