Person-environment fit

Optimizing the fit between people and environments has a long tradition in social, organizational, and career psychology. Typically people are described in terms of their personality, knowledge, skills, and abilities, and their motivational needs and values, while environments are described in commensurate terms, but applied to the level of a job, career, work group, other person, or organization. Person-environment (P-E) fit has been used to predict satisfaction and commitment at the job, career, and organization level; performance and adjustment; and more recently bridge employment and retirement transition plans. P-E fit approaches have been applied to selection, education and training, human factors, career choice and late-career transition and adjustment.