The mediating role of person-job fit between person-organisation fit and intention to leave the job: empirical evidence from Pakistan

Abstract

The turnover of faculty members is a pressing problem that has adversely affected the performance and productivity of higher education institutions. The purpose of this study is to examine the direct effect of person-organisation fit (POF) and person-job fit (PJF) on faculty members' turnover intentions. Furthermore, the study explores the mediating role of PJF between POF and turnover intention. Data collected from faculty members of public sector colleges (n = 250) were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling. The results, contrary to our expectations, revealed that POF is not a significant predictor of faculty turnover intention. However, the results provided support for the negative relationship between PJF and turnover intention. Additionally, as predicted, the results confirmed that PJF mediates the relationship between POF and turnover intention. The findings also revealed that the reliability and validity of the adopted/adapted scales change in the context of different countries and organisational settings. The theoretical and practical implications, research limitations and directions for future research are provided.