Work Characteristics and Employee Performance: Does Needs-Supply Congruence Matter?

Abstract

Drawing upon work characteristics theory (WCT) and person-environment (P-E) fit theory, the current study examines the congruence effects of employee work characteristics need and job supply on in-role performance and interpersonal citizenship behaviors. A sample of 261 working adults provided their perceptions of the task, knowledge, and social characteristics supplied by their jobs, along with their preferences for those characteristics. Immediate supervisors provided ratings of the employees’ in-role performance and interpersonal citizenship. Results indicate that employee in-role performance is maximized when task characteristics supply is congruent with task characteristics needs and when knowledge characteristics supply is congruent with knowledge characteristics needs. Results also indicate that interpersonal citizenship is maximized when social characteristic supply is congruent with social characteristics need. Additionally, social characteristics supply and social characteristics needs have comp...