Evaluating Person-Environment Fit among Contract and Remote Workforce: Iran and Turkey as Case Study

Abstract

The rapid expansion of remote and contract-based employment has transformed traditional employment relationships and created new challenges for employee adaptation and organizational integration. Within this changing work environment, Person-Environment Fit (P-E Fit) has emerged as a critical framework for understanding employee well-being, work attitudes, and performance outcomes. Despite growing attention to remote work, limited empirical research has examined the multidimensional nature of P-E Fit among remote and contract workers in emerging economies.

This study investigates the level and dimensions of Person-Environment Fit among remote and contract employees in Iran and Turkey. Adopting a multidimensional perspective, the research examines person-job fit, person-organization fit, person-group fit, and person–supervisor fit. A quantitative research design was employed using the Perceived Person-Environment Fit Scale developed by Chuang et al. (2016). Data were collected from 202 remote and contract workers across Iran and Turkey and analyzed using descriptive statistics, one-sample t-tests, repeated measures ANOVA, and MANOVA.

The findings indicate that overall, person-environment fit among remote and contract workers is above the theoretical average level. Person-job fit and person-organization fit emerged as the strongest dimensions, whereas person-supervisor fit remained comparatively weaker. within person-group fit, value congruence was identified as the dominant dimension, followed by goal congruence and attribute congruence. furthermore, significant differences were observed across education level, marital status, and country of residence, while no significant differences were found regarding gender, age, work experience, or remote work experience.

The study contributes to the growing literature on flexible work arrangements by extending Person-Environment Fit theory to remote and contract employment contexts in emerging economies. The findings provide practical implications for organizations seeking to strengthen employee alignment, engagement, and retention in increasingly flexible and digitally mediated workplaces.