How organizations promote person-environment fit: using the case of japanese firms to illustrate institutional and cultural influences

The majority of person-environment (P-E) fit studies have been conducted in the Western context and little is known about the process through which organizations promote P-E fit. In this paper, I illustrate how Japanese organizations promote multiple types of P-E fit through their human resource practices. I also develop conceptual models in which promoting P-E fit in Japanese firms is contrasted with that of U.S. firms. The case and models suggest that institutional and cultural contexts affect the way organizations promote P-E fit. Future research directions for a better understanding of P-E fit management especially in the Asia-Pacific region are discussed.