The role of job-related affective well-being in the relationship between person–organization fit and job performance among on-site, hybrid and remote employees

Purpose This study aimed to achieve two objectives: First, we verified whether person–organization fit indirectly affected job performance through positive and negative job-related affective well-being to explore potential affective mechanisms underlying these relationships. Second, we examined possible variations in these associations among employees in on-site, hybrid and remote work modalities. Design/methodology/approach The cross-sectional survey, involving 804 participants across the three work arrangements, utilized moderated mediation analysis to examine the impact of person–organization fit on job performance, with the mediating role of job-related affective well-being and the moderating effects of work modes. Findings The results revealed a positive relationship between fit and performance via positive and negative job-related affective well-being, consistent across all work modalities. Research limitations/implications The findings implicate the importance of person–organization fit in enhancing well-being and its consequences in performance behavior and goal attainment. The consistency of this relationship across various forms of work, including remote and hybrid arrangements, suggests their similarity. Originality/value This paper substantially contributes to the field and literature in several key aspects. First, we suggest and verify an underlying affective mechanism for the PO fit-job performance relationship. Second, we discuss this mechanism in the context of the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions, providing theoretical insights into the empirical findings. Last, we incorporate three work modalities to create a more complex model and investigate if the post-pandemic changes observed in the work environment differentiate the fit-performance association discovered in prior research.