The assessment of attitudes toward overqualification

Abstract

Overqualification represents an employment situation where an individual has excess knowledge, skills, abilities, experience, or other qualifications that are not required or applied in their current job. Previous research has identified positive and negative outcomes of overqualified workers. The present study developed and validated two scales assessing attitudes toward overqualification to gain a deeper understanding of overqualification. The first scale, employee’s attitude toward overqualification, was developed based on person-job fit theory and assessed employee’s attitude toward their overqualification. The second scale, perceived management attitudes toward overqualification, was developed based on human capital theory and assessed how the employee perceives management’s attitude toward overqualified employees. Two samples were used to examine the factor structure and validate the scales. After exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, the employee’s attitude toward overqualification identified eight items loading onto two distinct factors of added organizational benefit and added personal benefit. The perceived management attitudes toward overqualification scale exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis identified eight items loading onto two distinct factors, recognition of assists and recognition of potential. Both scales were significantly and positively associated with person-job fit, perceived investment in employee development, and job satisfaction. Additionally, both scales were significantly and negatively associated with turnover intentions. Perceived management attitudes toward overqualification was significantly and negatively associated with perceived overqualification. The scales demonstrate incremental validity over and above perceived overqualification in predicting job satisfaction and turnover intentions. Together, the results suggest the need to assess attitudes toward overqualification to gain a more wholistic understanding of overqualification and organizational outcomes.