Moderators of the Prediction of Job Satisfaction from Congruence: A Test of Holland's Theory

An outgrowth of the search for individual differences serving to enhance the predictability of behavior has led to speculations on the nature of personality characteristics which might moderate the extent to which work outcomes depend on degree of person- environment fit or congruence. This study investigated the extent to which three constructs proposed by Holland (1985; differentiation, consistency, and vocational identity) indeed moderate the strength of the congruence-satisfaction relationship. A sample of 139 employed adults who had completed Strong Interest Inventories between 1 and 6 years earlier completed measures of job satisfaction and vocational identity. The results indicated that none of Holland's proposed constructs moderated the strength of the congruence-satisfaction relationship, although congruence did emerge as a stronger predictor of job satisfaction for older males than for younger males. Implications for vocational assessment and career counseling are discussed.