Does the relationship between person–organization fit and work attitudes differ for blue-collar and white-collar employees?

Purpose Most employee attitudes and behaviors are determined by both personal and situational characteristics. Studies on person–organization fit (POF), which is defined as the congruence between individual and organizational values, also support this assumption. Employees who perceive high POF have high positive work attitudes and low intention to leave. However, this study assumes that the relationship between perceived POF and work attitudes may be different with respect to employees’ status and aims to investigate how perceived POF may differ in consequences among blue-collar and white-collar employees. Design/methodology/approach Multiple group analysis of structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted to test the moderation effect of employee status on the relationship between perceived POF and work attitudes. Findings Results indicated that the relationship between perceived POF and organizational commitment, job satisfaction, organizational identification and intention to leave differ with respect to individual’s status (blue-collar–white collar). As the status of the individuals increases, the relationship between POF and work attitudes (organizational commitment, job satisfaction and organization identification) becomes weaker. Originality/value Rather than just focusing results of POF, this study focuses on moderating variables that differentiate the relationship between POF and outcomes by considering individual differences caused by different motivation and abilities.