ISSN 2623-0690 (Ceta.
2655-3813 (Onlin.
Business Management Analysis Journal (BMAJ) Vol.
08 No.
02 October 2025
PERSON-JOB FIT AND PERSON-ORGANIZATION FIT DURING
THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND THE IMPACT ON EMPLOYEE
SATISFACTION AND PERFORMANCE
Sapta Rini Widyawati1.
I Wayan Widnyana2.
Carla Alexandra De Jesus Da Costa3 Management Department.
Universitas Mahasaraswati Denpasar 1,2 Management Department.
Dili Institute of Technology.
Timor Leste3 Correspondence email: saptarini1304@unmas.
Received: 19 February 2025 Reviewed: 29 April 2025 Accepted: 23 September 2025 Published: 31 October 2025
ABSTRACT
High-performing employees experience job satisfaction, which can be caused by their compatibility with their job and organization.
The purpose of this research is to analyze the influence of Person-Job Fit (P-JF) and Person-Organization Fit (P-OF) on employee satisfaction and subsequently performance during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This research is a quantitative study conducted by distributing electronic questionnaires to a sample of 452 employees in Indonesia.
The analysis used is path regression, involving control variables, namely demographics with indicators of gender, age, education, tenure, and pay.
The results of the analysis showed that P-JF and P-OF have a positive and significant effect on job However, job satisfaction is not able to mediate the influence of P-JF and P-OF on employee performance.
The limitation of this study is the use of a cross-sectional approach, which does not allow for dynamic causality testing, thus potentially causing bias.
Future research is recommended to use a longitudinal approach, the necessary sample size that covers various sectors and even countries, and needs to include other mediating or moderating variables, for example, organizational commitment or psychological empowerment.
Keywords: Person-Job Fit.
Person-Organization Fit.
Job Satisfaction.
Employee Performance.
COVID-19.
INTRODUCTION
The mass outbreak known as COVID-19 that occurred in late 2019 has persisted into 2021, and its impacts are still being felt today.
This situation has brought rapid and significant changes to all aspects of human life, including company operations.
Every employee is required to work from home (WFH).
All aspects of company activities, such as performance appraisal systems, working hours, and compensation, will be adjusted to the new system.
Employee DOI: https://doi.
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Business Management Analysis Journal (BMAJ) Vol.
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02 October 2025 behavior, such as the fit between the individual employee and the job (Person-Job Fit or P-JF) and the fit between the individual employee and the company (Person-Organization Fit or POF), are directly and indirectly impacted by these rapid and substantial changes.
These factors have considerable consequences for industrial and organizational psychology, particularly in relation to work satisfaction, and worker performance.
The change in the work system due to the pandemic, from initially using conventional systems to non-conventional systems .
g WFH) may have an impact on the level of suitability of individuals for work (P-JF) and their organizations (P-OF).
In this context, the change may have caused the P-JF or P-OF in a more fit direction or it may have been the other way around.
P-JF in this research shows the suitability of an individual employee with the needs of job, while P-OF shows the suitability of an employee's personal values with the business values that exist in the company or organization.
The suitability of individuals with their environment, both related to work (P-JF) and organization (P-OF) will encourage high job satisfaction, which in turn will encourage better performance.
Apart from the impact of the pandemic, the crucial function that P-OF and P-JF play is actually still up for dispute.
Some researchers argue that the meaning of P-OF is less significant than P-JF in influencing employee job satisfaction and performance, but others have suggested something different.
According to Kristof .
P-OF is more significant than P-JF, and PJF can develop gradually as long as P-OF has developed significantly.
However, there hasn't been a thorough investigation of the actual data surrounding this.
Saufi et al.
found that P-JF contributed more to employee performance than P-OF, while Hamid and Yahya .
Yahya et al.
Hasan et al.
, and Ardic et al.
found that P-JF and P-OF both contributed equally to employee job satisfaction and performance.
Based on the background of the phenomenon and the existing research gap, this research aims to analyze the influence of P-JF and P-OF on employee performance and satisfaction during the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia.
In more detail, this study analyzes the role of job satisfaction in mediating P-JF and P-OF on employee performance.
This study also includes demographic variables as control variables with indicators such as gender, age, education, tenure, and pay.
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Business Management Analysis Journal (BMAJ) Vol.
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02 October 2025
LITERATURE REVIEW
Person-job fit, or P-JF, is the state in which an employee's personal traits and those of his position complement each other.
Finding applicants with the skills and competencies necessary for the position is the primary goal of what Ostroff and Zhan .
call the traditional basis in employee selection.
According to Sekiguchi .
P-JF is traditionally evaluated by analyzing a work's requirements, identifying the essential activities for which the job is responsible, and assessing the skills, knowledge, and abilities needed to carry out the job Accordingly.
P-JF is defined by Cable and DeRue .
as a person's compatibility with the work or tasks they undertake at work.
This means that it is necessary to consider the balance between job demands and employee capacity, which is explained as a balance between fulfilling employee needs and job facilities.
According to Edward .
P-JF has two main dimensions to ensure a match between individual employee qualities and job requirements.
First, there is a view of the match between needs and supply, also known as the needs-supply perspective.
This refers to the extent to which an organization or company is able to meet the needs, desires, and personal preferences of an individual employee.
The second is the ability-demand perspective, which highlights how well an employee's qualifications and skills match the demands and expectations of the assigned job.
Many aspects of employee wishes and employment features that can fulfill their desires are included in the needs-supplies perspective.
Goals, psychological needs, interests, values, pay, and other employment characteristics are among the desired qualities in this According to the ability-demand perspective, it includes both individual abilities that are comparable to job requirements and job demands that are necessary to perform the job.
Generally speaking, knowledge, skills, and competencies are part of job needs.
The match between work and personal life, however, can be viewed both objectively and subjectively, according to Kristof et al.
It is possible to see objectively how well a person's traits fit his or her work, and subjectively how he or she feels about it.
Research by Christiansen et al.
and Lam et al.
found that P-JF plays a significant role in the relationship between employee performance and job satisfaction.
Higher DOI: https://doi.
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02 October 2025 P-JF increases employee satisfaction and performance, which in turn reduces the intention to leave the organization.
Conversely, lower P-JF, which means a poor fit between employee and job, can lead to job dissatisfaction, decreased productivity, even increased stress, feelings of burnout, and ultimately employee turnover.
Research conducted by Peng and Mao .
found that P-JF has a significant positive effect and has a strong correlation with employee job satisfaction.
This indicates that employees who feel more aligned with their roles and organizations generally have high satisfaction at work.
Similar results were also obtained from research by Lin et al.
Chhabra .
Ellis et al.
Cowin and Moroney .
, and Park et al.
Similar results were obtained from research by Iqbal et al.
in Pakistan.
June and Mahmood .
in the context of Malaysian SMEs in the service sector, and Chinomona et al.
in the context of the Zimbabwean manufacturing sector.
Based on the explanation above, the hypothesis that can be put forward is:
H1: There is a positive influence between P-JF and employee satisfaction and employee P-OF relates to the extent to which an employee's personal values align with the mission, vision, goals, and ethical standards of an organization.
According to Kim et al.
Peng et .
, their research found that P-OF reflects compatibility between individuals and the organization in which they work.
Furthermore, research by Grobler .
and Chhabra .
found the importance of compatibility between employee characteristics and organizational Consistent with research by Hu et al.
P-OF has been shown to be effective in driving positive individual performance, and is even considered an important factor in recruitment decisions.
Research by Kooij and Boon .
shows that employees who have strong alignment with the organization are generally more satisfied and demonstrate higher levels of organizational commitment.
Furthermore, research by Peng et al.
found that a strong fit between personal and organizational values encourages greater employee dedication, which in turn supports improved work performance to excellence.
Several researchers such as Mahdi et al.
, .
Farzaneh et al.
, .
Chen et al.
, .
found that high levels of P-OF are considered important for retaining flexible and resilient employees, as well as being able to navigate a competitive business environment.
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Business Management Analysis Journal (BMAJ) Vol.
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02 October 2025 Kakar et al.
identified two core dimensions of P-OF: .
Person-Organization Value Congruence (POVF), which assesses the complexity and alignment between an employee's individual values and those of their organization.
Person-Organization Goal Congruence (POGF), which evaluates the extent to which an individual's personal goals align with those of the organization.
Both dimensions contribute to the overall construct of P-OF.
Meanwhile.
Zhang et al.
described four dimensions of the P-OF concept: .
Value congruence, which refers to the alignment between an employee's individual values and those of the organization they serve.
Goal congruence, which indicates an employee's understanding of the organization's priority goals.
Personality-Climate congruence, which reflects the compatibility between an employee's personality traits and the organizational and .
needs-supply alignment, which reflects an organization's ability to meet the needs required by employees, employee preferences, and individual employee expectations.
Like P-JF.
P-OF also plays an important role in human resource management, especially in improving employee job satisfaction and performance.
Various studies have been conducted to analyze the influence of P-OF on the company or organization where they work.
The results of research by Farooqui and Nagendra .
found that P-OF has a positive and significant effect on satisfaction and performance.
Similar results were found in research by Liu et al.
Chaturvedi and Dubey .
, and Zhang et al.
, which found that P-OF has a positive and significant effect on job satisfaction.
Meanwhile, research by Chen et al.
found that P-OF has an indirect effect on employee performance, mediated by factors such as stress and support from supervisors.
Based on the explanation above, the proposed hypothesis H2: There is a positive influence between P-OF and employee satisfaction and employee For decades, the field of industrial and organizational psychology, along with related disciplines, has been the focus of substantial academic attention.
It has been suggested that there is a relationship between employee satisfaction and performance.
While numerous empirical studies demonstrate a bidirectional relationship between job satisfaction and DOI: https://doi.
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Classical theories, such as Locke .
, argue that employee performance influences job satisfaction.
According to this view, job satisfaction or dissatisfaction merely serves as a motivating force driving behavior.
In contrast.
Ilgen .
argues that job satisfaction is influenced by the difference between expected and actual performance outcomes.
Metaanalytic studies have also yielded conflicting results.
Petty et al.
's .
findings found a relatively strong correlation between job satisfaction and employee performance.
Conversely.
Laffaldano and Muchinsky's .
study, using a similar meta-analytic approach, found no significant relationship between job satisfaction and employee performance.
Several recent studies analyzing the relationship between job satisfaction and employee performance have yielded conflicting findings.
This inconsistency is attributed to various factors, such as differences in sample size and research context.
Ismail et al.
conducted research with 76 respondents in the Malaysian banking sector and found a significant positive relationship between job satisfaction and employee performance.
A different finding was obtained from Han's .
study, which involved 328 respondents from the golf equipment industry in Korea.
The study found no significant relationship between the two variables.
Similarly, a study conducted by Khan et al.
at a Pakistani university with a sample of sixty participants found that performance evaluation had a positive and significant impact on job satisfaction.
These results align with previous research findings by Shaju and Subhashini .
in the automotive sector and Yuen et al.
with 116 seafarers, both of which reported similar findings of a positive and significant relationship between job satisfaction and employee performance.
The hypotheses proposed in this study are:
H3: There is a positive influence between employee satisfaction and employee performance.
H4: Employee satisfaction plays a role in mediating the influence of PAeJF and P-OF on employee performance.
RESEARCH METHOD
Electronic questionnaires were distributed to Indonesian employees in order to collect study data.
The survey, which had 27 closed-ended questions, was sent out at random.
Of these.
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Five Likert scales were used to measure each topic on the survey.
In this study, a total of 452 electronic questionnaires were distributed to Indonesian employees.
A total of 452 questionnaires were returned, resulting in a 100% response rate According to Kristof et al.
P-JF has two dimensions: objective and subjective.
Meanwhile.
Zhang et al.
proposed four key characteristics of P-OF: value fit, goal fit, personality-climate fit, and needs-supply fit.
There is a single question for each dimension.
Meanwhile.
Robbins .
offered measures that serve as proxies for employee performance and happiness.
The work itself, pay, advancement, supervision, and coworkers are all examples of job satisfaction indicators.
In the meanwhile, quality, quantity, timeliness, effectiveness, and independence are all considered employee performance measures.
Analysis of the data using a path regression model .
ath analysi.
, which can be systematically written, as follows:
Satisfaction = _1.
1 P-JF _1.
2 P-OF A_1a.
Model 1 Performance = _2.
1 Satisfaction _2.
2 P-JF _2.
3 P-OF A_2a.
AA Model 2 Satisfaction = _3.
1 P-JF _3.
2 P-OF _3.
3 Gender _3.
4 Age _3.
5 Edu _3.
6 Tenure _3.
7 Pay A_3a.
AA.
Model 3 Performance = _4.
1 Satisfaction _4.
2 P-JF _4.
3 P-OF _4.
4 Gender _4.
5 Age _4.
6 Edu _4.
7 Tenure _4.
8 Pay a.
Model 4 Where.
PJF is an explanation of person-job fit.
POF is an explanation of personorganization fit, satisfaction is an explanation of employee satisfaction, and performance represents employee performance.
The control variables include factors such as gender, age, education, tenure, and pay.
A symbolizes the residual error, while represents the slope.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Statistics and test results for validity, reliability, and data normality are shown in Table 1 below.
As previously mentioned in the methodology section, computerized questionnaires were distributed to Indonesian employees to recruit study participants.
First delivered on 20 DOI: https://doi.
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02 October 2025 May 2021, the survey ended on 17 June 2021.
The number of responders at the time of its closure was 452.
Of the 452 respondents, on average, 79.
4% are male and 20.
6% are female.
The majority .
2%) are aged 30-39 years, 33.
8% are aged 40-49 years, 23.
9% are aged 20-29 years, and 1% are aged 50 or older.
According to their educational background, just 8.
4% have college or graduate degrees, 33.
8% have diplomas, and the majority .
7%) have only completed high school or less.
Based on tenure, the average respondent .
5%) has had a high tenure, i.
, above 10 years, 19.
7% have worked 4-7 years, 18.
6% have worked 8-10 years, 4% have a working period of 1-3 years, and only 1.
8% have a service period of less than 1 The majority of respondents, 64.
4%, have a take-home pay or income of around IDR 610 million per month, 17.
0% have an income of around IDR 11-15 million per month, 10.
have an income above IDR 15 million per month, and only 8.
6% who have an income of around IDR 2-5 million per month.
Table 1.
Statistics.
Validity.
Reliability, and Normality of Data ycA ycyeIyeCyea ycycycyeIye.
Respondent Gender
Age
Education Tenure Pay
1,507
2,283
----------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------
Question Items Person-Job Fit
P-JF1
P-JF2
Person-Organization Fit
P-OF1
P-OF2
P-OF3
P-OF4
Satisfaction Performance 3,721 Source: data processed SPSS V.
0, 2023
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02 October 2025 The respondent's average person-job fit (P-JF) is quite good (P-JF average = 3.
which shows that even in the WFH atmosphere due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the level of congruence between individual personal values is still relevant to their work.
This is because it is supported by the compatibility between educational background and the field of work (PJF1 mean = 3.
and the congruence between work and individual desires/expectations (PJF2 mean = 3.
Meanwhile, the average person-organization fit (P-OF) of the respondents is also quite good (P-OF average = 3.
This is mostly because employees' personal values and organizational values align well (P-OF1 mean = 4.
, and they also reasonably align with the organization's aims and vision (P-OF2 mean = 4.
Furthermore, employees perceive that the work environment, conditions, and circumstances are in line with their needs, wants, and expectations (P-OF3 mean = 3.
and that the organization is concerned about their needs, wants, and expectations (P-OF4 mean = 3.
The level of P-OF is marginally higher than that of P-JF when P-JF and P-OF are compared .
997 vs.
During the pandemic, respondents' overall job satisfaction was also fairly high .
atisfaction average = 3.
, particularly in relation to job-related satisfaction (S1 mean = .
, coworker satisfaction (S5 mean = 3,.
, salaries and benefits (S2 mean = 3.
, and leadership (S4 mean = 3.
However, respondents' satisfaction often produces uncertain results: between satisfied or dissatisfied (S3 mean = 3.
On average, they also do fairly well (P average = 3.
, particularly in terms of efficacy (P4 mean = 4.
and productivity (P3 = 3.
Work that consistently meets the established criteria (P1 mean = 3.
and output that has never been altered by superiors (P2 mean = 3.
are additional factors contributing to this strong performance.
However, employees are less independent since they occasionally seek assistance from their coworkers in the course of doing their jobs (P5 = 3.
This study can be said to have quite good validity because each question item has a correlation value .
of more than three (>.
Similarly, the test on each statement item is said to be valid because it has a Cronbach's alpha () score of more than 60%, indicating that the information collected from the survey is considered highly credible.
Additionally, each data set has an insignificant Z value, indicating that it is normally distributed and suitable for use in the following analytical step.
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Business Management Analysis Journal (BMAJ) Vol.
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Regression Model 1
Model 2
P-JF
P-OF
7,980 ***
18,016
238 ***
4,515 ***
-----------------------------------------
256 ***
Model 3
7,948 ***
17,656
***
Satisfaction Gender Age Edu Tenure Pay Memo Items No.
of Obs.
R Square Std.
Error
F-statistics -------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
409,776 ***
Model 4
161 ***
4,472 ***
358 ***
103 ***
728 ***
130 ***
903 ***
1,419 ***
***
-----------------------------------------
2,607
19,964 ***
--------- --------0.
104 ***
784 ***
061 -1,545 ***
086 ***
083 2,093 ** *
117,804 ***
2,608
8060 ***
Source: data processed SPSS V.
0, 2023
Table 2 above shows the regression results.
The table shows that employee satisfaction is positively and significantly influenced by P-JF and P-OF .
ee model .
This suggests that people are more satisfied with their jobs when their beliefs align with job and organization.
Variance of both in explaining satisfaction reaches 66.
4% due to the substantial correlation between P-JF and P-OF and job satisfaction (R = 0.
P-OF contributes more to the explanation of job satisfaction than P-JF when the two are compared (_P-OF = 0.
273 vs.
_PJF indicates a strong correlation between PJF and POF (R = 0.
This suggests that the better a person fits their organization, the better they fit their job.
This finding seems to support Kristof's .
view that POF is more significant than PJF and that PJF can develop gradually as long as POF has been effectively developed.
P-OF has a significant positive effect on performance in addition to job satisfaction .
ee Model .
This suggests that an individual's performance improves with greater alignment with the organization and vice versa.
When examining the effect P-OF and performance and job satisfaction, the former is more significant than the latter ( = 0.
616 vs.
The coefficient of determination for explaining satisfaction is higher than the coefficient of determination for explaining performance (R Adj.
Square = 0.
664 vs.
, while the link between satisfaction and performance is likewise stronger (R = 0.
804 vs.
Employee satisfaction was unable to mediate the influence of P-JF and P-OF on employee performance.
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02 October 2025 did not have a significant effect on employee performance.
Therefore, the first and third hypotheses (H1 and H.
are claimed to be only slightly supported, the second hypothesis (H.
is supported, but the fourth hypothesis (H.
is not supported at all.
Table 2's Models 3 and 4 display the regression results after adjusting for gender, age, education, tenure, and pay.
Employee satisfaction is positively and strongly correlated with both P-JF and P-OF in model 3.
The outcomes in Model 1 are identical to this.
Likewise, in model 4, employee performance is positively and significantly effected on just P-OF, although P-JF and satisfaction do not significantly affect performance.
This result aligns with the outcomes of model 2 as well.
Therefore, models 1 and 2 satisfy the model's feasibility requirements and show that significantly positive impact of P-JF and P-OF on employee satisfaction is independent of age, gender, tenure, pay, and education.
This indicates that the association between P-JF and P-OF with satisfaction is unaffected by the presence of either gender, age, tenure, education, or pay between employees.
Labor and output.
Likewise, it does not affect the relationship between job satisfaction and employee performance.
This study has limitations, including its cross-sectional design and its reliance on employees' own perceptions, which introduces common method bias and reduces the possibility of causal inference.
Furthermore, the sample was drawn exclusively from employees, so the findings cannot be generalized to other cultural or organizational contexts.
CONCLUSION
From the results and discussion above, it can be said that, although the environment has forced people to use new systems, such as working from home, people are generally quite compatible with their jobs and organizations in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Furthermore, only PersonAeOrganization Fit (P-OF) has a significant positive effect on employee performance, while PersonAeJob Fit (P-JF) and job satisfaction do not significantly influence performance.
Both P-JF and P-OF are proven to have a significant positive effect on In addition, satisfaction is unable to play a role in mediating the influence of P-JF and P-OF on employee performance.
P-OF plays a greater role than P-JF when the two are P-OF plays a larger role than P-JF when the two are contrasted.
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02 October 2025 This study highlights the importance of ensuring a strong P-OF, as it significantly influences both employee satisfaction and performance.
Organizations should be able to align their core values with the values and goals of employees to improve performance.
While P-JF does not directly impact employee performance, it still plays a crucial role in increasing employee satisfaction.
Therefore, employees are able to improve their skills and engagement, especially in remote or hybrid work environments like the current COVID-19 era, and organizations must support this.
Moving forward, a perspective that focuses on continuous alignment and adjustment of HR strategies is needed to maintain employee effectiveness in the post-pandemic era.
In the future, researchers are encouraged to conduct longitudinal studies to analyze PJF and P-OF over time, especially in the new work environment post-COVID-19.
Future research should expand the sample size to include samples from different industries, organizational cultures, or countries, which can increase the generalizability of the findings.
Furthermore, future research should better consider other mediating or moderating variables, such as organizational commitment and psychological empowerment, in their relationship to P-JF.
P-OF, satisfaction, and performance.
Finally, it is also necessary to combine quantitative and qualitative data.
REFERENCES