Environment Fit Research Articles

Cultural congruity and academic confidence of American Indian graduate students in STEM: Peer interactions, mentor cultural support, and university environment fit.

Cultural congruity and academic confidence of American Indian graduate students in STEM: Peer interactions, mentor cultural support, and university environment fit.

Employee Engagement is the Key: Its Mediating Role between Person–Environment Fit and Organizational Commitment among Filipino Employees

Employee engagement has been a popular topic in human resources management and development for several years now. However, the majority of the information on this construct came from the perspective of other cultures, and scientific research-based literature conducted on the engaging behavior of Filipinos, most notably on the antecedents and consequences, is limited. Thus, this study aimed to examine P–E fit and organizational commitment as an antecedent and the consequence of employee engagement, respectively. Similarly, the mediating function of employee engagement on the association of P–E fit with organizational commitment was explored. A total of 1252 employees from different Filipino-owned companies participated in the study through opportunity sampling. They answered three survey questionnaires that measure P–E fit, engagement, and organizational commitment. Results of the study revealed that P–E fit and organizational commitment are an antecedent and outcome of employee engagement, respectively. Findings further revealed that employee engagement mediates the connection between P–E fit and organizational commitment.

Examining technostress and its impact on worker well-being in the digital gig economy

PurposeOnline labour markets (OLMs) have recently become a widespread phenomenon of digital work. While the implications of OLMs on worker well-being are hotly debated, little empirical research examines the impact of such work on individuals. The highly competitive and fast-paced nature of OLMs compels workers to multitask and to perform intense technology-enabled work, which can potentially enhance technostress. This paper examines the antecedents and well-being consequences of technostress arising from work in OLMs.Design/methodology/approachThe authors draw from person–environment fit theory and job characteristics theory and test a research model of the antecedents and consequences of worker technostress in OLMs. Data were gathered from 366 workers in a popular OLM through a large-scale online survey. Structural equation modelling was used to evaluate the research model.FindingsThe findings extend existing research by validating the relationships between specific OLM characteristics and strain. Contrary to previous literature, the results indicate a link between technology complexity and work overload in OLMs. Furthermore, in OLMs, feedback is positively associated with work overload and job insecurity, while strain directly influences workers' negative affective well-being and discontinuous intention.Originality/valueThis study contributes to technostress literature by developing and testing a research model relevant to a new form of work conducted through OLMs. The authors expand the current research on technostress by integrating job characteristics as new antecedents to technostress and demonstrating its impact on different types of subjective well-being and discontinuous intention. In addition, while examining the impact of technostressors on outcomes, the authors consider their impact at the individual level (disaggregated approach) to capture the subtlety involved in understanding technostressors' unique relationships with outcomes.

Employees' in-role and extra-role information security behaviors from the P-E fit perspective

Organizations are increasingly seeking ways to encourage employee in-role and extra-role information security (InfoSec) behaviors for enhancing organizational InfoSec. One important consideration is the InfoSec congruence between the person and the organizational environment. Accordingly, drawing on person–environment (P–E) fit theory, we conducted an empirical investigation that examined (1) the effect of key components in organizational InfoSec management practice on InfoSec value P–E fit, and (2) the role of InfoSec value P–E fit on employees’ InfoSec in-role and extra-role behaviors in the organization. The results suggest that three practices—InfoSec policies; security education, training, and awareness programs; and computer monitoring—cultivate InfoSec value P–E fit, leading to an increase in employees’ InfoSec in-role and extra-role behaviors.

Empowering and directive leadership and taking charge: a moderating role of employee intrinsic motivation

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the associations among different leadership styles and employees' taking charge. Applying Person–Environment (P-E) fit theory, the current study further explores employees' intrinsic motivation as an important individual factor that possibly moderates the hypothesized relationships.Design/methodology/approachIn this field study, 212 supervisor–employee matched multi-source data were collected from multiple organizations located in South Korea. Data were analyzed with multiple hierarchical regression.FindingsEmpowering leadership is positively related to employees' taking charge, whereas directive leadership is negatively associated with it. Results of the current study further support that intrinsically motivated employees exhibit more taking charge when their leader shows empowering leadership but reduce their taking charge when their leader demonstrates directive leadership.Research limitations/implicationsThe current empirical results could not infer causality due to a cross-sectional research design.Practical implicationsOrganizations should develop and embrace empowering leadership if the employees' self-started and change-oriented behavior, taking charge, is particularly critical to fostering organizational effectiveness.Originality/valueThis study extends the literature on leadership and employee proactivity by examining different leadership styles as predictors of employees' taking charge. Based on the current study results, empowering leadership could work as a facilitator and directive leadership as a barrier to employees' taking charge.

How Can Managers Promote Employee Sustainability? A Study on the Impact of Servant Leadership on Emotional Labor

How managers can promote sustainability among their employees has become an important research issue in the field of organizations. Based on the theory of person–environment fit and social learning, the internal mechanism and the conditions of servant leadership on the two dimensions of emotional labor of the epidemic situation were studied through the analysis of the questionnaire data at two time points. The study revealed that the adoption of servant leadership by managers can have a positive impact on employee well-being and deep acting in the context of COVID-19, and this is critically important for the sustainable development of employees. Employee well-being is positively correlated with deep acting and negatively correlated with surface acting. Employee well-being plays a mediating role between servant leadership and the two dimensions of emotional labor. Perceived organizational support plays a moderating role between servant leadership and surface acting. The research findings can serve as a reference for enterprises to take measures in mitigating the adverse impact of COVID-19. Moreover, they provide new insights for managers to facilitate the sustainable development of their employees.

The effect of entrepreneurial intentions on depression: the mediating role of job insecurity and moderating roles of person vocation fit, and entrepreneurial leadership in the longitudinal study

PurposeThe understanding regarding the impact of entrepreneurial intentions on the job insecurity and depression is limited in the longitudinal settings, organizations need to know which factors can be added to decrease the psychological and career issues of visiting or contract employees. Thus, this research aims to investigate the person vocation fit and entrepreneurial leadership as a moderator in the relation of entrepreneurial intentions, job insecurity and depression in within- and between-person level with the time of 4 months' time lag.Design/methodology/approachThe data was gathered by using survey method from visiting faculty of universities located in Punjab, in the longitudinal design of 4-wave months and M.plus software was used to do the mediation and moderation analysis.FindingsResults revealed that job insecurity mediated the entrepreneurial intentions and depression, the person vocation fit and entrepreneurial leadership moderated the entrepreneurial intentions and job insecurity link in the following month.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper contributes in the literature of entrepreneurship and career management, by considering the role of person vocation fit and entrepreneurial leadership in the organizations of emerging countries that have high unemployment rate and mental health issues. This paper provides nuanced understanding of how these two constructs have influenced the entrepreneurial intentions-job insecurity-depression within- and between-person level in the visiting or contract employees. Therefore, made strong contribution to the theory of person- environment fit, the entrepreneurial event theory and the contingency theory in the longitudinal data. In addition, to generalize the results, this theoretical framework should be tested in the other geographic area and industries.Practical implicationsThe findings give practitioners, e.g. managers, policy- makers and counselors, with an idea how to decrease the feelings of job insecurity and depression in visiting or contract employees. They can promote the culture of innovation by giving training of entrepreneurial leadership and hiring the employees who have person vocation fit, all of these factors can lead to enhance the positive organizational image in potential and existing employees as well as it will also decrease the unemployment issue in emerging countries.Originality/valueIn past, scholars focused on the consequences of job insecurity and its harms but none emphasized on the aspects of entrepreneurship regarding the visiting faculty of universities. Like how entrepreneurial intentions can gradually decrease the job insecurity and depression among them and how the strengthen of person vocation fit and entrepreneurial leadership role their play monthly in this regard.

Too smart to work hard? Investigating why overqualified employees engage in time theft behaviors

AbstractIntegrating the theory of workplace deviance with person–environment fit theory, we propose a two‐pathway model to explain why and how employees who feel overqualified engage in time theft behavior. Specifically, we anticipate that feeling overqualified will negatively influence focal employees' experienced authority fairness and erode their work meaningfulness, which in turn will lead to increased time theft behavior. Further, we argue that voice endorsement serves as a key boundary condition mitigating the negative effects of perceived overqualification. We conducted two multi‐waved and multi‐sourced field studies to test our proposed hypotheses. Study 1 (247 employees and 47 supervisors) revealed that perceived overqualification is associated with time theft behavior through the mediators of experienced authority fairness and meaningfulness. Study 2 (405 employees and 73 supervisors) replicated the findings of Study 1 and tested our full model. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of our findings.

The role of switching frequency, task variety and motivation in activity-based working: When does the switch fit?

Activity-Based Working (ABW) is an emergent trend in organizations. It concerns a nonterritorial type of workspace, where employees are supposed to switch between a variety of workstations tailored to fit their needs during their various work activities. Despite the potential benefits of ABW (e.g., space efficiency), outcomes for ABW office users (e.g., satisfaction with the workspace) are rather mixed. We argue that this may be due to the fact that research on ABW fails to take the psychological perspective into account when studying the situational and personal conditions which can help employees to make good use of the ABW offices. Based on person−environment fit theory and self-determination theory, we argue that employees who frequently switch workstations may experience a better fit between their needs and the workplaces ABW offers, thus reporting not only higher satisfaction with the workspace, but also higher performance, and higher work engagement. However, we expect these relations to be conditional upon the variety in employees’ work situation and their personal motivation to switch. The results of our study, based on a sample of 206 employees, supported a significant three-way interaction among switching frequency, task variety, and autonomous motivation to switch on perceived need−space fit and related outcomes. Based on our findings, we provide suggestions how organizations can efficiently modernize their buildings according to the ABW concept, for the benefit of employees and organizations alike.

A Case Study of Responsive Middle Grades Education in a Laboratory Middle School in the USA

This case study describes responsive approaches to middle grades education and teacher education at Laboratory Middle School (LMS), a subunit of the college of education in a public university in the southeastern USA. LMS was established with a mission to serve rural students who had experienced struggles in the regular school system and to serve as a clinical site for the preparation of middle grades teachers, counselors, and school nurses. Many students at LMS have faced challenges due to physical or cognitive exceptionalities or because of traumatic experiences. Thus, programs and practices in the school must respond to the developmental stage of the young adolescents whom it serves, as well as the many varied individual needs of the learners. The conceptual frame for the study is “responsiveness” as defined by seminal middle-level literature (e.g., This We Believe), and the theoretical underpinnings are constructed from theories of stage–environment fit and human ecology. The study employs a case study design and qualitative methods of data collection and analysis. The case report describes the LMS context and details manifestations of responsiveness at LMS organized in three categories: (a) culture and community; (b) curriculum, instruction, and assessment; and (c) leadership and organization. The authors offer four sets of implications for the design and delivery of responsive programming in middle-level schools: (a) a holistic approach to young adolescent education; (b) commitment to continuous improvement; (c) theoretical pragmatism in pedagogical practices, programs, and policies; and (d) engagement of preservice teachers in immersive field experiences.

Students with Difficulties Managing Vocational Education in High School: Identifying Intervention Areas Related to Self-Reported Student-Environment Fit and Mental Health

ABSTRACT Students in vocational programs have lower qualifications and more difficulties with successful entry into the labor market if they graduate without a diploma. The aim of this study was to describe the student – environment fit for high school students who are struggling with their studies in vocational programs, in terms of their perceived adjustment needs, and to describe planned interventions based on the students’ needs. The aim was also to investigate whether there was a relationship between students’ perceived adjustment needs and students’ self-reported mental health. The study included 25 students in six vocational programs at three different high schools in Sweden. The School Setting Interview was used to identify adjustment needs, and mental health problems were identified using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Results showed that students identified adjustment needs to increase their participation in several school activities, and that academic school activities had the most identified needs. Interventions related to planning and organizing were most common. Results also showed a correlation between self-perceived adjustment needs and mental health. By identifying students’ adjustment needs, the chances of succeeding with student-centered interventions are increased, which in turn can support educational achievement.

Transition of care from hospital to home for older people with chronic diseases: a qualitative study of older patients' and health care providers' perspectives.

Transitional care is a critical area of care delivery for older adults with chronic illnesses and complex health conditions. Older adults have high, ongoing care needs during the transition from hospital to home due to certain physical, psychological, social, and caregiving burdens, and in practice, patients' needs are not being met or are receiving transitional care services that are unequal and inconsistent with their actual needs, hindering their safe, healthy transition. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of older adults and health care providers, including older adults, about the transition of care from hospital to home for older patients in one region of China. To explore barriers and facilitators in the transition of care from hospital to home for older adults in China from the perspectives of older patients with chronic diseases and healthcare professionals. This was a qualitative study based on a semi-structured approach. Participants were recruited from November 2021 to October 2022 from a tertiary and community hospital. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. A total of 20 interviews were conducted with 10 patients and 9 medical caregivers, including two interviews with one patient. The older adult/adults patients included 4 men and 6 women with an age range of 63 to 89 years and a mean age of 74.3 ± 10.1 years. The medical caregivers included two general practitioners and seven nurses age range was 26 to 40 years with a mean age of 32.8 ± 4.6 years. Five themes were identified: (1) attitude and attributes; (2) better interpersonal relationships and communication between HCPs and patients; (3) improved Coordination of Healthcare Services Is Needed; (4) availability of resources and accessibility of services; and (5) policy and environment fit. These themes often serve as both barriers and facilitators to older adults' access to transitional care. Given the fragmentation of the health care system and the complexity of care needs, patient and family-centered care should be implemented. Establish interconnected electronic information support systems; develop navigator roles; and develop competent organizational leaders and appropriate reforms to better support patient transitions.

The Curvilinear Effects of Leader Public Service Motivation on Person–Supervisor Fit and Subordinate Emotional Exhaustion: Evidence From Field and Experimental Studies

Past research has shed important light on the dark side of individuals’ public service motivation (PSM) in relation to their own well-being. This study turns attention to the role of leader PSM and asks whether it could have a curvilinear relationship with subordinate emotional exhaustion. Drawing from the person–environment (P-E) fit perspective, this study proposes that this curvilinear relationship is mediated by perceptions of person–supervisor (PS) fit and moderated by subordinate PSM. The results from the field and two experimental vignette studies in Thailand provide support for the proposed hypotheses. In particular, higher levels of emotional exhaustion and lower levels of PS fit were observed at the low and high levels of leader PSM, whereas the moderate level of leader PSM was associated with lower emotional exhaustion and higher PS fit. The results from the experimental studies further indicate that individuals with high PSM, in comparison with those with low PSM, perceived higher PS fit with leaders who have moderate to high levels of PSM, in turn, experiencing less emotional exhaustion. These findings highlight the potential dark side of leader PSM, which lends further credence to the too-much-of-a-good-thing effect. Nevertheless, these effects also depend on employees’ PSM levels.

How life context affects entrepreneurs' passion and performance

This article examines the influence of the life context on entrepreneurial passion (EP) and performance. Drawing on the person–environment fit theory, we developed a model showing how the life context fit affects EP in the domains of founding, inventing, and developing and how this translates into performance. Using partial least squares structural equation modeling, we tested our hypotheses using a sample of 406 entrepreneurs from the cultural and creative industries. Due to the presence of unobserved heterogeneity in the overall sample, we conducted prediction-oriented segmentation, which revealed four segments in which life contexts exhibit not only positive but also adverse effects on EP. Our results showed that, in contrast to the extant literature, EP generates its overall effect on performance at the intersection of positively and negatively acting domains of founding, inventing, and developing. To explain the structural relations between the four segments, we conducted qualitative post hoc analyses to evaluate idiosyncratic data on passion and the life context and aligned our insights with the extant literature delineating four categories of entrepreneurs from the cultural and creative industries: artepreneurs, culturepreneurs, creative entrepreneurs, and lifestyle entrepreneurs. Our findings contribute to overcoming the dichotomy between passion as a personality trait and a dynamic construct and to understanding passion as an individual phenomenon with multiple sources that interacts with the proximal environment and that can impact entrepreneurial performance both positively and negatively. We extend the entrepreneurship and psychology literature, facilitating people's abilities to lead more entrepreneurial and passionate lives.

Advanced Practice Nurses' Organization Commitment: Impact of Job Environment, Job Satisfaction, and Person-Organization Fit

The demand for advanced practice nurses has increased globally due to a shortage of physicians and an increased demand for high-quality healthcare. Research is needed on the enhancement of advanced practice nurses' organization commitment. Organization commitment directly impacts the retention of advanced practice nurses. This study aims to identify the key factors affecting the organization commitment of advanced practice nurses. A cross-sectional survey was conducted at the largest hospital in South Korea. A total of 189 advanced practice nurses answered survey questions. A partial least squares-structural equation modeling method with a method was employed to analyze survey responses. A pay scale of advanced practice nurses is positively associated with person-organization fit. However, the effect of job location and computer self-efficacy on person-organization fit is not significant. Job satisfaction plays a salient direct role in supervision and person-organization fit. Job satisfaction is also a significant moderator in the relation between supervision and person-organization fit. Person-organization fit is significantly associated with both organization commitment and supervision. Supervision has a positive effect on organization commitment. Pay scale, job satisfaction, supervision, and person-organization-fit are significant factors affecting organization commitment. Establishing an intra-organization entity, such as APN steering committee, to ensure mutual consensus and transparent communication between administrators and advanced practice nurses would enhance person-organization fit, rating of supervision, and organization commitment.

Person–Environment Fit in Urban Neighbourhoods in Slovenia: Challenges and Coping Strategies

A poor person-environment fit may bring various negative effects to older people's independence and physical and psychological well-being. The presented study is especially valuable as it explores the challenges of living in cities in a country located in central and eastern Europe; namely, a less researched area when it comes to the quality of life of older people dwelling in an urban environment. The research questions that were explored are (1) what environmental pressures have people identified in the urban environment in Slovenia; and (2) what strategies have they used to deal with them? The study is based on 22 interviews with older people and three focus groups, that were then analysed using a thematic analysis approach. The study results identify a number of environmental pressures, which were divided into structural housing pressures, structural neighbourhood pressures, and formal and informal pressures. The analysis shows important behavioural responses, such as strategies of using formal and informal help, moving away from environmental pressures, mobility, actively involved in changing the environment, as well as attitudinal adaptation strategies, such as acceptance, resilience, using distraction, modesty and planning for the future. We further emphasize how these coping strategies are linked to individual and community capabilities, which function as a conversion factor.

Exploring Influential Factors in Hiring Freelancers in Online Labor Platforms: An Empirical Study

Sharing economy online labor platforms play a critical role in bringing together freelancers and potential employers. This research is one of the few studies to address how freelancers’ characteristics impact the likelihood of being hired by employers using the theory of person–environment fit as a broad framework. Using Freelancer data, this research investigates if country of residence (of a freelancer and the employer), amount earned, and time since registered on the platform, are associated with the employment decision. The results indicate that country of residence does matter. Freelancers who tend to be from the same country as the employers are more likely to be hired. Likewise, high-income freelancers are less likely to be hired. Further, being longer on the platform influences the association between income level and likelihood of being hired. Greater efforts should be made to eliminate the asymmetric information between freelancers and employers and to provide more opportunities for both parties. The operators of online labor platforms should be encouraged to display information about freelancers that relates to country of origin, along with reviews, ratings, and rates earned in the same skill category, which would have strategic implications for freelance entrepreneurs on how to leverage themselves on a shared-economy-based online labor platform.

A Person-Environment Fit Model to Explain Information and Communication Technologies-Enabled After-Hours Work-Related Interruptions in China.

Given the ubiquitous nature of mobile devices and information and communication technologies (ICT), after-hours work-related interruptions (AHWI) occur anywhere and anytime in China. In the current study, an alternative person-environment (P-E) fit model of ICT-enabled AHWI, hereafter referred to as IAWI, that treats polychronic variables as moderated solutions are presented. A cross-sectional survey among 277 Chinese employees (average age: 32.04 years) was conducted in September 2022 and tested by PLS-structural equation modeling to validate our hypotheses. The results indicated that IAWI had a positive influence on employees' innovative job performance and in-role job performance (β = 0.139, p < 0.05; β = 0.200, p < 0.01; β = 0.298, p < 0.001). Moreover, among employees with higher levels of polychronicity, the heightened effects of IAWI on innovative job performance were increased (β = 0.112, p < 0.05). This study offers implications for employees: under IAWI situations, they could search for a person-environment (P-E) that is fit to buffer the negative aspects of IAWI, consequently increasing their innovative job performance and in-role job performance. Future research could extend beyond this framework to explore employees' IAWI and job performance balance.

Workplace loneliness and job performance: moderating role of person-environment fit

PurposeThe purpose of this paper was to study the effect of workplace loneliness on job performance. This paper also examined the mediating role of employee well-being and psychological safety and the moderating role of person–environment fit (PE fit).Design/methodology/approachA multi-rated research design was used to collect data. Data were collected from 382 employees and their 97 supervisors of various Indian organizations. The data of job performance was collected from the supervisor of every team. The questionnaire for data collection was distributed at two different time intervals to reduce common method bias.FindingsThe findings of this paper supported the role of PE fit in minimizing the negative effect of workplace loneliness–well-being relationship and workplace loneliness and psychological safety relationship. The model also tested the association between workplace loneliness and job performance when the relationship is moderated by PE fit and mediated by well-being and psychological safety.Originality/valueThis paper examines the workplace loneliness from the lens of PE fit theory.

Academic Person-Environment Fit towards Sustainable Work-Life Balance and Reduced Turnover Intention Moderated by Job Opportunities

Retaining and maintaining adequate academic talents are the primary discourse topic among corporate executives and human resource specialists. Academic institutions are struggling to attract and retain top talents due to the increasing academic turnover in the educational field. Furthermore, lifestyle transformation has impacted the human resource environment, which focuses on developing alternative values, achieving work–life balance, and performing successful retention strategies. To achieve a sustainable work–life balance practice, the current study aims to examine the relationship between the academic human resource strategy and person–environment fit aspects mediated by sustainable work–life balance and moderated by external job opportunities. The theoretical foundations are the theory of work adjustment and social exchange theory. A cross-sectional research methodology was implemented to collect data from 466 participants through an online survey. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was subsequently conducted to analyse the collected data. The study results revealed that person-organisation fit and person-vocational fit significantly influenced employees’ turnover intention. Furthermore, sustainable work–life balance was not only significantly related employees’ turnover intention, but also significantly mediated the relationship between person–environment fit dimensions and employees’ turnover intention. The findings also discovered that job opportunities significantly moderated the association between sustainable work–life balance and turnover intention. Resultantly, the current study’s thorough retention strategy model could be highly beneficial to the human resource industry, decision-makers, and educational management in developing an effective recruitment and retention plan.