Understanding the antecedents of perceived fit at work in the United States, Russia, and China

•We explore the antecedents of employee fit at work in the U.S., Russia, and China.•We found universal and culture-specific antecedent-fit associations.•Past promotion positively relates to demands–abilities fit in three cultures.•Organizational constraints negatively predict needs–supplies fit in three cultures.•The salary-needs–supplies fit link is weaker in the U.S. than in Russia and China.

This manuscript reports a cross-cultural study examining four antecedents (average salary, past promotion, organizational constraints, and collectivistic values) of person–organization (P–O), demands–abilities (D–A), and needs–supplies (N–S) perceptions of fit. We draw on both the fundamental motivations framework and research on cross-cultural differences to outline antecedent–fit relationships that are universal and culture-specific. The universal antecedent–fit relationships include the associations between past promotion and D–A fit perceptions and organizational constraints and N–S fit perceptions. Two culture-specific antecedent–fit relationships were hypothesized. Salary was found to be more strongly related to N–S fit perceptions in Russia and China than in the U.S. Contrary to our predictions, however, the link between collectivistic values and P–O fit was stronger in the U.S. than in China. We conclude with implications for cross-cultural fit research and human resource management practices in multi-national organizations.