Values congruence: more salient to social networking than to fit

This developmental paper looks at the issue of values congruence and the extent to which it evidences fit (for example P-O, P-G, P-P fit) or is more salient when identifying a social network which might be a more relevant construct for employees in the workplace. It takes a brief look at the background to the interaction debate as a foundation for the argument that value congruence is key to building relationships between individuals. The debate is brought up to date with a discussion of Edwards and Cable’s 2009 paper which puts the case for the value in value congruence in determining employee behaviour. This paper, however, seeks to question the extent to which values congruence is more important to individuals at work in terms of their fit (on whatever level) or in terms of their social network (which might underpin a sense of ‘not misfitting’) which might be key for many employees. The paper goes on to consider the implications for fit research in the light of salience of social network theory

Placing the people makes the place: the effect of employees’ place of work and their organizational fit in The Open University

This paper looks at where people work, in relation to an organization’s central (head) office, and its effect on levels of organizational fit. It will suggest that organizational fit may be reduced according to whether employees work in the head office, regional offices or are home-anchored. The question as to the extent to which regional and/or home-anchored employees still have some degree of fit (and possible reasons for this) or regionality becomes a safe haven for misfits (and the implications of this) will also be considered. The paper considers and questions, in the light of ASA theory, whether misfits are likely to leave or, indeed, in a regional or home-anchored situation, may become centres for organizational learning/innovation and/or resistance. It goes on to suggest a means for testing the hypotheses with a study of employees at the Open University

Organizational fit: the value of values congruence…in context

This developmental paper looks at the issue of value congruence as being a key driver of fit between individuals in work and the organizations they work for (PO fit). It takes a brief look at the background to the interaction debate as a foundation for the argument that value congruence is key to establishing PO fit and, ultimately, as a predictor of employee behaviour. The debate is brought up to date with a discussion of Edwards and Cable’s 2009 paper which puts the case for the value in value congruence in determining employee behaviour. This paper, however, extends the argument by identifying that value congruence between individuals and organizations is too generic. It goes on to propose that the real value of value congruence is when that value congruence is put into context – whether the basis of congruence is founded upon, for example, demography, vocation and/or geographic congruence. Furthermore, it is only when value congruence is assessed using a more localised interpretation of organizational values against a more localised set of individuals’ values that real benefit in congruence can be determined and a more robust prediction in employee behaviours and outcomes can be established

A social network approach to flexing the environment in organizational fit

This developmental paper looks at how organizational fit has een assessed, principally, from the perspective of the ndividual person(P). It goes on to suggest that the influence of the environment (E) – through the development of informal social networks - may be more salient to individuals in the workplace and have greater influence for those individuals over outcomes such as job satisfaction and organizational commitment. The paper suggests that it may be that individuals form social networks outside of the usual organizational constraints/structures of, for example, the geographic location of where the employee works. This paper contends that value congruence amongst disparate individuals in the workplace may be the basis for developing a social network. If so, this would suggest that it could be environmental factors which encourage or discourage the formation of informal social networks which may be more salient to individuals in the workplace over and above any sense of organizational fit. Finally, the paper suggests how the hypothesis might be tested