The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of person-organization/person-job fit, perceived by new employees of natural science and engineering majors, upon turnover intentions, and look into ‘whether or not job stress functions as an in...
The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of person-organization/person-job fit, perceived by new employees of natural science and engineering majors, upon turnover intentions, and look into ‘whether or not job stress functions as an intermediation variable for the influence.’ For this, study questions were established as follows:
First, ‘Is there any significant relation between person-environment (organization, job) fit, perceived by new employees of natural science and engineering majors, and personal turnover intentions?’ Second, ‘Is there any significant relation between person-environment (organization, job) fit, perceived by new employees of natural science and engineering majors, and personal job stress?’ Third, ‘Is there any significant relation between job stress, perceived by new employees of natural science and engineering majors, and their turnover intentions?’ Fourth, ‘Does job stress have an intermediation effect upon the relationship between person-environment (organization, job) fit, perceived by new employees of natural science and engineering majors, and turnover intentions?’
In order to get answer to the above questions, a questionnaire survey of 300 employees of natural science and engineering majors, whose career was less then 3 years in large companies of manufacturing business, was carried out. Among them, 277 employees responded and the rate of response was 92%. As for test tools, the questionnaire items, developed by Cable & Judge, Lauve Kristof-Brown, Mobley, Cooper and others were used for questionnaire survey. And such statistical techniques as t-test, one-way ANOVA and regression analysis were carried out. Study findings are as follows:
First, person-organization/person-job fit, perceived by new employees of natural science and engineering majors, had partial negative (-) influence upon turnover intentions. Second, person-organization/person-job fit, perceived by new employees of natural science and engineering majors, had negative (-) influence upon such sub-variables of job stress as job characteristics, role relations, human relations, compensation systems and organizational characteristics, on the whole. Third, all the sub-variables of job stress, such as job characteristics, role relations, human relations, compensation systems and organizational characteristics, perceived by new employees of natural science and engineering majors, had partial positive (+) influence upon turnover intentions. Fourth, sub-variables of job stress partially mediated the influence of person-organization/person-job fit, perceived by new employees of natural science and engineering majors, upon turnover intentions. Based on the above study findings, following conclusions are drawn:
First, person-job fit has greater influence upon turnover intentions than person-organization fit does. This finding implies the fact that in order to minimize turnover intentions, it is necessary to employ applicants of higher fit, by verifying applicant’s fit for organizational value and culture as well as the level of fit of their knowledge, technology and vision for the jobs they will be in charge after being employed. Second, when the fit of new employees of natural science and engineering majors for organizational value and culture is higher, it is possible to decrease their job stress more. In particular, it seems to have great influence upon the level of stress for compensation. On the other hand, the level of fit for the job in charge is higher, stress for organizational characteristics is lower. Third, among the sub-variables of job stress, role relations have greatest influence upon turnover intentions, and it is followed by compensation systems, human relations, organizational characteristics and job characteristics, in order. In this vein, it is necessary for business corporations to establish a system with which excellent human resources of natural science and engineering majors can clearly recognize the roles and obligations they will be in charge after being selected and employed, in order to increase their retention. In addition, it is necessary for a company to check its competitive advantage of compensation systems by comparing to competitors. Fourth, since job stress plays an intermediation role in the relationship between person-organization fit and turnover intentions, and new employees of higher person-organization fit perceive lower stress and this perception has influence upon their turnover intentions as well, it is necessary to develop and apply a tool of testing person-organization fit in advance.