Abstract: This conceptual paper seeks to bridge two existing theories in a bid to broaden our analytical scope when studying the process of onboarding, retention and exclusion of organizational members. The purpose of this paper is to address this issue. The authors draw on the social systems theory to advance the fit theory demonstrating the pertinence of macro social factors for the determination of person–organization (P–O) fit. The result of this conceptual groundwork is a framework for the creation of highly individual personal profiles that refrains from analyses of potentially discriminatory factors like age, race or gender. The authors present an individualized, multidimensional and flexible framework for the analysis of dynamically changing constellations of P–O fit.

Keywords: Social systems theory, functional differentiation, fit theory, membership, zone of indifference, Niklas Luhmann. 

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Recommended citation: Sales A., Mansur J., and Roth S. (2023). Fit for functional differentiation: new directions for personnel management and organizational change bridging the fit theory and social systems theory. Journal of Organizational Change Management, Vol. 36, No. 2, pp. 273-289 [SSCI 2.096, Scopus, CNRS, FNEGE, CABS**].