The moving window of fit: Extending person-environment fit research with time.

摘要

Person-environment (P-E) fit research considers the match between individual characteristics and environmental characteristics (e.g., jobs, organizations, vocations). Most P-E fit research considers person and environment at a moment in time. However, this contemporaneous view overlooks the potential impact of an individual's past and future. We can more meaningfully portray the relationship between P-E fit and outcomes if we consider experiences from the past, present, and future. The inclusion of these three time frames produces a "moving window of fit" that can be developed by incorporating research on the temporal nature of the person, the environment, and well-being. In addition, to determine how these elements of a temporal fit model are related, I consider research on the processes of contrast and assimilation.; To conduct an initial test of the temporal P-E fit model, I consider a needs-supplies fit framework that focuses on four job dimensions: autonomy, creativity, pay, and work relationships. Using a sample of 187 working MBA students, I found that P-E fit relationships become more complex when using a temporal context. Namely, how individuals view fit at past jobs and future jobs conditions the effects of current fit. In addition, the impact of several of these relationships depends upon several moderators: temporal focus, temporal distance, and importance. As a result of these findings regarding the moving window of fit, I discuss implications for practice and for future research.