Person-organization fit (P-O fit): meaning and scale

Person-organization fit is the degree to which employees see their values as similar to the organization's values. Cable and DeRue (2002) directly measure perceptions of three types of fit: between personal and organizational values (P-O fit), between personal needs and what the job provides (needs-supplies fit), and between abilities and job demands (demands-abilities fit); the last two are often combined as person-job fit (P-J fit). In Vietnam, the concept suits studies on recruitment, engagement, satisfaction and turnover intention.

Comparing the scales

Items of each scale

Original English wording from the published source. Replace placeholders such as [system] or [brand] with what your study is about, and pilot the questionnaire with 20 to 30 respondents first.

Person-Organization Fit (POF) · Perceived fit scale (P-O, P-J)

Code	Item
POF1	The things that I value in life are very similar to the things that my organization values.
POF2	My personal values match my organization’s values and culture.
POF3	My organization’s values and culture provide a good fit with the things that I value in life.

Source: Cable & DeRue (2002). Response scale, licence and APA reference: Perceived fit scale (P-O, P-J).

Use in the survey kit Open all of Perceived fit scale (P-O, P-J) (3 constructs)

Needs-Supplies Fit (NSF) · Perceived fit scale (P-O, P-J)

Code	Item
NSF1	There is a good fit between what my job offers me and what I am looking for in a job.
NSF2	The attributes that I look for in a job are fulfilled very well by my present job.
NSF3	The job that I currently hold gives me just about everything that I want from a job.

Source: Cable & DeRue (2002). Response scale, licence and APA reference: Perceived fit scale (P-O, P-J).

Use in the survey kit

Demands-Abilities Fit (DAF) · Perceived fit scale (P-O, P-J)

Code	Item
DAF1	The match is very good between the demands of my job and my personal skills.
DAF2	My abilities and training are a good fit with the requirements of my job.
DAF3	My personal abilities and education provide a good match with the demands that my job places on me.

Source: Cable & DeRue (2002). Response scale, licence and APA reference: Perceived fit scale (P-O, P-J).

Use in the survey kit

Tips

• Choose the type of fit that matches your hypothesis: POF for values and culture; NSF for whether the job meets needs; DAF for whether abilities suffice for the job.
• Each type has only 3 items; check loadings carefully before dropping any item.
• The three types correlate with each other; test discriminant validity with HTMT if you include all three in the model.
• The original scale uses 7 points.

Once you have a scale, put the concept in the research model drawer to state your hypotheses, work out the minimum sample size, and after data collection check reliability with the Cronbach's alpha calculator.

Frequently asked questions

How do P-O fit and P-J fit differ?

P-O fit is the fit between a person and the organization (values, culture). P-J fit is the fit between a person and a specific job (needs being met, abilities matching demands).

What role does fit usually play in a model?

Usually an independent variable affecting satisfaction, engagement, commitment and turnover intention; sometimes a moderator.

Should I measure all three types of fit?

Measure only the types you have hypotheses for. Measure all three when you want to compare which predicts outcomes more strongly.

References

• Cable, D. M., & DeRue, D. S. (2002). The convergent and discriminant validity of subjective fit perceptions. Journal of Applied Psychology, 87(5), 875–884. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.87.5.875