Moderators of agreement between incumbent and non‐incumbent ratings of job characteristics

Past research on both job design and job analysis has evidenced a great deal of variability in the degree of convergence between incumbent and non‐incumbent ratings of job characteristics. The present study attempted to shed light on this issue by identifying the factors that moderate the level of agreement between incumbents and non‐incumbents. An examination of these moderators informed theoretical and practical aspects of job design and job analysis. As hypothesized, job complexity and job satisfaction moderated the level of agreement between incumbents and non‐incumbents, with agreement being highest for jobs involving simple data operations and low levels of incumbents' job satisfaction. Because non‐incumbents are affected by unique factors that do not affect incumbents and vice versa, non‐incumbent and incumbent ratings should supplement each other.