Person–Environment Fit

Amy L. Kristof-Brown

Person–environment (PE) fit refers to the degree of match between individuals and some aspect of their work environment. The concept of PE fit is firmly rooted in the tradition of Kurt Lewin's maxim that B = f (PE); behavior is a function of both person and environment. The early interactional psychologists emphasized Lewin's perspective and developed a perspective that individuals' behaviors and attitudes are determined jointly by personal and environmental conditions. On the person side, characteristics may include interests; preferences; knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs); personality traits; values; or goals. On the environment side, characteristics may include vocational norms, job demands, job characteristics, organizational cultures and climates, and company or group goals. Various synonyms have been used to describe fit, including congruence, match, similarity, interaction, correspondence, and need fulfillment. The basic premise of PE fit research is that for each individual there are particular environments that are most compatible with ...

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