Person-Environment Fit: Empowering Leadership Practices on Teachers’ Work Engagement and Motivation

Abstract

This research examines the relationship between Person-Environment fit (PE fit) and teachers’ work engagement and motivation in the context of public elementary schools in the Department of Education (DepEd) in the Philippines. The study surveyed 117 teachers through random sampling and utilized multiple regression analysis to identify significant predictors of teachers’ work engagement and motivation. Results indicate that P-E fit is highly observed among public elementary school teachers with high work engagement and motivation. Moreover, there was a moderate correlation between the different factors of P-E fit, including person-vocation fit, person-organization fit, person-group fit, and person-job fit. The study’s most notable finding is that person-organization and person-group fit significantly influenced teachers’ work engagement and motivation. This suggests that teachers who fit well with their organization and workgroup are more likely to be motivated and engaged. These findings have implications for human resource management and organizational leadership practices, highlighting the importance of considering P-E fit when hiring and managing teachers. Overall, this study contributes to the growing literature on P-E fit and its impact on work engagement and motivation. It provides valuable insights for school administrators and policymakers on creating a work environment that fosters teacher engagement and motivation, ultimately improving the quality of education for students.

Keywords

• person-environment fit
• work engagement
• work motivation
• teacher quality