Research on person–environment fit theory has largely developed within the context of people and organisations in urban settings. There has been little research of this kind within organisations in isolated and confined contexts. The purpose of this article was to examine the implications of person–environment fit theory within the context of the complementary fit and supplementary fit paradigm (Muchinsky & Monahan, 1987), for people working in isolated and remote organisational settings. Using a sample of Antarctic personnel, this study examined the extent to which psychological need fulfilment and subjective fit with Antarctic station culture were equally important in predicting individual attitudes, including satisfaction with being an expedition member, intent to return and willingness to recommend the Antarctic to others. Results showed that gender and subjective fit with Antarctic station culture predicted satisfaction with station membership. Results also showed that subjective fit predicted willingness to recommend the Antarctic as a good place to work, while psychological need fulfilment was not a predictor of any of the outcome variables examined. Results suggest that outcomes such as intention to return (or to stay) may be less relevant in such settings because of the unique and temporary nature of the experience and the work. Results also attest to the need for further development of organisational theories, including person–environment fit theory, using data collected from organisations in isolated, confined and extreme environmental contexts.

In spite of a long history, Industrial and Organisational (I/O) psychology appears to be relatively unknown beyond those who teach or practise it. Research in Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand is reviewed to illustrate common problems. To provide an update on the local situation, a survey of 46 I/O psychologists was conducted to identify what types of activities I/O psychologists in New Zealand are engaged in, and what they think the issues are for the profession both now and in the future. We present the issues under five themes: current role, education and training, strategic perspectives, contribution to New Zealand business, and the future. In conclusion, we provide suggestions to address the key problems that our I/O psychologist respondents identified.

Competency models represent a popular concept that is widely applied in such areas as human resource selection, performance management, employee development, and job analysis. Despite widespread popularity and applied use, little is known about the measurement properties of competencies and whether they can reasonably be used to provide meaningful feedback or as a basis for employment decisions. The present study evaluated the internal consistency of multimethod competency scores obtained from a developmental assessment centre. A total of 214 managers participated in this study. Results suggested that there was virtually no support for the idea that multimethod-derived competencies could be regarded as meaningful, internally consistent, underlying characteristics. The article argues that competency models that employ multimethod approaches merely provide a semantic framework for conveying the complexity of a person specification, a framework which is qualitative not quantitative. These findings are discussed in relation to their implications for behavioral assessment in employment.

The purpose of this article is to define ‘social undermining’ and to discuss its causes and effects within an organisational context. Central to social undermining is the effect of moral disengagement, which is the main precursor to the manifestation of social undermining in personal and professional behaviours. Possible causes and motivations for the social undermining of others and behavioural symptoms in its victims are examined. Reasons for why social undermining is important for organisations, employees, and the effect of it on workplace behaviours within organisations are then explored. Employee and organisational reputation are discussed in the context of social undermining as a workplace stressor and as existing on a continuum of supportive and/or derogative workplace behaviours.

The transition to motherhood is a significant life event impacting on all spheres of a woman's life. In an organisational context, changes to women's relationships with their employer and to their social identity occur as they adjust to their new role. A case study was undertaken to describe and compare the workplace experiences of three female employees from one health organisation who were either preparing to commence, currently on or recently returned to work from maternity leave. At all stages of the maternity journey, women expected flexibility from their employer in negotiating their return to work and managing parenting responsibilities. Women's obligations to their employer included being open about their capacity to work and parenting situations which may interfere with their work, as well as maintaining their work performance. Within a supportive work environment that included a shared identity with managers who were also mothers, women's social identity as a worker was not significantly threatened and did not change. Social identity change may be most apparent during the transition to first-time motherhood.

This paper investigated the relationship between organisational climate and organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB) among employees of selected private companies in south-eastern Nigeria. It examined the relationship between each of the three dimensions of organisational climate (reflexivity, innovation and outward focus) and OCB. A total of 262 (Male = 184; Female = 78) respondents that were randomly selected among employees of private manufacturing companies in Abia state participated in the study. Data were collected through standardised psychological scales viz organisational climate measure (OCM) and organisational citizenship behaviour checklists (OCBC). Data were analysed using Multiple Regression. Results revealed that organisational climate significantly predicted OCB. It further showed a significant positive relationship between reflexivity and OCB, innovation and OCB and a significant inverse relationship between outward focus and OCB. The study concluded that organisational climate had a significant positive relationship with OCB among employees of private companies in Abia state. The study recommended that private organisations need to promote a positive organisational climate as much as possible to facilitate adequate display of OCB.