Promoting Employees’ Affective Well-Being: Comparing the Impact of Career Success Criteria Clarity and Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy

Abstract

Based on social cognitive career theory, this study examined career success criteria clarity and career decision-making self-efficacy as mediators in the relationship between career exploration and affective well-being. Data were collected from 475 emerging adults in their early career stages in China. The results showed that both career success criteria clarity and career decision-making self-efficacy mediated the relationship between career exploration and affective well-being. Career decision-making self-efficacy exhibited a stronger mediating effect on this relationship than career success criteria clarity. These findings reveal some important mechanisms underlying the role of career exploration in generating affective well-being and contribute to the social cognitive career theory model. Implications both for researchers and practitioners are discussed.