When are overqualified employees creative? It depends on contextual factors

Abstract

Summary The research on perceived overqualification has mainly examined its negative consequences. Defined, employees who feel overqualified have surplus talent and thus can be excellent workers if managed properly; yet, empirical evidence in this domain is lacking. Building on person–environment fit theory, this research explored whether, when, and how employees who feel overqualified can engage in creative performance. The results of a multi‐source field study (N = 113 employees and 19 supervisors) supported theoretical predictions. Perceived overqualification was related positively to supervisor‐rated creative performance when these workers felt supported and appreciated and successfully negotiated developmental idiosyncratic deals. Opportunities to mentor others had an impact on the relationship between perceived overqualification and supervisor‐rated creativity, although the simple slopes were non‐significant. This study is novel in that it unpacked actionable steps that organizations can utilize to motivate this large segment of workforce to use their surplus qualifications constructively by, for example, engaging in creative performance. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

On the association between perceived overqualification and adaptive behavior

“…First, our study counterproductive work behaviors (Liu et al, 2015, or creativity (Luksyte and Spitzmueller 2015). Further, consistent with a finding that job autonomy helps mitigate the negative consequences of perceived overqualification on job satisfaction especially in highly individualistic countries (Wu et al, 2014), our findings in Study 2 suggest usefulness of granting higher job autonomy in mitigating the negative consequences of perceived overqualification on employees' adaptive behavior.…”

“…Practically, given the current findings, our results suggested that organizations concerned about losing overqualified employees, who can be adaptive or creative (Luksyte and Spitzmueller 2015) if the conditions are right, first have to identify those who feel overqualified, and then implement effective strategies to encourage their adaptive behaviors.…”

Fazla Nitelikliliğin Bireysel ve Örgütsel Sonuçlarının İncelenmesine Yönelik Kavramsal Bir Değerlendirme -A Conceptual Evaluation on Investigating Individual And Organizational Results of Overqualification

“…Therefore evaluation and findings related to the subject were completed by way of literature review. As indicated by Luksyte and Spitzmueller (2016) although important information was provided from the research related to the negative consequences of overqualification, it is crucial to place the inadequately researched positive consequences of overqualification in future studies from now onward.…”

Perceived overqualification and its positive impact on organization employee's behavior

“…Need-supplies fit has mediated better the relation between employees perceived overqualification relation with interpersonal influences and helping behavior and demand fit supply has explained the work deviance relation with employees perceived over-qualification, conversely, the necessities of employees who sense overqualified are not sufficiently satisfied, resulting in higher workplace deviance behavior. Aleksandra Luksyte and Spitzmueller (2016) have examined the positive aspect of perceived overqualification under personenvironmental fit theory and concluded that result supported the theory and perceived overqualification is positively related to supervisor creative performance due to which worker felt supportive. Consistent with PE fit theory and covering it more, we concluded that for employees who feel themselve as overqualified, improving both types of fit have improved and motivate their interpersonal influence and helping behavior and decrease their deviance behavior.…”