Person-organization fit: bibliometric study and research agenda

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose a research agenda on person-organization fit (P-O fit).

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic review of the literature from a bibliometric perspective is performed. All documents indexed in the Scopus database with the term “person-organization fit” in the title were mapped.

Findings

An increasing interest in P-O fit since the 1990s is observed. Amy L. Kristof-Brown, affiliated to the University of Iowa, is the most productive author. All empirical studies from our sample used quantitative methodology and non-probabilistic sample, and 85.9 per cent of them were cross-sectional. The similarity conceptualization of P-O fit and the perceived fit perspective have been adopted more often. Job satisfaction, intention to leave and organizational commitment are the most studied outcomes of P-O fit.

Research limitations/implications

By offering a general view of the production on P-O fit, the paper may be valuable not only for those who aim to start researching on the field, but also for practitioners who may benefit from an overview of the field to evaluate interventions to increase the fit between employees and organizations. Noticing the absence of publications from Latin America, and taking into account the positive outcomes of P-O fit to individuals and organizations, this paper aims to stimulate researchers from this region to develop research on P-O fit.

Originality/value

Original insights for future research are presented: The need for qualitative studies to understand the individual perception of fit; the study of complementary P-O fit from a needs–supplies perspective; and the need to consider the multi-dimensionality of constructs that are taken as content of fit, which may offer a possible answer to Van Vianen’s (2001) claim about the “value of fit”.

Citation

Santos, L.B.d. and De Domenico, S.M.R. (2015), "Person-organization fit: bibliometric study and research agenda", European Business Review, Vol. 27 No. 6, pp. 573-592. https://doi.org/10.1108/EBR-04-2015-0038

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