A sizeable portion of the working population perceives that they are overqualified for their jobs. This is
problematic, given that research consistently shows that such beliefs translate into lower levels of job
satisfaction. Hence, it behoves human resource management (HRM) scholars to identify factors that influence
perceptions of overqualification and also moderators that may reduce the negative effect of perceived
overqualification on job satisfaction. In this study, we present a moderated path model that posits that the
quality of the relationships that employees hold with their leader and with their team is not only antecedents of
perceived overqualification but it is also hypothesised to weaken the negative relationship between perceived
overqualification and job satisfaction. Survey data that were gathered from two organisations in the
Netherlands (n = 183) supported the model. Implications for theory and practice in HRM are discussed