The selection, optimization, and compensation model in the work context:A systematic review and meta-analysis of two decades of research

Over the past two decades, the selection, optimization, and compensation (SOC) model has been applied in the work context to investigate antecedents and outcomes of employees’ use of action regulation strategies. We systematically review, meta-analyze, and critically discuss the literature on SOC strategy use at work and outline directions for future research and practice. The systematic review illustrates the breadth of constructs that have been studied in relation to SOC strategy use, and that SOC strategy use can mediate and moderate relationships of person and contextual antecedents with work outcomes. Results of the meta-analysis show that SOC strategy use is positively related to age (rc= .04), job autonomy (rc= .17), self-reported job performance (rc= .23), non-self-reported job performance (rc= .21), job satisfaction (rc= .25), and job engagement (rc= .38), whereas SOC strategy use is not significantly related to job tenure, job demands, and job strain. Overall, our fi ndings underline the importance of the SOC model for the work context, and they also suggest that its measurement and reporting standards need to be improved to become a reliable guide for future research and organizational practice. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd