Theorizing person-environment fit in a changing career world: Interdisciplinary integration and future directions

Age-friendly neighbourhood environment, functional abilities and life satisfaction: A longitudinal analysis of older adults in urban China

The construction of age-friendly neighbourhoods is a priority for practice and policy to promote active ageing and increase life satisfaction for older adults. However, there has been a paucity of longitudinal evidence on the interaction effects of age-friendly neighbourhood environment and functional abilities on life satisfaction among older adults in urban China. This study makes the first attempt to examine the effect of person-environment fit on life satisfaction by the accumulative effects of age-friendliness of the baseline neighbourhood environment (measured within the WHO Age-Friendly City framework) on functional abilities and life satisfaction trajectories and the long-term effects of functioning changes on life satisfaction, drawing from four waves of longitudinal data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) and latent growth curve modelling. Results indicated that the age-friendliness of transportation was positively associated with functional abilities, and housing was the primary factor that shaped life satisfaction at the baseline. Better maintenance of functional abilities could promote life satisfaction over time. For older adults living in recently built neighbourhoods, social environment factors such as associations and facilities for social participation were more important in functional abilities, and communication and information were more important in life satisfaction. For those living in neighbourhoods built before 2000, physical environment factors such as transportation were essential in functional abilities, and housing was more essential in life satisfaction; health-related facilities and services at baseline exerted a cumulative effect on maintaining functional abilities in the long run. Our findings inform policymakers about how to effectively allocate public resources to enhance older adults' life satisfaction in the Chinese urban context.

How and When Inclusive Human Resource Management Promotes Employee Well-Being: The Roles of Ambidextrous Fit and Affective Leadership

Researchers and practitioners have largely recognized the importance of human resource management in addressing the growing trend of workforce diversity to improve employee well-being. However, empirical research on inclusive human resource management (IHRM) remains scarce. Drawing on the conservation of resources theory and the person-environment fit framework, the current study constructs a moderated dual-mediation model to explore how IHRM influences employee well-being through ambidextrous fit (i.e., supplementary fit and complementary fit) and further examine the moderating role of affective leadership. Using three-wave data from 382 employees through the questionnaire survey, the empirical findings indicate that IHRM positively affects employee well-being and that this linkage is mediated by supplementary fit and complementary fit. In addition, we find that affective leadership strengthens the positive influences of IHRM on employee well-being, supplementary fit, and complementary fit as well as the indirect effect of IHRM on employee well-being through ambidextrous fit. We discuss some theoretical and practical implications of our findings and provide research directions.

Return to work after chronic disease: A theoretical framework for understanding the worker-employer dynamic

OBJECTIVES

Return to work after chronic disease is important for workers, employers and society. The process, however, is challenging. This article provides an analytical and theoretical framework for explaining this process informed by the person-environment fit theory.

METHODS

This article uses a narrative method to (1) review the key concepts, benefits and influencing factors in the literature on return to work after chronic diseases, (2) analyse and critique the most important theoretical models used for explaining return to work after chronic diseases, and (3) review the person-environment fit theory and how it has been used so far.

RESULTS

The existing models highlight different aspects, but they overlook the relationship between the worker and the employer. An analytical and theoretical framework is proposed to comprehensively explain the worker-employer dynamic. The framework also considers the role of broader factors (policy, labour market) and other stakeholders (health professionals, civil society actors) emphasising the idea that return to work is a phased and cyclical process.

DISCUSSION

The framework can be used to guide future qualitative and quantitative studies, or as a map for identifying problematic areas related to the worker or the work environment. The model should be empirically tested in future studies.

Detecting Change in Needs-Supplies Fit Through Reliable Change Methodology

Studying change is a critical part of psychology and science in general. Studies often treat fit as static and use between-person designs to assess change. Accordingly, potentially insightful within-person information is frequently overlooked. The current study aimed to establish the utility of reliable change methodology within the domain of organizational psychology, using needs-supplies fit as a guiding framework. When employee needs can be tracked with a fair degree of clarity, organizations can devise better strategies to routinely address discrepancies between desired employee needs and organizational offerings. This longitudinal study used secondary data from 258 secondary school teachers. The Needs-Supplies Fit Scale was administered. The study's hypothesis was assessed through reliable change methodology. When considering all the participants that experienced at least some change across time intervals (n = 148), 23.65% (n = 35) of this change was meaningful. This declined to 17.33% meaningful change when factoring in the entire sample, including those who did not experience any change. When organizations are aware of the ever-evolving needs of employees, quicker action can be taken to avoid impending person-environment misfit. This study contributes to existing within-person studies that showcased the malleability of needs-supplies fit and emphasize the value of placing a more prominent focus on the individual.

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

Introduction

Research on women’s career success has been the subject of extensive investigations, emphasizing the barriers they encounter in their careers. However, far less attention has been given to the personal resources that promote women’s career success. The purpose of our study was to provide more conclusive evidence regarding the role that personal resources such as resilience and grit can play in the relationship between women’s person-environment fit and the perceptions of their career success. Underpinned by the Job Demands Resources and social cognitive theory, our study aims to investigate whether resilience and grit could either explain how person-environment fit translates into feelings of subjective career success or could strengthen this relationship.

Method

A cross-sectional online survey research design was used, and a convenience sample of 408 female employees was obtained. Relationships were explored through structural equation modelling.

Results

When controlling for age, the findings of this study revealed significantly positive relationships between the constructs, with person-environment fit, resilience, and grit, explaining a large portion of the variance in subjective career success. Although our data supported the mediating role of grit and resilience in the person-environment fit and subjective career success relationship, the moderating effects of grit and resilience could not be established.

Discussion

These findings illustrate both grit and resilience as mechanisms that indirectly affect the person-environment fit and subjective career success relationship of women. However, our findings indicate that resilience and grit cannot be considered mechanisms that would buffer against poor person-environment fit’s effect on their career success perceptions. Firstly, our study advances our understanding of the roles personal resources such as resilience and grit play in women’s career success as ways to overcome obstacles and workplace barriers. Secondly, using the motivational process of the Job Demands Resources Framework as theoretical background, we contribute by shedding light on how personal resources (resilience and grit) can be considered underlying factors influencing the person-environment fit and career success relationship for women. If women experience good person-environment fit, there is a greater opportunity for developing resilience and grit and, consequently, subjective career success.

Mind the Overlap: A Qualitative Exploration of the Vocational Lives of Veterans Living With Mental Health and Substance Use Conditions

Veterans with mental health and substance use conditions have poor employment outcomes and would likely benefit from integrated career, mental health, and substance use related interventions. However, vocational psychology has overlooked this vulnerable population, and vocational interventions are often relegated as less important than other psychotherapeutic interventions that target substance use or symptom reduction. Drawing upon Social Cognitive Career Theory and Psychology of Working Theory, this qualitative study examined how external and internal factors influenced the vocational trajectories of eight veterans with mental health and substance use conditions. Additionally, this study examined participants’ perspective on the usefulness of improving career outcomes in supporting their lives and recoveries. Using Consensual Qualitative Research methodology, this study uncovered how personal, environmental, relational, mental health, and substance use factors impacted the vocational trajectories of veterans living with mental health and substance use conditions. Findings also highlight that veterans want fulfilling employment and more clarity in their vocational lives to support their mental well-being and prevent substance use. Implications for vocational psychology theory and integrative practice are discussed.

Need for Distinctiveness Leads to Pathological Internet Use? The Perspective of Cognitive Behavioral Model

Based on the cognitive behavioral model of pathological Internet use and the gender role theory, this present study investigated the association between the need for distinctiveness and pathological Internet use. Additionally, we explored a mediating role of maladaptive cognition in the association between the need for distinctiveness and pathological Internet use and tested whether the mediation model was moderated by gender. A sample of 745 Chinese university students (Mage = 19.92, SDage = 1.42) was studied and participants completed anonymous questionnaires regarding the need for distinctiveness, maladaptive cognition, and pathological Internet use. Results revealed that the need for distinctiveness was positively associated with pathological Internet use, and the association between the need for distinctiveness and pathological Internet use was mediated by maladaptive cognition. In addition, gender moderated the association between maladaptive cognition and pathological Internet use; the effect was stronger for female participants than male participants. The findings expanded our understanding of the dark side of seeking distinctiveness. Practically, the results suggest that policymakers and psychological practitioners consider gender in preventing and intervening in pathological Internet use.

A meta-analysis of polychronicity: Applying modern perspectives of multitasking and person-environment fit

We apply modern theory on multitasking and person-environment fit to holistically explain the relations of polychronicity as well as provide justifications for disparate results found in prior studies, such as undetected differences regarding task-switching and dual-tasking. We then conduct a meta-analysis of polychronicity's relations. We show that the nomological net surrounding polychronicity matches our proposed fit perspective. We likewise demonstrate that differences in task-switching and dual-tasking indeed influence the observed results of polychronicity, and the growing complexity of businesses may have caused the association of polychronicity and job performance to strengthen over time. Our discussion highlights that polychronicity plays an important role in personal well-being and employee performance, which can be understood by our person-environment fit perspective.

Plain Language Summary

We apply modern theory on multitasking and person-environment fit to holistically explain the relations of polychronicity as well as provide justifications for disparate results found in prior studies, such as undetected differences regarding task-switching and dual-tasking. We then conduct a meta-analysis of polychronicity's relations. We show that the nomological net surrounding polychronicity matches our proposed fit perspective. We likewise demonstrate that differences in task-switching and dual-tasking indeed influence the observed results of polychronicity, and the growing complexity of businesses may have caused the association of polychronicity and job performance to strengthen over time. Our discussion highlights that polychronicity plays an important role in personal well-being and employee performance, which can be understood by our person-environment fit perspective.

Does the Attainment of Vocational Aspirations Make Youths Happy?

The current study aims to investigate the developmental perspective on the relationships between person-vocation (P-V) fit and its criteria (extrinsic job satisfaction, workplace satisfaction, and happiness) using longitudinal data of 1041 youths in South Korea. While most previous studies on P-V fit examined the fit between vocational interests and characteristics of actual vocation, we examined the fit between aspired and attained occupation in its prestige levels. We utilized data collected at two time points with an 8-year interval: when the participants were high school seniors and when they were in early adulthood. Polynomial regression and response surface graphs revealed that the levels of the criteria increased as attained occupation matched with the aspired occupation at a high-high fit compared to a low-low fit. However, P-V misfit did not have a systematic relationship with any criteria. Happiness was the most relevant outcome, suggesting important implications regarding youths’ vocational aspirations and attainment.

Why Do Chinese Employees Complain at the Workplace? An Exploratory Study Based on the Theory of Work Adjustment

This study aims to investigate the causes of workplace complaints among Chinese employees and to develop a scale to measure them, drawing on the theory of work adjustment. We first obtained 49 items regarding employees' complaints following rigorous item generation and refinement procedures. Then, we conducted a survey with convenience sampling and obtained a sample of 268 employees. The exploratory factor analysis based on this sample generated a six-factor solution that explained 65.85% of the variance. The six factors include four person-environment (P-E) interactional factors, namely, dissatisfaction due to (a) interpersonal relationships; (b) management systems; (c) work conditions; and (d) authoritarian leadership; and two P-E misfit factors, namely, perceived misfit regarding (e) work content; and (f) job responsibilities. Furthermore, we obtained another sample of 349 employees through snowball sampling, on which we further validated the six-correlated-factor solution through confirmatory factor analysis. This study contributes to the literature by identifying causes of Chinese employees' complaints different from those attributed to their counterparts in Western cultures. This outcome particularly reveals that “dissatisfaction with interpersonal relationships” with colleagues was the leading cause of complaints among Chinese employees, rather than the “misfit between employees' needs and organizational rewards” revealed by Western culture-based studies. Both our findings and the scale we developed have practical implications for companies that employ Chinese employees.

Future Work Self Salience and Future Time Perspective as Serial Mediators Between Proactive Personality and Career Adaptability

In recent years, employment has become a growing problem for Chinese college students, who often face issues of slow employment and lazy employment. Guided by the framework of career construction theory, we explored how proactive personality strengthens career adaptability. A total of 423 Chinese college students effectively completed the online survey. The results showed a positive correlation between proactive personality, future work self salience, future time perspective, and career adaptability. Additionally, proactive personality can directly affect career adaptability through three indirect paths: the separate intermediary effect of future work self salience, future time perspective, and the continuous mediating role of future work self salience and future time perspective. The results indicate that proactive personality increases career adaptability through the mediating role of future work self salience and future time perspective. This study contributes to our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the relationship between proactive personality and career adaptability. Additionally, the findings have implications for the career development of college students.

Career agility and career embeddedness as psychological needs of the value-oriented psychological contract

The present study drew from modern person-environment’s needs-supply fit theory and assessed the extent to which career embeddedness acted as a moderator in the link between individuals’ career agility and their perceptions of the value-oriented psychological contract. A sample of ( N = 293; mean age = 38.58 years) employees in the human resources and financial services industry participated in the study. Moderated regression results demonstrated that career embeddedness moderated the link between high levels of career agility (career navigation and agile learning) and positive perceptions of value-oriented obligated employee attitudinal inputs, including organisational obligated outcomes of job characteristics, career development opportunities, relationships, and rewards. The findings of the study inform career development support practices for the career agile employee in organisations who invest in the value-oriented psychological contract.

How to make big decisions: A cross-sectional study on the decision making process in life choices

People often make life choices that will affect their future (e.g. getting married). However, research on decision making focuses more on abstract dilemmas than on decision making. The aim of this study is threefold: to analyze (1) whether people rely mainly on intuitive or rational processing (System 1 or 2) when making life choices; (2) whether some characteristics of recalled life choices (e.g., difficulty in making the decision) differ between life areas (sentimental and work contexts); (3) whether personality traits and System 1 or 2 utilization may predict final satisfaction in life choices. By conducting a cross-sectional study on 188 participants’ recall of selected life decisions (in the sentimental and work life areas) we found that System 1 is more involved than System 2 in sentimental choices while the opposite happens for work ones. Lastly, satisfaction in life choices is partially predicted by the involvement of cognitive systems and individual differences, with different predictors emerging across life areas. Discussion suggests directions for future research on naturalistic decision making.