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Overqualification Theory, Research, and Practice: Things That Matter

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 January 2015

Berrin Erdogan ,
Talya N. Bauer ,
José María Peiró  and
Donald M. Truxillo
Berrin Erdogan*
Affiliation:
Portland State University
Talya N. Bauer
Affiliation:
Portland State University
José María Peiró
Affiliation:
University of Valencia & IVIE
Donald M. Truxillo
Affiliation:
Portland State University
*
E-mail: berrine@sba.pdx.edu, Address: School of Business Administration, Portland State University, 631 SW Harrison Street, Portland, OR 97207
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Abstract

In our focal article, we contended that overqualified employees may present unique advantages to hiring organizations and that decisions regarding overqualified employees should be made considering the strengths as well as potential limitations of employing overqualified employees. In this response to commentaries on our original article, we identify distinctions researchers should pay attention to. Specifically, measurement of overqualification (whether objective or subjective measures are used), dimension of overqualification in question (overeducation, being overskilled, overintelligence, or overexperience), when and from whose perspective overqualification is assessed (before or after employment), whether overqualification occurs within the context of other overqualified employees, the degree of choice available to the job applicant in becoming overqualified, as well as the specific nature of the population being affected by overqualification are important issues that affect the theory as well as management of overqualification.

Type
Response
Information
Industrial and Organizational Psychology , Volume 4 , Issue 2 , June 2011 , pp. 260 - 267
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology 2011 

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Footnotes

*

José María Peiró's contribution was supported by funds from the project SEJ2006-14086/PSIC.

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