When person-organization (mis) fit and (dis) satisfaction lead to turnover: The moderating role of perceived job mobility

Purpose - The present study examined the relationships between P-O fit, job satisfaction, perceived job mobility, and intent to turnover. It was hypothesized that job satisfaction mediated the P-O fit-intent to turnover relationship and that perceived job mobility moderated the job satisfaction-intent to turnover relationship such that the combined effect of high job dissatisfaction and high perceived job mobility predicted intent to turnover. Design/methodology/approach - Data were obtained utilizing a field survey from a sample of 205 full-time employed adults working in two geographic regions in the USA. Participants completed an HTML-based web survey that contained measures of the constructs of interest to this study. Findings - Mediated and moderated regression analyses revealed statistical support for the hypothesized relationships, which were interpreted as evidence that P-O misfit and job dissatisfaction do not necessarily lead to intent to turnover. Research limitations/implications - The potential for common method variability was present in the study, the impact of which could either attenuate or inflate estimated statistical relationships. Practical implications - While P-O fit researchers typically associate misfit with decreased job satisfaction and increased turnover, the present research suggests that intervening variables, such as job mobility, influence employee intentions to turnover. Originality/value - The phenomenon of misfit is understudied in larger context of P-O fit; thus this research represents one of the first studies in this area of research.