Publication Type

Journal Article

Version

submittedVersion

Publication Date

7-2014

Abstract

This study assessed the longitudinal relationship between perceived fit (i.e., person–organization fit, person–job fit) and affect-based variables (i.e., job satisfaction, negative affect, positive affect) using momentary (i.e., within-person level) and stable (i.e., between-person level) assessments of both sets of variables. In doing so, we tested 3 theoretical models of the perceived fit and work affect relationship (i.e., fit preceding affect; affect preceding fit; reciprocal fit–affect relations) to determine (a) the antecedents and consequences of fit perceptions, (b) whether fit perceptions exhibit meaningful within-person variability, and (c) if direct fit perceptions are simply the result of affect/job satisfaction at work or can influence such work experiences. In addition, we examined whether the relationships between affect/job satisfaction and fit perceptions were homologous (i.e., similar) across the 2 levels of analysis (i.e., within-person and between-person). Results indicated that fit primarily preceded affect and job satisfaction at both levels of analysis, though some specific relationships exhibited reciprocal causality and others supported affect as an antecedent of fit perceptions. Our findings paint a complex picture of the causal relationship between perceived fit and work affect.

Keywords

Recruitment, Employers, Person-organization fit

Discipline

Organizational Behavior and Theory

Research Areas

Organisational Behaviour and Human Resources

Publication

Personnel Psychology

Volume

67

Issue

2

First Page

389

Last Page

420

ISSN

1744-6570

Identifier

10.1111/peps.12042

Publisher

Wiley

Copyright Owner and License

Authors

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