Person-organisation fit across cultures: An empirical investigation of individualism and collectivism

The present study extended person-organisation fit research by concentrating exclusively on one national culture dimension affecting organisational values: individualism-collectivism (I-C). Volunteers (N=581) from two matched organisations (hospitals and management consultancies) in Australia and in South-East Asia completed questionnaires measuring individuals' orientations on I-C and other organisational variables. Two types of fit were analysed: interactions between(1) individual I-C and national culture, and (2) individual I-C and organisational culture. These interactions were tested in relation to three outcome variables: organisational commitment, job satisfaction, and tenure. Both national and organisational differences were found with respect to I-C. Asian organisations were more collectivistic than Australian organisations, and hospitals were more collectivistic than management consultancies. In support of person-nation fit hypotheses, collectivists were more committed to their organisations and had longer tenure than individualists in Asian, as compared to Australian organisations. Interaction terms were significant even in the presence of direct effects of collectivism on organisational commitment and tenure. The same results were not found for job satisfaction. Predicted effects of person-organisation fit were not found at the organisational level within cultures.