Grit within the Context of Career Success: a Mixed Methods Study

Abstract

Grit has been shown to predict success in several achievement-related domains but had not been studied in the career context. This mixed methods study examined whether grit predicted career success and explored the role and relevance of grit in career success for gritty, successful working adults. Four hundred twenty-three adults participated in the quantitative phase and provided survey responses to the Short Grit Scale (Grit-S), the Career Satisfaction Scale (CSS), a career status measure, and salary information. Quantitative data were analyzed using correlational analysis, independent samples t-test, one-way ANOVA, and multiple regression. In this study, the correlational analysis showed that grit did not predict career success. Multiple regressions demonstrated that grit did not significantly add to any of the models using age and gender as covariates. Five individuals from the quantitative phase agreed to participate in the qualitative phase and were invited based on their top quartile scores on the Grit-S and CSS. Individual interviews served as the qualitative data collection method, and text data were analyzed using principles of positive psychology as a theoretical framework. Findings suggest that although gritty, successful participants perceived grit as necessary for their career success, they did not think it was sufficient. Participants named luck, opportunity, and networking as more important than grit in their success.