A Cross-Cultural Examination of Person-Organization Fit: Is P-O Fit Congruent with or Contingent on Societal Values?

Abstract

Many single-country studies have examined compatibility between the individual values of the employee and organizational cultural values, typically referred to as person-organization (P-O) fit. However, little progress has been made in understanding whether P-O fit relationships generalize across countries and, if so, whether and how societal values impact this relationship. Because of this void, it is important to extend the P-O fit literature cross-culturally to explain not only how individual values relate to organizational values but also how societal values influence P-O fit relationships. Our study of 1,307 business professionals across six diverse countries focused on individualism/collectivism values at societal, organizational, and individual levels. We found that individual values are consistently congruent with organizational cultural values in individualistic societies, but found mixed results for P-O values fit in collectivistic societies. Our results provide more support for the contingency perspective (rather than the nested theory of culture) on how societal values influence P-O values fit relationships. Implications for the cross-cultural generalizability of extant P-O fit theory as well as for organizations are discussed.

Attracting accounting and finance graduate talent – beyond the Big Four

“…Extant literature indicates that perceived organisational attributes are a key factor in attracting individuals to, or dissuading them from, submitting a job application to a given employer (Kooij and Boon, 2018; Memon et al ., 2018). Relatedly, and drawing on Person‐Organisation Fit theory (POF) (Schneider, 1987), the likelihood of an individual applying for a position is directly influenced by the extent to which they see a ‘fit’ between their own career aspirations and the attributes of the hiring organisation (Chuang et al ., 2015; Memon et al ., 2018; Malhotra et al ., 2020; Trevino et al ., 2020). High levels of POF can be beneficial for both individuals and employers since ‘people who share organizational values may be more likely to contribute to the firm in constructive ways’ (Chatman, 1989, p. 343).…”

The Quality of Leader-Member Exchange (LMX): A Multilevel Analysis of Individual-level, Organizational-level and Societal-level Antecedents

“…They parallel collectivistic values (Ralston, 2017). On the other hand, the core values of adhocracy and market cultures (the right-side quadrants) are flexibility and freedom, and achievement and goal attainment, respectively which are aligned with individualistic values (Treviño et al, 2020). We can postulate that clan and hierarchy cultures encourage harmonious relationships with supervisors and being an ingroup member is important to employees.…”

Are you talkin' to me?: the role of culture in crisis management sensemaking

“…The greater the perceived congruence between an individual's social relationship orientation and the organization's cultural values, the greater the perception of fit with the organization (Trevino et al , 2020). Parts of an organization's culture may be implicit and organizational success may depend partially on ensuring managers' values and personality fit with the culture (Dawson et al , 2020).…”

“…People displaying high agreeableness or a collectivist social orientation are more likely to be attracted to clan cultures and those low an agreeableness or with an individualist social orientation are more likely to be prefer market cultures. People who score low on openness to experience or have a collectivist social orientation are more attracted to hierarchy cultures, whereas those high in openness to new experiences or an individualist social orientation favor adhocracy cultures (Gardner et al , 2012; Trevino et al , 2020).…”

“…New organizational members undergo a socialization process that further adapts individual values to organizational values, so that individual perceptions of value congruence increase with tenure (De Cooman et al , 2009). Value alignment creates a self-reinforcing retention cycle if the effect of socialization increases value congruence (Trevino et al , 2020). Socialization also may weaken initial perceptions of fit as individual values change or as individuals re-assess perceived organizational values.…”