Person-Environment Fit Theory: Application to the design of work environments

In a world where personalities are so different, many researchers have shown that the most successful organisations are those with a workplace designed to accentuate positive psychological aspects i.e. behavioural traits, physical need and social wellbeing. As such, organisations have leveraged person-environment fit theory to create workplace environments designed to balance psychological aspects of individuals’ need to collectively elevate workforce performance and productivity. It is no surprise that the work environment has evolved since the 1960s from cubicles to open-plan and, recently, to activity-based flexible spaces that bring together the physical and digital workplaces. This chapter focusses on ‘person-environment fit’ theory, which aims to provide literature relating to the theoretical underpinning of its distinctive concepts and, indeed, how organisations conceive and posit theory in designing their workplaces. Then, it presents two metrics to shed light on the impacts of aligning PE-fit with the workplace, both positively and negatively as applicable, and whether this has led to improved performance and productivity. Also worthy of final note, it addresses some of the limitations which have arisen and seeks to outline new imperatives.