Person-organisation fit across cultures: An empirical investigation of individualism and collectivism

The present study extended person-organisation fit research by concentratin g exclusively on one national culture dimension affecting organisational va lues: individualism-collectivism (I-C). Volunteers (N=581) from two matched organisations (hospitals and management consultancies) in Australia and in South-East Asia completed questionnaires measuring individuals' orientatio ns on I-C and other organisational variables. Two types of fit were analyse d: interactions between(1) individual I-C and national culture, and (2) ind ividual I-C and organisational culture. These interactions were tested in r elation to three outcome variables: organisational commitment, job satisfac tion, and tenure. Both national and organisational differences were found w ith respect to I-C. Asian organisations were more collectivistic than Austr alian organisations, and hospitals were more collectivistic than management consultancies. In support of person-nation fit hypotheses, collectivists w ere more committed to their organisations and had longer tenure than indivi dualists in Asian, as compared to Australian organisations. Interaction ter ms were significant even in the presence of direct effects of collectivism on organisational commitment and tenure. The same results were not found fo r job satisfaction. Predicted effects of person-organisation fit were not f ound at the organisational level within cultures.