Person-environment fit in army talent management: An integrative approach

Research indicates that congruence between the needs of an individual and the rewards provided by their job can influence job satisfaction. This dissertation used person-environment fit theory to examine the relationship between the needs of Army officers and the rewards that they experienced in their most recent Army position. A pilot study developed a set of customized content dimensions which were used to develop and test a tailored measurement instrument for the military sample. The survey was revised after initial testing and then administered to current and former Army officers. Fit between the needs and rewards of ten customized content dimensions were assessed, and the relationship of needs and rewards were analyzed with the primary outcome of interest --- job satisfaction. For all content dimensions, job satisfaction increased as rewards increased toward needs. For eight of the content dimensions, job satisfaction decreased as rewards exceeded needs, while two content dimensions reported a continued increase in job satisfaction with excess rewards. For eight of the content dimensions, job satisfaction was higher for respondents that reported high rewards and high needs, rather than low rewards and low needs. Subsequent analysis tested the relationship of job satisfaction with organizational identification, in-role performance and organizational citizenship behaviors to include helping and voice. The relationship between job satisfaction and secondary outcomes were significant, and the relationship between organizational identification and the secondary outcomes were also significant.