Perceived Overqualification: A Multi-Source Investigation of Psychological Predisposition and Contextual Triggers

Abstract

Although employee (subjective) perceived overqualification (POQ) has recently been explored as a meaningful organizational construct, further work is needed to fully understand it. We extend the theoretical psychological underpinnings of employee POQ and examine both its determinants and outcomes based on established and newly proposed theoretical developments. Four-hundred and fifteen employees completed an online questionnaire and 208 of their supervisors completed corresponding surveys about the employees' withdrawal behaviors and job-related attitudes, in order to explore potential predictors and outcomes of subjectively experienced POQ. Among the predictors, work conditions (uniform requirements and repetitive tasks) were most strongly associated with POQ. In terms of individual differences, narcissism predicted higher POQ while general mental ability only did when holding other variables constant. In addition, among the outcomes, higher POQ was related to lower job satisfaction and organizational commitment, but was not related to withdrawal behaviors such as truancy, absenteeism, and turnover intentions.

Who Gets Stuck in Their Workplaces? The Role of Matching Factors, between Individual and Job, and Demographics in Predicting Being Locked In

“…In regard to the consequences of imbalance between individuals' knowledge/skills and their work tasks, being overqualified was found to relate both to LI/RLI positions cross-sectionally and also to LI over time. This is in line with earlier studies, implying that over-qualification is associated with job dissatisfaction (Johnson and Johnson, 2000;Lobene et al, 2015), higher turnover intentions (Maynard et al, 2006), and lower chances of getting other jobs (Erdogan et al, 2011;Pedulla, 2016). Besides employers' aversion to overqualified job seekers, the difficulty could be aggravated over time as a result of lost edge due to unutilized knowledge and skills as well as not developing career-enhancing strategies enough (Peiró et al, 2012).…”

“…skill variety of the job characteristics model [Hackman and Oldham, 1976]), it is also likely that over-qualification may be of importance with regard to locked-in positions. Supporting this notion, individuals who perceive themselves as being overqualified for their jobs have been found to often feel dissatisfied with their current work situation (Johnson and Johnson, 2000;Lobene, Meade, and Pond, 2015). Also, it has been indicated that they are less motivated to perform well (Bolino and Feldman, 2000;Maynard et al, 2006) and they have higher turnover intentions (Maynard et al, 2006).…”

Grandiose Narcissists Seek Status Selectively

“…Narcissists' sense of superiority leads them to believe that they are higher in status and deserve favorable outcomes more than other people (Brunell et al, 2008;Krizan & Bushman, 2010). For example, narcissists expect higher academic grades and feel overqualified for jobs, even when objective evidence suggests otherwise (Farwell & Wohlwent-Lloyd, 1998;Lobene, Meade, & Pond, 2015;Maynard, Brondolo, Connelly, & Sauer, 2015). Yet, despite their desire for fame, narcissists may also recognize that failing to achieve high status could impair their positive selfviews.…”

The Relationship between Perceived Overqualification and Counterproductive Work Behaviors: Moderating Role of Perceived Distributive Justice

“…In a way confirming these theoretical explanations, empirical studies prove that there are many negative individual and organizational reflections of perceived overqualification (Maynard et al, 2006: 510;Erdoğan & Bauer, 2009;Lobene & Meade, 2010;Erdogan et al, 2011;Maynard & Parfyonova, 2013;Liu et al, 2015;Lobene, Meade, & Pond, 2015). One of these reflections is counterproductive work behaviors.…”