Dissertation
Connect to fit, fit to connect: the coevolution of perceived person-group fit and social networks
University of Iowa
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Iowa
Summer 2021
DOI: 10.17077/etd.006008
Abstract
Research has established that person–group (PG) fit, defined as the interpersonal compatibility between individuals and members of their immediate work groups, leads to well-being and success of those who work in teams. Much less known is what influences the levels of and changes in both task- and social-based PG fit perceptions. In this dissertation, I integrate social network research with person-environment (PE) fit literature to propose that a) employee centrality in team advice network is an antecedent to task-based PG fit and centrality in team friendship network is an antecedent to social-based PG fit; b) task-based PG fit prompts team members to change their advice-seeking networks by increasing tie creation in teams and by decreasing tie retention in teams and tie creation out of teams, and social-based PG fit prompts team members to change their friendship networks by increasing tie retention in teams and by decreasing tie creation in and out of teams; c) network changing actions impact subsequent PG fit perceptions; and d) PG fit and changes in PG fit impact distal outcomes including job attitudes and performance in teams. A longitudinal study with employees working in teams was conducted to test my model. Data were analyzed with the Simulation Investigation for Empirical Network Analysis (SIENA) and structural equation modeling (SEM). Results provided some support to fit impacting network changes but little support for networks influencing fit perceptions.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Connect to fit, fit to connect: the coevolution of perceived person-group fit and social networks
- Creators
- Qi Zhang
- Contributors
- Rong Su (Advisor)Amy E Colbert (Advisor)Amy Kristof-Brown (Committee Member)Ning Li (Committee Member)Greg L Stewart (Committee Member)
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Iowa
- Degree in
- Business Administration
- Date degree season
- Summer 2021
- DOI
- 10.17077/etd.006008
- Publisher
- University of Iowa
- Number of pages
- x, 141 pages
- Copyright
- Copyright 2021 Qi Zhang
- Language
- English
- Description illustrations
- illustrations
- Description bibliographic
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 103-122)
- Public Abstract (ETD)
Organizations typically “hire for fit”, expecting employees to quickly get on board and fit in with their work teams. In this dissertation, I challenge this prevailing practice by studying employees’ fit to their teams as a dynamic process through the lens of social relations at work. I propose that an employee’s network of work relationships serves two roles: a source of information cues that can be processed to build a sense of fit, and an instrument of change that can be harnessed to achieve a better fit. Results indicated that task-based and social-based fit perceptions drive team members to modify their network ties, through creating new advice-seeking relationships in teams, relying less on existing advice-givers in teams, and creating new friendships out of teams. Seeking advice from new, out-of-team targets is found to improve task-based fit perceptions. Perceiving fit is also found to lead to critical outcomes such as job performance and satisfaction with the work team.
- Academic Unit
- Tippie College of Business
- Record Identifier
- 9984124761702771
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