Book Description

This study examined the relationship between individual values and value congruence and job satisfaction, organizational commitment, task performance, and organizational citizenship behavior. The present study was conducted with 192 sales personnel in a sales organization with offices along the eastern seaboard of the United States. The values systems this study examined included Hofstede's Work-Related Values System (1994) and O'Reilley, Chatman, and Caldwell's (1989) Person-Organization Profile Values System. A questionnaire was developed to measure Hofstede's Social, Power, Uncertainty, and Goal orientations. The relationship between the values within O'Reilley, Chatman, and Caldwell's Organizational Culture-Profile was also examined via a factor and item analyses. The analyses yielded three value dimensions: Interpersonal, Ambiguity, and Achievement. It was hypothesized that individual level values on Hofstede's Social, Power, and Goal Orientation would predict job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and organization citizenship behavior. It was also expected that individual level values on Hofstede's Goal Orientation would predict task performance. In terms of the fit between the individual and organizational values, it was hypothesized that fit on Hofstede's four dimensions and O'Reilley, Chatman, and Caldwell's three dimensions would predict job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and organization citizenship behavior. Also, it was expected that fit in terms of Hofstede's Goal Orientation and O'Reilley, Chatman, and Caldwell's Achievement Dimension would predict task performance. Results for the relationship between individual values, value congruence, and job outcomes provided partial support for the hypotheses. Hofstede's Uncertainty Orientation significantly predicted job satisfaction (r = -.20). Specifically, individuals who espoused more uncertainty avoiding values exhibited higher levels of satisfaction. Hofstede's Social Orientation (r = -.19) and Goal Orientation (r = -.25) were also found to significantly predict organizational commitment. Individuals who espoused more collectivist and aggressive goal behavior values exhibited greater levels of organizational commitment. Results for fit indicated that person-organization fit on Hofstede's Power Orientation significantly predicted job satisfaction (r = .17) and organizational commitment (r = .24). Fit on O'Reilley et al.'s Achievement Dimension was also found to be significantly related to task performance (r = .22). The impact of values and fit on job outcomes may have large implications for the financial success of some companies as well as the satisfaction and commitment of employees. Future research should explore other value systems and explore other operationalizations of fit.