Conclusion

P-J and P-O fit-match between an individual's attributes and their surroundings increases the positive emotions, attitudes and behaviours. In other words, when fit occurs, consequently it generates work-related positive attitudinal and behavioural outcomes. Similarly, we expect that high congruity between the employee and the employer will encourage individuals towards a high level of engagement. This relationship can be well understood through the social exchange theory. In a nutshell, when individuals achieve a good fit with their work and organizations, they feel obliged and tend to pay back to their partner in terms of a high level of engagement. Moreover, given that the employee engagement is the centre of attention in contemporary literature due to its negative relationship with turnover intention, it is assumed that individuals with a high level of engagement tend to stay longer and participate less in voluntary withdrawals. Finally, taking all together, when the antecedents (P-O fit and P-J fit) are expected to predict employee engagement, and employee engagement has already been recognized as a strong predictor of consequences (turnover intention), it is conceivable theoretically that engagement mediates the relationship between the antecedents and consequences.

Since the relationship of P-J and P-O fit, and turnover intention has been less discussed with regard to employee engagement, the present paper fills the indicated research gap. It integrates P-O fit and P-J fit, employee engagement and turnover intention in a single framework, which is a relatively unique attempt. Additionally, we go beyond the traditional approaches by proposing a three-step framework that theoretically links P-J and P-O fit (antecedents), and employee engagement (outcome), and integrate turnover intention as a consequence.

Future studies should conceptualize and test other behavioural constructs, especially organizational citizenship behaviour, as a mediator between P-J and P-O fit and turnover intention. In addition, future studies are recommended to validate the proposed framework by using advanced statistical methods, such as structural equation modelling, in order to attain robust results. Given that the presence of a moderator could strengthen the relationship between the proposed variables, future studies could integrate exchange ideology as the potential moderator to further extend the proposed model.