The mediating role of job satisfaction and work engagement in the relationship between self-reported person-job fit and job performance

Abstract

Purpose. Identifying the right people for the right jobs is crucial to maximizing employees’ job performance. Although the literature has consistently found a positive relationship between person-job-fit (P-J fit) and job performance, little attention has been given to the underlying mechanisms of the relationship. The present study proposed a parallel mediation model to investigate the hypothetical mediating roles of job satisfaction and work engagement in the relationship between self-reported P-J fit and job performance. Methodology. A total of 361 employees from the service sectors across multiple organizations in Malaysia answered the P-J fit scale, Job Satisfaction Survey, Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, and Individual Work Performance Questionnaire. Findings. Pearson correlation analysis showed that all the four variables were positively related to each other. Mediation analysis using the PROCESS macro found that P-J fit is indirectly associated with job performance through work engagement but not job satisfaction. Further analysis, however, supported the mediating role of job satisfaction when work engagement was controlled. Implications for practice. The findings indicate that work engagement playsa stronger role than job satisfaction. Employees with a better fit for the job are more engaged in their jobs, and that the high levels of work engagement would in turn positively relate to job performance. Value of the results. Organizations may consider improving the levels of work engagement of employees or lowering the factors that reduce the levels of work engagement to improve the job performance of employees with high P-J fit.