Employee Performance in Temporary Organizations: The Effects of Person-Environment Fit and Temporariness on Task Performance and Innovative Performance

Abstract

This study investigates individual employee performance, both task-oriented and innovation-generating, in temporary organizations (TOs) by applying the person-environment (P-E) fit concept. Prior research on work outcomes has revealed distinct differences between TOs and their surrounding permanent organizations (POs) but has not included a differentiated investigation of the antecedents of employee performance in TOs. Accordingly, we examine the influence of different P-E fit dimensions and the moderating role of the temporariness of the organizational unit on task performance and innovative performance using a cross-industry sample of 341 TO members and 20 of their supervisors. Our findings suggest that (i) both task and innovative performance in TOs are significantly increased by overall P-E fit, within which (ii) the dimension of Person-Job fit has the largest impact, and (iii) temporariness can increase the positive effect of P-E fit on task performance.