Environment Fit Research Articles

An Exploration of the Relationship Between Autonomy Congruence, Perceived Supervisor Individualized Consideration, and Employee Outcomes

Human resource practices requiring employee participation or involvement in work-related decision-making have been commonly believed to be beneficial to work outcomes; however, we suggest that the effects of those practices on work outcomes can be limited by individual preferences, which influence the perceived quality of supervision. Drawing upon prior research on work structure, person–environment (P-E) fit perspective, and perceived organizational support, we examine the joint effects of autonomy and preference for autonomy on employee work outcomes (task performance and organizational citizenship behaviors) that are mediated via perceived supervision (individualized consideration) among U.S. state government employees. The results showed that the congruence between autonomy and preference for autonomy was associated with the highest level of perceived individualized consideration by supervisors, highlighting the important role played by perceptions of the supervisor behavior in promoting employees’ positive attitudes at work.

Older workers: Past, present and future

In this article, we focus on the ever-growing numbers of older workers and considerations for workplace practices and policies that make the most from the qualities older workers bring. To begin, we explore the socio-political context examining employment trends for older workers and highlight policies and trends that inform workforce planning. We then extend the discussion of older workers from the perspective of person–environment (P-E) fit, entrepreneurship, resilience and cognitive functioning. Each of these perspectives have received increased research and practitioner attention over the past two decades. They present opportunities to increase our understanding of older people in a workplace context and how to support older workers in a socio-political environment focused on career longevity. We argue that a new national strategy is needed to guide future initiatives and policy development. We propose future research directions and practitioner intervention prospects. JEL Classification: M54

An ethnobotany of Kakheti and Kvemo Kartli, Sakartvelo (Republic of Georgia), Caucasus

Background: Kahketi and Kvemo Kartli are historical provinces of Georgia located on the south-facing macro-slope of the eastern part of the Greater Caucasus (Kahketi) and east of the Lesser Caucasus (Kvemo Kartli). In this study we documented traditional plant use in Kakheti and Kvemo Kartli.Methods: Fieldwork was conducted in August-November 2018. Interviews using semi-structured questionnaires were conducted with 40 participants (26 women and 14 men), with oral prior informed consent.Results: We encountered 215 plant species belonging to 157 genera of 114 vascular plant families, and 3 fungal species and 5 undetermined fungi of at least 5 genera, belonging to at least 3 fungal families being used in the research region. Of these 114 vascular species were exclusively wild collected, 88 were grown in homegardens, and 18 were both grown in gardens and collected in the wild. Plants and their uses mostly overlapped among the areas within the region, with a slightly wider divergence in uses than in plants. The environmental fit analysis showed that a large degree of this variation was explained by differences among participant communities. The elevation of the participant community significantly fit the ordination in plant-space and explained a large degree of the variation in plant species reported but not in use-space. Gender was not significant in plant-space but was important in use space.Conclusions: The lack of forest plant use, and both forest and garden plant-use knowledge in Kakheti and Kvemo-Kartli might be traced to the fact that both regions are close to large markets in the region, which make it less necessary to grow or forage many species. In addition, Kahketi is easily one of the most fertile regions in Georgia, with a very short winter and there is essentially no need for foraging wild species e.g. for Phkhali. Lagodekhi, with its almost subtropical climate, is an extreme example of that, with almost no recorded forest plant use.Key words: Caucasus, ethnobotany, plant use, traditional knowledge, post-soviet development

Successful aging at work: A process model to guide future research and practice

AbstractAlthough aging workforces result in numerous practical challenges for organizations and societies, little research has focused on successful aging at work. The limited existent research has generated rather diverse conceptualizations of successful aging at work, which are often broad and difficult to operationalize in practice. Therefore, to advance research and practice, we offer a specific and practical conceptualization of successful aging at work by developing a process model, which identifies relevant antecedents and mechanisms. In particular, we define successful aging at work as the proactive maintenance of, or adaptive recovery (after decline) to, high levels of abilityandmotivation to continue working among older workers. We also argue that proactive efforts to maintain, or adaptive efforts to recover and restore, high ability and motivation to continue working result from a self-regulation process that involves goal engagement and disengagement strategies to maintain, adjust, and restore person–environment fit. Further, we propose that at various levels (i.e., person, job, work group, organization, and society) more distal factors function as antecedents of this self-regulation process, with age-related bias and discrimination potentially operating at each level. Finally, we offer a roadmap for future research and practical applications.

Exploring Links between Polychronicity and Job Performance from the Person–Environment Fit Perspective—The Mediating Role of Well-Being

Polychronicity refers to the preference of some individuals to structure their time in order to deal with multiple tasks simultaneously in a short period of time. Past research regarding the correlation between individual polychronicity and performance presented distinct arguments. Although most studies supported a positive correlation with performance, empirical findings showed inconsistent results, indicating the presence of other influencing factors. According to the person–environment fit theory and self-determination theory, the effect of polychronicity on job performance was verified and the mediation effect of well-being was tested in this study. Dual-mode questionnaires were collected from 532 subordinators and their direct supervisors in 98 chain restaurants and hierarchical regression analysis was performed to test the research hypotheses. The results showed that polychronicity positively affected well-being, that is, well-being was a full mediator between polychronicity and job performance. This study provides valuable insight for managers to understand employee polychronicity and, in turn, improve their well-being, which could help improve job performance.

Toward a Better "Person-Environment Fit" through Items Calibration of the SIS-C.

The Supports Intensity Scale–Children’s Version (SIS-C) is the only available tool to assess extraordinary support needs for children and adolescents with intellectual disability. In past years, several works have proclaimed the need for its ongoing improvement as a measurement instrument. To contribute to this line of research, the goal of this work is to analyze the reliability of the SIS-C and its usefulness to distinguish between different levels of intensity of support needs. To address this, 814 children and adolescents with intellectual disability (M = 11.13 years; SD = 3.41) were assessed using the SIS-C Spanish version. Item response theory analyses were conducted to estimate latent scores and assess measurement quality along the support needs continuum. The SIS-C items showed good overall discrimination and information values, and none showed problems that required their removal or modification. However, all the scales composing the SIS-C showed problems in discerning high levels of intensity of support needs, especially for children and adolescents with severe/profound intellectual disability. This ceiling effect may be an obstacle for both research and practice involving the SIS-C. Implications for research and practice are discussed, and future lines of research for improving the SIS-C are provided.

Working in sheltered employment: A weekly diary study.

This study examined the work outcomes of 81 individuals with a physical, cognitive, or psychological disability who worked at a sheltered workshop and filled out a total of 309 weekly questionnaires on 4 or 5 consecutive weeks. In line with the job demands-resources model, multilevel analyses showed that exhaustion was higher as participants experienced more physical demands and higher work load. Work engagement was higher as participants experienced more support and higher autonomy at work. Self-rated productivity was higher as participants experienced higher autonomy, higher work load, and lower mental demands. In addition, week-specific variations in work load contributed to these work outcomes: Weeks with relatively high work load resulted in high work engagement, high exhaustion, and high productivity. Moreover, in line with the person- environment fit theory, a good person-job fit was related to lower exhaustion and to higher work engagement. It is concluded that a good match between the job and the individual's abilities and needs with regard to job demands and job resources will benefit both the productivity and well-being of individuals with a work handicap. In addition, it is concluded that both the job demands-resources model and the person- environment fit theory are well applicable to disabled individuals in sheltered workshops, which contributes to the robustness of both theories.

Risk indicators for depression in aged care: The contribution of a meaningful life, mastery and environmental fit.

Depression is a pernicious, growing problem in the aged care population. Knowledge about the risk factors for depression focuses on unchangeable, medical factors; therefore, a deeper, systematic understanding of modifiable psychological risk indicators is needed. This secondary analysis used data from an observational cohort study (T1, n=147; T2, n=81) of adults aged ≥65years recruited from 15 aged care facilities in Melbourne, Australia. Meaningful existence, mastery, social support and person-environment fit were investigated as risk indicators. Generalised estimating equation analysis identified that changes in meaningful existence (b=-0.06, P<.05), mastery (b=-0.05, P<.05) and person-environment fit (b=-0.02, P<.05) were significantly associated with change in depression score. These remained significant controlling for socio-demographic variables, cognitive impairment and functional impairment. Because these psychological risk factors-meaningful existence, mastery and person-environment fit-are suitable therapeutic targets, they are well positioned to inform prevention and intervention programs.

Developing, validating and testing a ward environment assessment tool.

To develop, validate and test a ward environment assessment tool (WEAT) for post-occupancy evaluation of hospital wards from the perspectives of ward nurses, using Person-Environment fit theory. It is argued that as the needs and expectations of various user groups of healthcare facilities would vary, so would the tools to measure the suitability of the architectural design features of these healing environments for different groups of users. However, a review of relevant literature revealed that there is a dearth of assessment tools to appraise the adequacy of healthcare facilities for nursing staff. Extant literature was reviewed to construct WEAT. Twenty ward nurses were interviewed to obtain user perspectives on the ward environment. Post-occupancy evaluation of three hospital wards was undertaken to validate and test WEAT. WEAT: A new post-occupancy evaluation tool was created. WEAT measures the impacts of ward environment on nurses in four personal constructs; namely physical, cognitive, sensory and universal. WEAT is an innovative management decision-making tool for ward managers, who may use its results to argue for workspace redesign with facilities managers, explore job readjustments with occupational health nurses and review job description with human resource managers.

Birds of a feather flock together: How congruence between worker and occupational personality relates to job satisfaction over time

Person–environment fit (P–E fit) and job satisfaction are key constructs in vocational and organizational research. Research established that they are positively related, but little is known about how they relate over time. We analyzed P–E fit as the congruence between the Big Five personality traits of a worker and of all job incumbents in the same occupation, and how this congruence relates to job satisfaction over time. Analyses were based on 7049 participants from the German Socio-Economic Panel from 2005, 2009, and 2013. We used latent change score modeling to assess changes in congruence and job satisfaction over eight years, and further created 3D response surface plots based on polynomial regression to investigate nonlinear relations between each Big Five trait and job satisfaction. Change in P–E fit was not related to simultaneous change in job satisfaction and did not predict subsequent change in job satisfaction. The surface analyses indicated that a worker's and an occupation's personality are primarily independently relevant for the level of job satisfaction and that effects differ for different personality traits.

Evidence-based support for autistic people across the lifespan: maximising potential, minimising barriers, and optimising the person-environment fit.

Autism is both a medical condition that gives rise to disability and an example of human variation that is characterised by neurological and cognitive differences. The goal of evidence-based intervention and support is to alleviate distress, improve adaptation, and promote wellbeing. Support should be collaborative, with autistic individuals, families, and service providers taking a shared decision-making approach to maximise the individual's potential, minimise barriers, and optimise the person-environment fit. Comprehensive, naturalistic early intervention with active caregiver involvement can facilitate early social communication, adaptive functioning, and cognitive development; targeted intervention can help to enhance social skills and aspects of cognition. Augmentative and alternative communication interventions show preliminary evidence of benefit in minimising communication barriers. Co-occurring health issues, such as epilepsy and other neurodevelopmental disorders, sleep problems, and mental health challenges, should be treated in a timely fashion. The creation of autism-friendly contexts is best achieved by supporting families, reducing stigma, enhancing peer understanding, promoting inclusion in education, the community, and at work, and through advocacy.

The Ecology of Emergency Management Work in the Digital Age

Abstract This research uses an abductive research strategy and person–environment (P–E) fit as a frame to understand: (1) how digital technologies have transformed emergency managerial work; and (2) managers’ cognitive, affective, and behavioral responses to these structural and organizational transformations. Interviews of county-level emergency managers in the United States reveal that pervasive computing environments have resulted in intensification of interchanges and new patterns of relationships with public, public officials, and other agencies that have changed the power balance between the public and emergency managers. We uncover points of tension between managers’ personal attributes and their organizational and broader environmental conditions. We articulate two mechanisms, optimization and passive adaptation, by which emergency managers and their immediate and broader socio-cultural and political environments interact to influence psychological and behavioral outcomes. On the one hand, role ambiguity, role conflict, and diminished agency indicate passive adaptation to structural transformation. On the other, predictive uses of technology, novel organizational routines, and new collaborative relationships suggest managers’ efforts at optimization. We develop a social ecological framework for P–E fit that elucidates the contextual factors most relevant to understanding public managerial responses to technological change and links antecedent conditions to the processes and outcomes of P–E incongruence.

Towards positive institutions: Positive practices and employees’ experiences in higher education institutions

Orientation: Positive organisational functioning is a paradox. Both positive and negative tendencies could enable positive functioning. While an overemphasis on either the positive or the negative aspect is dysfunctional, positive factors must be given extra emphasis for positivity to occur because negativity usually dominates. Research purpose: This study aimed to investigate how positive organisational practices relate to job demands and resources, person–environment fit and well-being. Motivation for the study: Work in organisations and experiences thereof are not always positive. However, focussing on positive practices even when the context and experiences thereof are negative might facilitate positive functioning of individuals and their institutions. Research approach/design and method: A cross-sectional survey design was used with a convenience sample of 339 academic employees from three higher education institutions in South Africa. The Positive Practices Questionnaire, the Job Demands–Resources Scale, two perceived person–environment fit scales and the Flourishing-at-Work Scale – Short Form were administered. Main findings: Results from latent profile analyses provided evidence of four latent profiles. Analysis showed that a perceived lack of positive practices in institutions was associated with perceptions of overload, lack of role clarity, poor supervisor and co-worker relationships, lack of person–environment fit, and reduced emotional, psychological and social well-being. Practical/managerial implications: Interventions should be employed by leaders to address positive practices in higher education institutions. Contribution/value-add: This study contributes to scientific knowledge regarding the relations between positive organisational practices and experiences of job demands and resources, person–environment fit and well-being of academics.

Formal mentoring support, person–environment fit and newcomer's intention to leave

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate how and why formal mentoring support reduces newcomers' intention to leave from the perspective of uncertainty reduction theory.Design/methodology/approachTime-lagged data were collected from two sources, mentors and newcomers, and 193 paired data sets were included in the analysis.FindingsThe results showed that formal mentoring support was positively related to newcomers' person–organisation fit (P–O fit) and person–job fit (P–J fit). In addition, P–O fit and P–J fit mediated the relationship between formal mentoring support and newcomers' intention to leave. Moreover, newcomers' uncertainty avoidance orientation strengthened the relationship between formal mentoring support and perception of fit, and it strengthened the indirect effect between formal mentoring support and newcomer's intention to leave, via the perception of fit.Originality/valueThis study enhances our understanding of the underlying mechanism between formal mentoring support and newcomers' intention to leave. Moreover, it demonstrates that uncertainty avoidance orientation is an important boundary condition during the process of organisational socialisation. The findings also contribute to the organisational socialisation and the mentoring literature by providing evidence from a blue-collar sample.

Big Data Analytics Usage and Business Performance: Integrating the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Task Technology Fit (TTF) Model

The purpose of this study is to propose a unified model integrating both the technology acceptance model (TAM) and task technology fit (TTF) model, and explore the organizational and environmental fit of the integrated model in order to investigate usage of Big Data Analytics and its effect on business performance. A questionnaire was used to collect data from 280 companies in CPG &amp; Retail, Healthcare, Banking and Telecom in India. The data were analysed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Further, structural equation modelling was used to test the proposed model. The findings show that the research model for integrating the TAM for adoption and TTF model for utility provides a more comprehensive understanding of Big Data Analytics usage. The study identified task technology fit , individual technology fit, organizational data fit, organizational process fit, and business strategy fit as Tidd important variables for affecting Big Data Analytics usage using perceived ease of use (PEOU) and perceived usefulness (PU) as mediating variables. Competitive fit and partner support/customer fit were also found to be directly affecting Big Data Analytics usage, which in turn has significant influence on business performance. The model explained 71.4 percent of Business performance. The integrated model may be used as a guideline to ensure a positive outcome of Big Data Analytics usage in organizations. This study combined both the key ideas of TAM and TTF to show that they were necessary in predicting Big Data Analytics usage and business performance.

Tour member fit and tour member–leader fit on group package tours: Influences on tourists’ positive emotions, rapport, and satisfaction

Person–environment fit is a mature construct that has been applied in certain academic disciplines; however, it has rarely been applied to the tourism industry. This research examined how tour member fit and tour member–leader fit perceptions in a group package tour affect tourists' positive emotions, tour rapport, and satisfaction. Purposive sampling was conducted, and 482 valid questionnaires were obtained. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results indicated that tour member fit and tour member–leader fit were positively related to tourists' positive emotions and tour rapport. Furthermore, tourists' positive emotions positively affected tour rapport, and tour rapport positively affected tourist satisfaction. This study's contribution is that it incorporates person–environment fit theory into the tourism literature. Moreover, it extends the literature on fit by quantifying associations between group member fit and tourists' positive emotions, rapport, and satisfaction in tourism settings. The findings provide practical information for travel agencies and tour leaders.

What is responsible for the psychological capital-job performance relationship? An examination of the role of informal learning and person-environment fit

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to advance our understanding of how psychological capital (PsyCap) influences job performance. The authors do so through adopting a moderated mediation framework. Specifically, the authors investigate the mediation role of informal learning in the PsyCap–job performance relationship and the moderating role of person–environment fit, i.e. the extent to which individual and organizational characteristics are compatible, in influencing the mediation.Design/methodology/approachThe final sample consisted of 221 employees and their supervisors in South Korea.FindingsThe authors found that PsyCap had an indirect effect on job performance through informal learning. Moreover, the indirect effect of PsyCap on job performance through informal learning became stronger with low levels of person–organization (PO) and person–job (PJ) fit.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors cannot completely rule out the effects of common method bias due to the cross-sectional research design.Practical implicationsThe results reinforce the need for managers to understand employees’ level of PsyCap and take actions to enhance it because PsyCap can affect the extent to which individuals engage in informal learning, which in turn influences their job performance.Originality/valueThis paper adds to our understanding of the mechanisms and boundary conditions responsible for the PsyCap–job performance relationship. The authors found that informal learning operates as a mediator and both PO and PJ fit moderate the PsyCap–job performance relationship.

Greater fit and a greater gap

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to understand how national institutional environments contribute to differences in life satisfaction between entrepreneurs and employees.Design/methodology/approachLeveraging person–environment fit and institutional theories and using a sample of more than 70,000 entrepreneurs and employees from 43 countries, the study investigates how the impact of entrepreneurial activity on life satisfaction differs in various environmental contexts. An entrepreneur’s life satisfaction arguably should increase when a high degree of compatibility or fit exists between his or her choice to be an entrepreneur and the informal and formal institutional environment.FindingsThe study finds that differences in life satisfaction between entrepreneurs and employees are larger in countries with high power distance, low uncertainty avoidance, extant entrepreneurship policies, low commercial profit taxes and low worker rights.Originality/valueThis study sheds new light on how entrepreneurial activity affects life satisfaction, contingent on the informal and formal institutions in a country that support entrepreneurship by its residents.

An Assessment of the Influence of Working Environment on Service Delivery in the Public Health Sector in Nyeri County, Kenya

Globally, the health sector is an area that any government must focus on since health is a right of every human being. Kenya particularly initiated the idea of devolution and the Big Four Agenda to ensure service delivery to citizens was achieved. Nevertheless, the situation in the public health sector has been encountering challenges due to dissatisfaction of personnel culminating in strikes. The objective of this study was to explore the effect of the working environment on service delivery in the health sector in Nyeri County, Kenya. The study was guided by the person–environment fit theory. The descriptive cross-sectional research design was used. The target population was derived from public hospitals in Nyeri County. Proportionate stratified random sampling was utilized, where 141 respondents were targeted, comprising doctors, clinical officers, and nurses. Data was collected using a closedended questionnaire. A pilot study was conducted at Mukurwe-ini Hospital to enhance the validity and reliability of the data-collection instrument. A Cronbach alpha coefficient of 0.7 was used to ascertain the reliability of the instrument. Data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics from the 78.7% respondents. The findings established that the working environment had positive and significant effects on service delivery (β1 = 0.476, p-value = 0.000) at the 5% level of significance, hence rejecting the null hypothesis. The study further established that the public health sector in Kenya should address the drug shortage, medical staff working hours, and machine maintenance as they would adversely affect quality of service delivery. The study recommends that the public health sector should provide health workers a conducive working environment and all necessary tools and equipment to enable them to discharge their duties effectively with a view to enhance service delivery to patients. Future research should focus on the importance of on–the-job training for effective service delivery in the public health sector.

SMALLHOLDER FARMERS INNOVATIVENESS AND ITS DETERMINANTS IN EASTERN HARARGHE, OROMIYA REGION, ETHIOPIA

The survival of smallholder farming in a socioeconomically and environmentally dynamic environment depends on smallholders’ ability to innovatively and dynamically respond to these challenges. This study aims to assess smallholders' innovativeness, and identify its determinants with the intension of providing information on smallholders' innovativeness and its determinants to stakeholders that are trying to improve the life of smallholders. The research design constituted of multi-stage random sampling whereby study districts, farmers’ associations and, finally, smallholder farmer household units are selected in that order. The collection of data is carried out using interview schedule, key informants interview and focus group discussion. The estimation of smallholders' innovativeness was carried out with graded response model using cross-sectional data collected from 476 smallholder household units. Multiple linear regression model was used to identify determinants of innovativeness. The results revealed that the majority of smallholders in the study area were classified as less innovative and innovativeness was determined by smallholder's perception of productive safety net program undergoing in the study area, dependency syndrome, perceived farm fertility, perceived job demand, perceived person environment fit, fatalism, external work contact, use of mass media, possession of livestock, possession of farm tools, access to irrigation, agro-ecology and distance to all-weather road. In order to encourage smallholders’ innovativeness, the findings underscore the need for stakeholders in the extension service to help smallholders on improving their perceptions about productive safety net program, motivate them to see the potential benefit they can draw from personal efforts and resources they have, provide them with external exposure through either mass media means or interpersonal contact, work with religious leaders to detach religiousness from fatalism.