Images of Person-Organization Fit: Elements Affecting Employee Organizational Behavior

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to build upon the existing literature on person-organization fit, in particular, employees’ perception of the P-O fit, taking into consideration two main criteria: 1) the level of formalization as a company’s characteristics and 2) an employee’s certainty orientation as a person’s characteristics. The congruence between the situational factor (level of formalization) and personal traits (certainty orientation) influence individual organizational behavior. A two-dimension model illustrated by a four-element matrix is created by the author to present the concept and describe employees’ organizational behaviors. There are four images of P-O fit developed in the paper: 1) a kayak on a stormy ocean 2) ferries on a lake, 3) a cruise ship in a pond and 4) yacht on friendly seas.