Does person–organization fit facilitate or suppress positive deviance? Exploring the moderating effect of employees’ DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion)

Purpose Person–organization fit (PO fit) research has often been criticized for its static nature, although it is widely acknowledged as crucial for organizations. As employers increasingly prioritize commitments to “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) in their workplaces, this study aims to verify the nonlinear effects of PO fit on employees’ positive deviance (PD) by identifying DEI perceptions as a boundary condition. Design/methodology/approach This paper adopted a nonlinear perspective grounded in PO fit theory and DEI context to investigate the phenomenon of intentional norm-deviating behaviors among employees. We tested our hypotheses in a three-wave sample of 418 workers in South Korea by an online survey. Findings The results show that (1) a U-shaped curvilinear relationship exists between PO fit and PD and (2) DEI plays a moderating role such that when DEI is high, there exists an inverted U-shaped relationship. PD will be higher when the PO fit is in the middle than when it is either low or high. Originality/value This is the first study to examine PO fit and PD and offers new insights into a phenomenon that has been mostly neglected in the literature.