Person-Environment Fit scale

Description

This measure (Person-Environment Fit) was developed by Caplan, Cobb, French, Van Harrison, and Pinneau (1980). It asks employees to provide responses to parallel sets of items covering four job dimensions. One set of items described the employee perceptions of what is offered by the work environment. The other set of responses described what the employee prefers. The four job dimen­sions are job complexity (six item pairs), role ambiguity (four item pairs), responsibility for persons (four item pairs), and quantitative workload (seven item pairs). The items are averaged for each job dimension to obtain a score for the environment (E) and a score for the person (P). Person-environment fit can then be calculated by various methods, such as the absolute value of the difference in the E and P scores.

Reliability

Coefficient alpha values for job complexity were.72 for the environment (E) subscale and.71 for the person (P) subscale. Alpha values for role ambiguity were .84 for the E subscale and .86 for the P subscale. Alpha values for responsibility of persons were .89 for the E subscale and .87 for the P subscale. Alpha values for quantitative workload were .71 for the E subscale and .60 for the P subscale (Edwards & Van Harrison, 1993).

Validity

Edwards and Van Harrison (1993) found that lack of person-environment fit calculated as the absolute value of the difference between P and E values for job complexity correlated positively with job dissatisfaction, workload dis­ satisfaction, boredom, depression, anxiety, and somatic complaints. Lack of person-environment fit in responsibility for persons correlated positively with workload dissatisfaction, job dissatisfaction, and boredom. Lack of fit in quantitative workload correlated positively with workload dissatisfac­tion, boredom, depression, and irritation (Edwards & Van Harrison, 1993).

Source

Caplan, R. D., Cobb, S., French, J. R. P., Van Harrison, R., & Pinneau, S. R. (1980). Job demands and worker health. Ann Arbor: University of Michi­gan, Institute for Social Research.  Items were taken from Appendix  E, pp. 238, 241, 242-243, and 246. Copyright © 1980. Reproduced with permission.

Items

Quantitative workload items:

The wording shown for each item measures the E subscale. The rewording required for the P subscale is shown in parentheses. Responses are obtained

for these items using a 5-point Likert-type scale where 1 = hardly any, 2 = a little, 3 = some, 4 = a lot, and 5 = a great deal.

  1. How much slowdown in the workload do you experience? (would you prefer) (R)
  2. How much time do you have to think and contemplate? (Would you like) (R)
  3. How much workload do you have? (Would you like to have)
  4. What quantity of work do others expect you to do? (would you prefer others to expect of you)
  5. How much time do you have to do all your work? (would you like to have) (R)

Responses for the following items are obtained using a 5-point Likert-type scale where 1 = hardly any, 2 = a few, 3 = some, 4 = a lot, and 5 = a great number.

  1. How many projects, assignments, or tasks do you have? (would you like to have)
  2. How many lulls between heavy workload periods do you have? (Would you like to have) (R)

Responsibility for persons items:

The wording shown for each item measures the E subscale. The rewording required for the P subscale is shown in parentheses. Responses are obtained for these items using a 5-point Likert-type scale where 1 = very little, 2 = a little, 3 = some, 4 = a lot, and 5 = a great deal.

  1. How much responsibility do you have for the future of others? (would you like to have)
  2. How much responsibility do you have for the job security of others? (would you like to have)
  3. How much responsibility do you have for the morale of others? (would you like to have)
  4. How much responsibility do you have for the welfare and lives of others? (Would you like to have)

Job complexity items:

Job complexity provided by the work environment (E) responses are based on reference to “My job is……………………………………………. “Job complexity preferred by the employee

(P)  responses are  based on  reference to “I would  prefer a job …… “The responses are provided following each item pair.

  1. Van’s job is defined and described in almost every detail. Nothing is left to chance. There is a procedure for every type of task.
  2. On Ed’s job, a person has some idea of the purpose of the job-but no exact instructions are given on how to do the work. There is often no set procedure.

Responses to this item pair are obtained on a 7-point Likert-type scale where 1 = exactly like Van’s, 2 = a lot like Van’s, 3 = somewhat like Van’s, 4 = halfway between Van’s /Ed’s, 5 = somewhat like Ed’s, 6 = a lot like Ed’s, and 7 = exactly like Ed’s.

2a. Jack works on the same tasks every day. He uses the same procedures or equipment all of the time. Each task is like the one he just finished.

2b. Almost every day things change in Alan’s job. Each task is rarely the same as the previous one. He is likely to use different procedures or equipment from case to case.

Responses to this item pair are obtained on a 7-point Likert-type scale where 1 = exactly like Jack’s, 2 = a lot like Jack’s, 3 = somewhat like Jack’s, 4 = halfway between Jack’s /Alan’s, 5 = somewhat like Alan’s, 6 = a lot like Alan’s, and 7 = exactly like Alan’s.

3a. Tom’s job requires him to be around people constantly. He works or talks with people most of the time.

3b. Bob’s job does not require him to work with anyone else. In his job, Bob works alone. He rarely deals with other people.

Responses to this item pair are obtained on a 7-point Likert-type scale where 1 = exactly like Bob’s, 2 = a lot like Bob’s, 3 = somewhat like Bob’s, 4 = halfway between Bob’s I Tom’s, 5 = somewhat like Tom’s, 6 = a lot like Tom’s, and 7 = exactly like Tom’s.

4a. In Rich’s job, he works with people from several different groups. He has to handle each group differently because they have different needs and want to get different things done.

4b. Don’s contact at work is strictly with the people in his own work group or department. He does not need to deal with different groups or departments or organizations.

Responses to this item pair are obtained on a 7-point Likert-type scale where 1 = exactly like Don’s, 2 = a lot like Don’s, 3 = somewhat like Don’s, 4 = halfway between Don’s /Rich’s, 5 = somewhat like Rich’s, 6 = a lot like Rich’s, and 7 = exactly like Rich’s.

5a. In Tom’s job, he works on many different tasks which are all in different stages of completion. Some things are just getting started, while others are halfway finished, and others may be finished by someone else.

5b. Jim’s job requires him to work on one job at a time. When that work unit is completed, he starts to work on another unit or task. Two or more units are never worked on at the same time. He always finishes one unit before starting another.

Responses are obtained on a 7-point Likert-type scale where 1 = exactly like Jim’s, 2 = a lot like Jim’s, 3 = somewhat like Jim’s, 4 = halfway between Jim’s/Tom’s, 5 = somewhat like Tom’s, 6 = a lot like Tom’s, and 7 = exactly like Tom’s.

6a. Don’s job has changes in workload: Every once in a while Don has to work to his absolute maximum. When that happens, he has to concentrate as hard as he can and be as careful as he can.

6b. Dick’s job goes along evenly from hour to hour and from day to day. The pace of the work stays about the same. He rarely, if ever, has to suddenly change the pace of his work and work even faster and harder.

Responses for this item pair are obtained on a 7-point Likert-type scale where 1 = exactly like Dick’s, 2 = a lot like Dick’s, 3 = somewhat like Dick’s, 4 = halfway between Dick’s /Don’s, 5 = somewhat like Don’s, 6 = a lot like Don’s, and 7 = exactly like Don’s.

Role ambiguity items:

The wording shown for each item measures the E subscale. The rewording required for the P subscale is shown in parentheses.

Responses to these items are obtained on a 5-point Likert-type scale where 1 = rarely, 2 = occasionally, 3 = sometimes, 4 = fairly often, and 5 = very often.

  1. How often are you clear about what your job responsibilities are? (would you like to be)
  2. How often can you predict what others will expect of you on the job? (would you like to be able to)
  3. How much of the time are your work objectives well defined? (would you like)
  4. How often are you clear about what others expect of you on the job? (would you like to be)

Items denoted with (R) are reverse scored.

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