Essentials of Organizational Behavior, 14/e

Linking an Individual’S Personality and Values to the Workplace

Thirty years ago, organizations were concerned with personality in order to match individuals to specific jobs. That concern has expanded to include how well the individual’s personality and values match the organization. Why? Because managers today are less interested in an applicant’s ability to perform a specific job than with his or her flexibility to meet changing situations and maintain commitment to the organization. Still, one of the first types of fit managers look for is person–job fit.

Person–Job Fit

The effort to match job requirements with personality characteristics is described by John Holland’s personality–job fit theory, one of the more proven theories in use internationally. ...