Match-making and match-breaking : the nature of match within and around job design

We explore the notion of `match'. In the context of job design, this is congruence or correspondence between two or more job characteristics (e.g. cognitive demands and cognitive control). This congruence is thought to benefit health, well-being, and performance. The origins of the match concept lie in buffering models of work stress, where resources such as workplace social support and job control are thought to attenuate deleterious effects of adverse job characteristics like excessive job demands. We outline the historical developments in work stress research that has led to notions of match, contrast match with the related concept of person-environment fit, explore current conceptualizations and operationalizations of match, and outline how the concept of match can be developed.