When P-J fit and P-O fit meet guanxi in a Chinese selection context

Purpose – Human resource management may have great distinctions in different cultural contexts; past researches have increasingly discovered the differences between Eastern and Western perspectives. For employee selection, Chinese bosses usually employ acquaintances and relative bases on accumulated favors and relationship intensity in Chinese society. This study aims to investigate the relative importance of P-J fit, P-O fit and guanxi when Chinese recruiters judge the qualifications of job applicants. Design/methodology/approach – To test the hypotheses in this paper, the authors use a policy capturing methodology that is widely used for analyses of human judgment and decision making. This design enables the authors to infer the way managers integrate different indices of selection in making decisions. During the period of time, the study was running, 95 participants with hiring experience in Chinese regions completed the task, and they were from several industries for the generalization of this study. Findings – The results indicate that P-J fit, P-O fit and guanxi all have a unique impact on manager's hiring decisions in Chinese society, and P-J fit is weighted more heavily than P-O fit and guanxi. Originality/value – This is the first study that integrates the Eastern and the Western perspectives, supplements the gap between selection and fit theory in the West and proves that P-J fit, P-O fit and Chinese guanxi all have individual influence on hiring decisions. “Guanxi” is the key factor that has great impact on the process of hiring decisions in Chinese societies compared with Western organizations.