Person-environment fit and task performance: exploring the role(s) of grit as a personal resource

Abstract

The Job Demands-Resources Framework (JDR) has established job- and personal resources as essential elements motivating people to perform. Whilst the purpose of job resources in this motivational process is well established, the role of personal resources is still quite ambiguous. Within the JDR framework, personal resources could (a) directly affect performance, (b) indirectly affect the relationship between a job resource and a performance outcome and (c) moderate the job resource-performance relationship. Grit has recently emerged as a promising personal resource as it could potentially act as a direct antecedent-, mediator and moderator within the motivational process of the JDR. To further the debate on the role of personal resources, this paper explores the function of grit (as a personal resource) within the person-environment fit (job resource) and task performance relationship. Specifically, the aim is to determine if grit directly or indirectly affects the relationship between person-environment fit and task performance. Finally, it aims to investigate whether grit moderates this relationship. Data were collected from 310 working adults through electronic surveys, and the relationships were explored through structural equation modelling. When controlling for age and gender, the results showed a positive association between person-environment fit, grit and task performance. Further, grit was also found to indirectly affect the relationship between the person-environment fit and task performance. However, no moderating effect could be established. This signifies the importance of grit as a psychological process, rather than a buffering element that may explain how person-environment fit affects performance outcomes.

The subjective career success of women: The role of personal resources

“…The mediating role of grit Xanthopoulou et al (2007) established that personal resources (such as grit and resilience in our study) mediated the relationship between job resources (i.e., personal-environment fit) and performance outcomes (such as subjective career success in our study). Similarly, the mediating role of grit in the relationship between personenvironment fit and task performance was confirmed by Van Zyl et al (2022) in their study. According to our results, women who perceive a good 'fit' between their skills and the rewards they can receive as part of their job will use their perseverance and strength to achieve their career-related goals despite obstacles and setbacks they might face.…”

“…An employee who wants to achieve career-related goals must possess a personal characteristic, such as grit, that can serve as a personal resource ( Van Zyl et al, 2022 ). Grit is about having a long-term passion for one’s selected goal and staying dedicated to achieving such a goal ( Duckworth et al, 2007 ).…”

“…This is because of gritty individuals’ ability to use their strengths to complete tasks and invest sustained energy in achieving their goals, despite setbacks ( Duckworth, 2016 ). Furthermore, evidence that grit predicts success in various domains, such as academic success, educational attainment, effectiveness, training completion, and task performance, is found in the literature ( Duckworth et al, 2007 , 2011 ; Eskreis-Winkler et al, 2014 ; Van Zyl et al, 2022 ).…”

“…Thus, there is a deep connection between an individual’s values, passions, and work environment, the feeling that they can contribute their knowledge and skills to something they value (demands-ability fit), and the rewards they can receive for their service (needs-supply fit). If this deep connection is present, it will most probably result in a deeper, more personal connection with one’s work (thus implying person-job fit) and organisational goals, with the result that individuals will be more inclined to show sustained effort and perseverance in achieving these job or career goals despite the challenges and setbacks they might be facing ( Van Zyl et al, 2022 ). This is supported by Peterson and Seligman (2004) , who stated that individuals are more likely to use their personal strengths at work if there is congruence between their characteristics and that of their job or organisation.…”

The General Academic Self-Efficacy Scale: Psychometric Properties, Longitudinal Invariance, and Criterion Validity

“…Task performance was measured by seven items on a six-point Likert-scale ranging from 1 (“Never”) to 6 (“Always”). An example of item is: “I knew how to set the right priorities.” In Europe, the scale also produced acceptable levels of internal consistency as represented by a McDonald’s Omega of 0.84 (Van Zyl et al, in press).…”