Who Gets Stuck in Their Workplaces? The Role of Matching Factors, between Individual and Job, and Demographics in Predicting Being Locked In

Abstract

When a workplace/organization does not fulfill one's needs and wishes anymore, many individuals change to other workplaces/organizations. However, for some individuals this is not feasible as they perceive a lack of alternatives; they feel stuck in a non-preferred workplace (being locked in), or they may be in the risk zone of becoming locked in. Few studies have investigated the reasons for becoming locked in, and it is the aim of this study to investigate whether matching factors between work and individual and/or demographic factors can predict locked-in positions. Multinomial logistic regression analyses were performed-cross-sectionally and longitudinally (N = 3633-6449)-and showed that mismatch in terms of over-qualification and lack of physical and mental work abilities increased the odds ratios for being in locked-in positions. In contrast, working in relatively higher socioeconomic categories of both manual and non-manual work, commonly demanding higher education (vocational or academic), protected against being locked in. This study contributes to the career research field by studying determinants of disadvantageous career positions, which have been neglected in past research.

Fit to Last? Investigating How Person-Job Fit and Person-Organization Fit Affect Turnover Intention in the Retail Context

“…Work in the retail supermarket industry can be monotonous, employees feel a low sense of accomplishment, which makes them less satisfied with the job and therefore more prone to exert turnover intention (Salleh et al, 2012). However, due to the low perceived employability, individuals might be inclined to remain instead of pursuing another job (Stengård et al, 2019) The principal argument of this paper is that the better the P-J and P-O fit, the less likely employees are to quit the organization. When employees do not feel attached to the job they are doing and do not identify with what the organization represents for them, they will be prone to quit once an opportunity emerges.…”

Building on job immobility concepts: a conceptual model and future research agenda on “locked at the job”

“…When these changing motives are not fulfilled by the work environment, this will induce a PE-misfit. In addition, one's educational level can be an important individual factor, triggering a misfit with the work environment (Stenga 8 rd, 2018;Steng ard et al, 2019). A highly educated employee is more likely to have the skill level required for a wider variety of jobs and hence generally has more favorable employment prospects resulting in a proper PE fit (Fur aker et al, 2014;Steng ard et al, 2019).…”

“…For example, future research can focus on individual factors causing locked at the job. For example, age, educational level but also tenure may influence the level of becoming locked at the job (Fur aker et al, 2014;Groot and Verberne, 1997;Huysse-Gaytandjieva et al, 2013;Steng ard et al, 2019) and hence should be examined. In addition, future research can also focus on the environmental factors that could cause employees to become locked at the job, such as organizational support, job demands or job characteristics (Bernhard-Oettel et al, 2018;Steng ard et al, 2019).…”

“Face” and family preference of job matters: Association between Face need, lock-in job and burnout among high-tech company workers in Taiwan

“…We used and modi ed the workplace preference scale of Stengard's lock-in questionnaire in the study [6,7]. Workplace preference was measured by questions as "Is your current occupation the occupation you expected?…”

“…Therefore, perceived employability played a role in lock-in status of employees. And their studies based on longitudinal design also showed the negative impact of lock-in status on well-being among workers [6,7].…”