Career calling of nascent entrepreneurs in China: Structure and measurement

Abstract

Living out one's calling is a subjective standard of career success. In this study, we used qualitative and quantitative methods to examine the structure and measurement of career calling among young entrepreneurs in a Chinese cultural context. Qualitative data were obtained from a focus group of 20 entrepreneurs who had graduated from college within the previous 3 years, and quantitative data were obtained from a survey completed by 298 young entrepreneurs. Results of exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses showed that the entrepreneurial calling of nascent entrepreneurs in China can be accurately measured with a 13-item scale that includes 2 dimensions: purpose and meaningfulness. The Brief Career Calling Scale for Nascent Entrepreneurs that we developed in this study is a practical and convenient measure that will be useful for academic research and for counselors and practitioners assessing young peoples' career progress.