Predicting Career Adaptability Research Articles

The role of contextual predictors and psychosocial resources in the school‐to‐work transition

AbstractBased on the Psychology of Working Theory, this study examined the influence of contextual factors and psychosocial resources on school‐to‐work transition. Data were collected from 781 senior university students in Türkiye, and the relationships between economic constraints, marginalization, general self‐efficacy, career adaptability, perceived future employability, and future decent work were examined. According to the results, economic constraints and marginalization negatively predicted perceived future employability and future decent work. Marginalization significantly predicted general self‐efficacy and career adaptability, whereas economic constraints were not associated with two psychosocial resources. General self‐efficacy significantly predicted career adaptability, while it was not related to perceived future employability and future decent work. Career adaptability significantly predicted perceived future employability but not future decent work. Lastly, perceived future employability significantly predicted future decent work. The findings revealed the significant influence of contextual factors on the school‐to‐work transition. Implications and suggestions for future research directions were also discussed.

Factors affecting career motivation of recent graduates: Career adaptability as a mediator

AbstractCareer adaptability is a key resource for adapting to and transitioning into careers. However, gaps are found in the research on career adaptability. This study examined whether proactive personality, future‐proofing, psychological capital, and technology readiness predict career adaptability and whether career adaptability mediates the relationship between these predictors and career motivation. The data from 455 Malaysian recent university graduates found career adaptability to mediate the relationship between all predictors and career motivation. They positively affected career adaptability, which in turn, increased career motivation. While, in the presence of predictors of individual characteristics, technology readiness was not significant in predicting career adaptability, it predicted career motivation. The study recommends enhancing career adaptability and personal traits through interventions and training, stressing the importance of integrating technology into higher education to promote career motivation and readiness for adapting to the future work environment.

Examining predictors and outcomes of future decent work perception among Nigerian emerging adults

High levels of poverty and unemployment are pervasive barriers to Nigerian emerging adults entering the job market. The current study employed the Psychology of Working Theory to explore career engagement, academic satisfaction, and life satisfaction predictors in a nation experiencing the intersections of high poverty and high unemployment rate. We tested a model predicting these outcomes from economic constraints and marginalization mediated by work volition, career adaptability, and perceptions of future decent work. We administered online surveys to 310 undergraduates in Nigeria. Career adaptability and work volition predicted the perception of future access to decent work. Also, those who reported higher chances of securing decent work after graduation reported greater academic and life satisfaction and career engagement. While economic constraints predicted career adaptability in this model, marginalization did not predict career adaptability. In contrast with previous studies, economic constraints, and marginalization were not predictive of work volition or future decent work perception. We also found a positive relationship between economic challenges and career adaptability against the propositions of the Psychology of Working Theory (PWT). The implications of our findings were discussed.

Predicting Decent Work Among US Black Workers: Examining Psychology of Working Theory

The U.S. has a history of marginalizing Black people. Marginalization impedes Black Americans’ ability to secure wealth, education, and meaningful work. The Psychology of Working Theory (PWT) uses a social justice lens to understand how contextual factors inform the labor market experiences of those who work and want to work. PWT highlights the ways economic constraints and marginalization predict access to decent work. We tested the PWT model with two measures of marginalization, general ethnic discrimination, and racial microaggressions, with a sample of 241 Black workers to add to the extant literature about the suitability of the PWT for racial minorities. Diverging from previous studies, we found that marginalization predicted career adaptability. Consistent with previous studies, marginalization and economic constraints predicted Black workers’ work volition and perceived access to decent work. Work volition mediated the relationship between general ethnic discrimination and economic constraints with the perception of attaining decent work.

Career Adaptability Development in the School-To-Work Transition

The development pattern of career adaptability has an important influence on individual mental health and career outcomes. Based on career construction theory, our study explored the development characteristics of the career adaptability of college students during the school-to-work transition and discussed how the notions of future work selves and core self-evaluation affect the development trajectories and development patterns of career adaptability. Our study investigated 429 college graduates at an interval of 6 months over the course of 1 year. The results indicated that the graduates had a positive career adaptability trajectory during the school-to-work transition. There were three different development patterns: rapid growth group, growth group, and stationary group. Future work selves predicted career adaptability positively and dynamically. A higher core self-evaluation predicted a higher initial level of career adaptability and a slower development speed. Our study has important implications for enriching career construction theory and career counseling practice.

Beliren Yetişkinlerde Kariyer Uyumluluğunun Yordayıcısı Olarak Bilişsel Kontrol ve Esneklik

Purpose: The main purpose of this study is to reveal the predictive role of cognitive control and flexibility on career adaptabilityof emerging adults and the relationships among the variables.Design/Methodology/Approach: A total of 318 emerging adults, 193 female (60.7%) and 125 male (39.3%) participated in thestudy. The age range of the participants in the study is 19-26 and the mean age is 21.52 (SD: 1.57). The data of the study werecollected by the Career Adaptability Scale and the Cognitive Control/Flexibility Questionnaire. Pearson correlation coefficientand multiple regression analysis were used to analyze the data.Findings: The findings of the study revealed that the variables in the study showed positive correlations and appraisal/copingflexibility factor significantly predicted career adaptability. According to the regression model, appraisal/coping flexibility factorexplains approximately 12% of the total variance in career adaptability.Highlights: The results of the study were discussed in light of the literature, and the recommendations were proposed to theexperts and researchers working in the field of career psychological counseling.

How does role accumulation enhance career adaptability? A dual mediation analysis.

Investigating the contributing factors of career adaptability has always been an important topic in the field of vocational psychology research. From the perspective of person-environment interaction, this study introduced the role accumulation theory into the researches of career adaptability. Using a sample of 379 Chinese college students (mean age = 20.36 years, SD = 1.67), a model of role accumulation affecting college students’ career adaptability was constructed, and the parallel mediating mechanisms of self-efficacy and social support were also discussed. Participants filled out questionnaires regarding role accumulation, self-efficacy, social support, and career adaptability. The results of structural equation modeling (SEM) showed that: (1) Role accumulation positively predicted career adaptability in college students; (2) Role accumulation also indirectly predicted career adaptability through self-efficacy and social support. The present study is the first to validate the psychological pathways linking role accumulation to career adaptability via self-efficacy and social support. The contribution of this study to the literature is to provide a new perspective that can clarify the predictors of career adaptability. In addition, for educational administrators and career practitioners, targeting role accumulation is valuable for developing college students’ career adaptability.

Stress and career adaptability during COVID-19: A serial multiple mediation model

To understand how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected students about to enter the job market, we surveyed 754 university seniors to investigate the perceived stress–career adaptability relationship. We also assessed if positive psychological capital (PsyCap) and work volition mediated this relationship. The results show that the seniors' perceived stress during the COVID-19 pandemic negatively predicted career adaptability. Moreover, the sequential mediation effect (perceived stress reduces positive PsyCap and work volition, which predicts career adaptability) was supported. Thus, lower positive PsyCap can reduce work volition and adaptability. We are among the first researchers to explore how the COVID-19 pandemic has disadvantaged recent university graduates in the labor market, and we have provided new perspectives on how to improve their career adaptability.

Predicting career adaptability of fresh graduates through personal factors

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to determine the contribution of personal factors towards career adaptability among fresh graduates who had been employed for less than two years. This cohort is considered as entry-level employees in organisations. Several dimensions of personal factors focussed in this study were self-esteem, conscientiousness, spiritual intelligence and social support.Design/methodology/approachThis study used a quantitative approach using a cross-sectional survey. This study sample comprised fresh graduate employees (n = 423) from four Malaysian public universities.FindingsThe regression model fitted the data; the personal factors significantly predicted fresh graduates’ career adaptability, F (4,418) = 31.982, p < 0.001. Conscientiousness showed the highest contribution compared to other variables, with social support being the lowest.Practical implicationsOwing to challenges faced by fresh graduates as entry-level employees, continuous career adaptation in the working environment is crucial for achieving satisfaction and success in life. All stakeholders, especially in higher education institutions, play an important role in inculcating the requisite personal traits in undergraduates to enhance their career adaptability upon joining the job market.Originality/valueThis study was conducted with fresh graduates as entry-level employees in Malaysia. It is hoped that the findings of this study would provide a better understanding of the impact of personal factors on career adaptability of fresh graduates in Malaysia so that the stakeholders involved could act accordingly to help fresh graduates enter the job market with the confidence to adapt to changes at the workplace.

Positive Predictors of Career Adaptability Among Diverse Community College Students

Career Construction Theory (CCT) posits that an individual’s vocational development occurs as a product of their readiness, resources, and responses to the environment in which they are situated. Thus, an individual’s ability to adapt to environmental demands is predicated on a number of complex and interwoven inter- and intrapersonal factors. This is particularly relevant to the community college student population who, relative to their 4-year university counterparts, experience disparate rates of educational barriers. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to use CCT as a theoretical framework for investigating the relations among agentic characteristics (personal growth initiative and grit), barriers (perceptions of academic and educational barriers and coping with barriers), and career adaptability in a sample of diverse community college students. Data from a sample of 309 community college students indicated that perceptions of barriers significantly predicted career adaptability through coping with barriers, grit, and personal growth initiative. Serial mediation was supported for the effect of perceptions of barriers on career adaptability through personal growth initiative and coping with barriers. Results also indicated that the proposed model accounted for 55% of the variance in career adaptability. Implications of these findings for research and practice are discussed.

Psychological Needs and Grit Role in Predicting Career Adaptability in University Students

Bu araştırmanın amacı üniversite öğrencilerinin kariyer uyumluluklarının yordanmasında psikolojik ihtiyaçlar ve azmin rölünü incelemektir. Araştırma yordayıcı korelasyonel desene göre dizayn edilmiştir. Yordayıcı korelasyonel araştırmalar değişkenler arasındaki ilişkilerin incelenip, değişkenlerin birin-den yola çıkılarak diğerinin yordanmaya çalışıldığı araştırmalardır. Araştırmanın bağımlı değişkeni kariyer uyumluluğu iken bağımsız değişkenler psikolojik ihtiyaçların alt boyutlarından sevgi ve ait olma, güç, özgürlük ve eğlence ile azmin alt boyutlarından gayrette ısrar ve ilginin tutarlılığıdır. Bu araştırma 2016-2017 eğitim öğretim yılı güz döneminde Gaziantep’te bulunan Hasan Kalyoncu Üniversitesi’nde eğitim gören öğrenciler üzerinde gerçekleştirilmiştir. Çalışma grubunun belirlenmesinde uygun örnekleme yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Çalışma grubunda toplam 390 öğrenci yer almaktadır. Araştırma kapsamında, araştırmacı tarafından hazırlanan bilgi formu, Kariyer Uyum Yetenekleri Ölçeği, Temel Psikolojik İhtiyaçlar Ölçeği ve Kısa Azim Ölçeği kullanılmıştır. Kariyer uyumluluğunun yordanmasında psikolojik ihtiyaçlar ve azmin rolünün belirlenmesi amacıyla hiyerarşik regresyon analizi kullanılmıştır. Analizin ilk aşamasında modele psikolojik ihtiyaçların alt boyutlarından sevgi, özgürlük, güç ve eğlence dâhil edilmiştir. Analizin ikinci aşamasında ise modele azmin alt boyutlarından gayrette ısrar dâhil edilmiştir. Sevgi, özgürlük, güç ve eğlenceden oluşan model kariyer uyumluluğuna ilişkin varyansın %41’ini açıklamaktadır. Analize ikinci blok olarak gayrette ısrar değişkeni dâhil edilmiştir. Gayrette ısrar değişkeni %8’lik manidar (p&amp;lt;.01) bir katkı sağlamaktadır. Gayrette ısrarın modele eklenmesiyle kariyer uyumluluğuna yönelik açıklanan toplam varyans %49’a yükselmiştir.

A forgotten antecedent of career adaptability: A study on the predictive role of within-person variability in personality

Several studies have focused on stable personality traits as antecedents of career adaptability, but few have investigated more dynamic aspects of personality in relation to career adaptability. Recent theories on personality such as Whole Trait Theory (Fleeson, 2015) recognize that traits are often aroused in one situation but not in another (Allport, 1937), and that individuals are more or less flexible in responding to different situations. This flexibility is defined as within-person variability in personality. In the present paper we integrate Whole Trait Theory and Career Construction Theory (CCT, Savickas, 2005) – the latter stating that flexibility is a key antecedent of career-adaptability – and hypothesize that career-adaptability can be predicted by within-person variability in personality descriptions (Lang et al., 2019). In a sample of business administration students (N = 452) we found that, over and beyond effects of average trait levels, within-person variability in personality descriptions positively predicted career adaptability. Our findings have important theoretical and practical implications.

Career Adaptability of Vocational Education and Training Graduates in the Period of Prospective School-to-Work Transition

The completion of vocational education and training (VET) and the subsequent school-to-work transition are important steps on the career pathway. The school-to-work transition is a long-term process with unclear boundaries involving a number of potentially difficult aspects. Psychological resources for successful schoolto-work transitions are reflected in the multidimensional psychosocial construct of career adaptability. The goal of the present study was to examine the role of selected demographic and school-related variables in predicting career adaptability and four components of career adaptability (concern, control, curiosity, and confidence) among VET graduates. Participants in this study were 3,028 Czech students approximately 1–2 months before graduation from vocational education and training, aged from 18 to 26 years (M = 18.97, SD = 1.09). The 24-item Career Adapt-Abilities Scale was used to measure career adaptability. Results from multiple linear regression analyses found that five out of ten predictor variables positively predicted the career adaptability or career adaptability components. These variables were the gained paid work experience in the field of study, one-off or multiple use of career guidance services, male gender, tertiary education of the father, and the field of study completed with a school-leaving examination. The variables that did not statistically predict career adaptability were family structure, maternal education, grades (GPA), repetition of a grade, and change of the field of study. Implications for career guidance are discussed.

Examining the impact of emotional intelligence on career adaptability: A two-wave cross-lagged study

Developing career meta-competencies has become crucial to cope with the unpredictability of today's global work context, both at the emotional and cognitive levels. It is often argued that individuals rely on both emotional intelligence (Di Fabio & Kenny, 2014) and career adapt-abilities (Savickas, 2005) to respond to career changes. Though the link between emotional intelligence and career adaptability has been previously demonstrated, no longitudinal evidence has been provided yet. The present study investigates the impact of emotional intelligence on career adaptability in a two-wave longitudinal study among a sample of adult learners (N = 282 for Time 1; N = 208 for Time 2). Using cross-lagged panel analysis, our results supported the causal relationship from emotional intelligence to career adaptability. Emotional intelligence at Time 1 predicted career adaptability at Time 2 while controlling for prior levels of career adaptability and socio-demographic variables. Neither a reversed causality model nor a reciprocal causality model provided a better fit to the data. While this study brings additional evidence for the career construction model and emphasizes the role of two career meta-competencies in crafting sustainable careers, it also raises the importance to consider career development in the context of adult learning.

My spouse is my strength: Interactive effects of perceived organizational and spousal support in predicting career adaptability and career outcomes

The mid-career stage is marked by a wider diversity of roles and responsibility in work and non-work life domains. To attain career success, mid-career workers cannot solely depend on their organization for information, skills, and training. Integrating career construction (Savickas, 2002) and conservation of resources (Hobfoll, 1989) perspectives, we developed a model linking perceived organizational support (POS), perceived spousal support, career adaptability, and subjective and objective indicators of career success. We tested the model using a sample of 160 independent employee-supervisor dyads across three measurement periods over two years. Results revealed that (a) POS was indirectly related to both subjective and objective career success via career adaptability; (b) perceived spousal support was indirectly related to both subjective and objective career success via career adaptability; and (c) the conditional indirect effects of POS in predicting subjective and objective career success via career adaptability were stronger for employees with high as opposed to low levels of perceived spousal support. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Predictors of decent work among workers with Chiari malformation: An empirical test of the psychology of working theory

The purpose of the present study was to extend the research on the Psychology of Working Theory (PWT; Duffy, Blustein, Diemer, & Autin, 2016) by testing its applicability to workers with chronic health conditions. Specifically, we examined the PWT's posited predictors of securing decent work in a sample of 320 workers diagnosed with Chiari malformation-Type 1 (CM). Results of structural equation modeling analyses supported 8 of the 14 hypothesized relations. Notably, economic constraints and marginalization significantly and inversely predicted decent work and work volition; economic constraints significantly and inversely predicted career adaptability, which in turn significantly and positively predicted decent work; and career adaptability partially explained the significant relation of economic constraints to decent work. Collectively, our findings provided strong support for the applicability of the PWT for workers diagnosed with CM. We offer several directions for future research on the PWT and the work lives of persons living with CM.

Personal factors and career adaptability in a call centre work environment: The mediating effects of professional efficacy

The study sought to assess the extent to which professional efficacy mediates the relationship between personal factors and career adaptability in a call centre work setting. The sample consisted of 409 early-career South African call centre workers (black females = 66%; age range 25 to 40). They completed measures of professional efficacy, career adaptability, sense of meaningfulness, and emotional intelligence. The results of the mediational analyses revealed that professional efficacy significantly mediate the personal meaningfulness (sense of coherence) and career adaptability relationship, but not the emotional intelligence-career adaptability relationship. Emotional intelligence independently predicted career adaptability. Call centre agents with professional efficacy are likely to be more work engaged as a result of their sense of meaningfulness and emotional intelligence.

Acculturation Orientations and Student Sojourners’ Career Adaptability

Basing on career construction theory and the acculturation model, this study examined how student sojourners’ acculturation orientations predicted their career exploration and career adaptability. We conducted a survey study among Chinese student sojourners (N = 222) and the results showed that after controlling the effects of big-five personality and approach/avoidance traits, both host orientation and home orientation positively predicted career adaptability, with these relations mediated by environmental career exploration. In addition, cultural distance was revealed as a significant moderator on the effects of host orientation such that the relationship between host orientation and environmental career exploration was only significant when the cultural distance between host country and home country was higher. The corresponding moderated mediation model was also supported such that the indirect effect of host orientation on career adaptability through career exploration was only significant when the cultural distance was higher. These findings carry implications for research on acculturation and career development.

Predicting career adaptability through self-esteem and social support: A research on young adults

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between career adaptability and self-esteem, and analyze the moderating role of social support in this relationship on a sample of 313 young adults. The results of the study confirm that career adaptability is significantly predicted by self-esteem. Moreover, findings suggest that (1) self-esteem enhances career adaptability, (2) perceived social support positively predicts career adaptability, and (3) perceived social support plays a moderating role in the relationship between perceptions of self-esteem and career adaptability sub-scales. Self-esteem and social support positively predict young adults’ career adaptability above and beyond the effects of demographics.

Career adaptability as a strategic competence for career development

PurposeIn the current labour market, the competence to adapt is becoming significantly relevant for career development and career success. The construct of career adaptability, i.e. the capability to adapt to changing career-related circumstances and predict advancement in career development, seems to provide a fruitful scientific base for successful career intervention. The purpose of the study is exploratory, with the aim of providing new findings about the key predictors of this meta-competence that are relevant for career development.Design/methodology/approachThrough a web-based survey, a convenience sample of 230 working participants completed an online questionnaire, including socio-demographic characteristics (age, gender, education), professional status (role seniority, sector of employment, professional role), professional development-related features (training, new professional assignments, financial incentives) and psychological factors (work self-efficacy, search for work self-efficacy and job satisfaction). Four-step hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted to understand which of these factors account for the most career adaptability variance.FindingsResults highlight that work self-efficacy, search for work self-efficacy and education play a significant role in predicting career adaptability. Surprisingly, professional development-related features and professional status do not seem to have a relevant influence.Practical implicationsTraining and career-development professionals can improve their understanding of which career-related skills and attitudes can increase one’s capability to cope with sudden changes and instability of the current labour market.Originality/valueThis study supports previous research, addressing the importance of career adaptability in times of dramatic change. It also provides some insight into the factors that could predict it.