A person-environment-fit-model for temporary organizations - Antecedents for temporary working settings

Projectification has led to the widespread use of temporary organizations (TOs) in many industries, but the various factors that determine successful work by employees in TOs are unexplored. We argue that organizations have different degrees of temporariness depending on the following five TO dimensions: temporal duration, nature of the task, team composition, hierarchy, and coordination. Considering the TO dimensions and varying degrees of temporariness, we propose a person-environment (P-E) fit model. The model comprises three levels - organizational-, group-, and job-oriented - and relates personal attributes to the TO dimensions. We contribute to theory by developing a set of propositions on the relationships between personal attributes and organizational-, group-, and job-oriented factors of the work environment in TOs. In doing so, we also extend research on P-E fit to temporary work environments. The model provides a theoretical basis for future empirical research on human resource management in TOs as well as criteria for practitioners involved in decisions on the staffing of temporary teams.