While companies have managed and grown their members by improving the work environment and providing diverse opportunities and changes to enable individuals to immerse themselves in their roles, recent rapid changes in the external environment have pl...
While companies have managed and grown their members by improving the work environment and providing diverse opportunities and changes to enable individuals to immerse themselves in their roles, recent rapid changes in the external environment have placed individual companies in a situation where it is difficult to handle everything. Therefore, companies that must continuously generate organizational performance must identify various factors that can enhance the performance of their members and socialize them. This study examines the structural influence relationship between person-environment fit and positive psychological capital on organizational performance among service job holders in small and medium-sized interior design companies within this context. While prior studies have frequently explored the structural influence of individual-environment fit or positive psychological capital, most have focused on examining associations with individual employees' emotions, attitudes, or work styles using only some sub-factors of individual-environment fit. Similarly, research on positive psychological capital has primarily centered on its associations with specific sub-factors. Consequently, research directly examining the relationship between actual person-environment fit and positive psychological capital and organizational performance remains scarce.
To examine this relationship, this study reviewed the theoretical background on individual-environment fit, positive psychological capital, SMEs, and organizational performance. It categorized individual-environment fit into four dimensions: individual-organization fit, individual-job fit, individual-supervisor fit, and individual-peer fit. Based on this framework, it analyzed the structural influence relationship between positive psychological capital and organizational performance. For the empirical analysis, questionnaires from 386 service job workers in SMEs in the metropolitan area were analyzed. SPSSwin 23.0 and AMOS 21.0 statistical packages were used as analytical tools. The validity of variables and the reliability of structural relationships were examined through frequency analysis, reliability analysis, exploratory factor analysis, correlation analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis. Based on the relevant data, hypotheses were tested and the influence relationships between variables were analyzed through structural model fit verification. The results are as follows.
First, it was confirmed that person-environment fit has a significant relationship with positive psychological capital. To test the influence of person-environment fit on positive psychological capital, a structural equation model was run with person-environment fit as the independent variable and positive psychological capital as the dependent variable. The results were statistically significant. By independent variable, individual-job fit, individual-peer fit, individual-organizational fit, and individual-supervisor fit were found to have a significant positive (+) effect on organizational performance. Among these, the relationship between individual-organizational fit and organizational performance was relatively strong. This can be interpreted as employees positively embracing organizational goals and pursuing them together, leading to performance outcomes.
Second, a significant relationship was confirmed between individual-environment fit and organizational performance. To test the influence of individual-environment fit on organizational performance, a structural equation model was run with individual-environment fit as the independent variable and organizational performance as the dependent variable. The results indicated a statistically significant positive (+) influence. In particular, the relationship between person-job fit and positive psychological capital showed relatively high values. This can be interpreted to mean that when understanding and utilization of the job are at a high level, psychological factors such as confidence and problem-solving ability can be strengthened.
Third, it was confirmed that positive psychological capital and organizational performance have a significant relationship. To test the effect of positive psychological capital on organizational performance, a structural equation model was run with positive psychological capital as the independent variable and organizational performance as the dependent variable. The results showed that positive psychological capital statistically significantly and positively (+) influenced organizational performance.
The above research findings indicate that small and medium-sized interior design companies need to simultaneously strengthen individual-environmental factors and positive psychological capital to enhance the organizational performance of service workers. Structural model fit evaluation revealed that individual-job fit and individual-colleague fit showed relatively high influence relationships with positive psychological capital. This can be interpreted as positive psychological capital being developed at the individual level, indicating a strong relationship with variables associated with individual ability or interpersonal relationships within the individual-environment fit. Furthermore, the influence of individual-organizational fit and positive psychological capital on organizational performance was relatively higher compared to other variables. This can be interpreted as the internalization of organizational values and goals required by individual-organizational fit acting as a factor that strengthens individual members' positive psychological capital, thereby enhancing motivation and goal consciousness regarding organizational performance.
For sustainable management, organizations require continuous performance management through crisis management and enhanced professional expertise based on stable human resource management. Considering the complex circumstances of the small and medium-sized interior design firms studied—limited human resources, diverse work sites, and the inherent need to continuously review and reflect on customer requirements—it is necessary to provide opportunities for enhancing job competencies and strengthen bonds with colleagues, taking into account the firm's characteristics. This raises the practical implication that firms require support strategies to achieve this.
Key words: Individual-Environmental Fit, Positive Psychological Capital, Individual-Organization fit, Individual-Job fit, Individual-Supervisor fit, Individual-Peer fit