Social Cognitive Career Theory Research Articles

Bridging unemployment gaps through ICT Bootcamps: A reality or precarity to equitable learning?

In recent years, there has been a paradigm shift to skills development in ICT due to the demand for low to middle-income jobs. We provide an in-depth guide to ICT bootcamps in this article for organizations in developing countries that are interested in participating in producing low to middle-level skills and reducing unemployment rates in previously disadvantaged communities, rather than relying solely on universities and technical vocational education centres. Using questionnaires, data was collected from a single case of an ICT bootcamp located in previously disadvantaged communities of the Cape Flats. The questionnaire was completed by 92 participants. Social cognitive career theory (SCCT) was used in this study to analyse the success of ICT bootcamps in the context of skill development. As a bootcamp, SLCA's success is dependent on the degree to which it provides an equitable learning environment that reflects equity, diversity, and inclusion. Making sure students' social, psychological, economic, and academic needs are met is a key recommendation for creating equitable learning environments. Our findings are based on the findings of a single case study. More case studies would strengthen our argument. Nonetheless, we believe our research has provided a solid foundation for future coding bootcamp literature.

다문화 청년들이 지각하는 진로장벽과 직무만족의 관계에서 자기효능감과 진로목표불일치의 순차매개효과

Based on the Integrated Social-Cognitive Career Theory, this study established a structural model that assumed self-efficacy and career goal discrepancy as mediators in the relationship between career barriers and job satisfaction perceived by multicultural young adults, and examined the fit of the model and the relevance of individual variables. In addition, we wanted to test whether there were significant differences in the fit and path coefficients of the research model according to migration background (domestic birth, mid-entry) within multicultural young adults. For the study, we excluded 12 participants who did not meet the recruitment criteria from 300 multicultural youth, and 288 participants were used for the final analysis. The results of structural equation analysis confirmed that the research model adequately explained the data. All the main paths were significant except for the path from self-efficacy to job satisfaction, and the mediating effect of self-efficacy and career goal discrepancy was also significant. Multigroup analyses revealed significant group differences in the paths from career barriers to self-efficacy and from self-efficacy to job satisfaction. The significance of this paper is that it examined the relationship between career barriers and job satisfaction as perceived by multicultural young adults and enhanced our understanding of the psychological process by which career barriers lead to job satisfaction. This study suggests directions for career education and counseling to increase job satisfaction among multicultural youth.

The relationship between career satisfaction and organizational commitment: evidence from the Kuwaiti banking sector

Purpose Grounded in social cognitive career theory (SCCT), this study aims to examine the influence of contextual factors on the relationship between career satisfaction and organizational commitment, within the banking sector in Kuwait. Design/methodology/approach This study used a cross-sectional design analyzing a self-report questionnaire (N = 278). Findings This study investigates affective, normative and continuance commitment in relation to career satisfaction, within the banking sector in Kuwait. Findings indicate a positive relationship between career satisfaction and all of affective, normative and continuance commitment; although the relationship that appears to be the strongest is between career satisfaction and normative commitment. Research limitations/implications The single site, cross-sectional approach is a limitation. The data were collected before the COVID-19 pandemic. Future research into career satisfaction and organizational commitment in different sectors is necessary and a replication of this study in a post-COVID context would also be valuable. Practical implications Human resource development (HRD) policies in contexts such as Kuwait should prioritize career progression initiatives to enhance career satisfaction and contribute to increased organizational commitment. More attention is necessary to organizational HRD career planning and development policies and processes. Effective line manager development programs to equip managers to provide feedback and constructive performance management are recommended, as is the organizational provision of career counseling and guidance to support career development policies and processes. Originality/value This study combines the use of established constructs with an SCCT theoretical lends to contribute new theorization of the relationship between career satisfaction and organizational commitment in non-Western cultural contexts. It challenges assumptions in current theorization of the relationship between career satisfaction and commitment that privilege affective commitment over other dimensions.

Introducing Sources of Self-efficacy and Dysfunctional Career Beliefs in Socio-cognitive Career Theory in Entrepreneurship

A missing link between entrepreneurship education and career choices is how and when alumni decide to behave entrepreneurially. This question pertains to the impact of entrepreneurship education as envisaged in various educational policies. The vast majority of relevant studies have examined the concepts of entrepreneurial self-efficacy and entrepreneurial intention across courses and audiences worldwide. A recent trend adopts more systematic career development theories as the social cognitive career theory (SCCT). In this line, the present article provides new insights in SCCT models including the construct of dysfunctional career beliefs that represents an essential element in career decision-making. The article presents a small-scale quantitative research through a sample of Greek adults aimed to examine the relations between entrepreneurial intention and dysfunctional career beliefs as well as the informational sources of self-efficacy representing fundamental premises of SCCT. The pilot findings show that “significant others”, a dimension of dysfunctional career beliefs, influence the entrepreneurial career decision process as an extraneous personal parameter. Linear multiple regression analysis demonstrated that positive emotions, mastery experiences and the perceptions regarding significant others’ influence in career decision-making significantly predicted entrepreneurial intention. It is also shown that influence from significant others moderates the relationship between positive emotions and entrepreneurial intention, that is, intensifying the previous relationship when influence of significant others is low and decreasing it when this influence is high. These findings are discussed in the context of entrepreneurial career decision making with implications to educational and career counselling practices.

Re-examining the gender factored agentic and communal career profession of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) students

This paper examines the narrative about gender influence in students' career choices and professions is something that needs to be reconsidered to remain relevant in the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) and a society that is always evolving. The 4IR has resulted in disruptive innovation globally, wherefore, the technological innovation that includes artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. These disruptions, however, may be creative in that as some jobs are lost due to the development of artificial intelligence, new ones are created. Hence, a positive impact on key industries and sectors, like business, health, and education as the globe rapidly moves toward a more digital economy, many low- and middle-income countries face difficulties finding competent workers to fill crucial Information and Communication Technology (ICT) professions in growing markets. The fourth industrial revolution, which involves more than just technological transformation, is drawing attention around the globe. This shortfall is made worse by the underrepresentation of women in ICT-related fields. The demand for ICT professionals/ workers and the supply of job seekers with the necessary technical skills threaten the ability of the country (South Africa) to take part in a powerful driver of growth in the fourth industrial revolution. This paper is a systematic literature review supported by the theory of social cognitive career theory (SCCT) and expectancy-value theory (EVT). The findings revealed that gender disparity, inadequate career guidance, and educational career ambition play an enormous role amongst male and female students when choosing ICT as a career choice.

Professors’ retrospective views on chemistry career choices with a focus on gender and academic stage aspects

A decline in studying and choosing a career in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) varies by discipline. This change has adversely affected the field of chemistry, leading the chemistry educator's community to focus on research related to chemistry career choices to overcome the shortage of next generation chemistry researchers and the underrepresentation of women in the ranks of chemistry professors. The retrospective views of chemistry professors about their career paths, choices, and retention are hardly examined empirically. These views may explain young people's early choices of chemistry-related careers. Using the social cognitive career theory (SCCT), the current study explored chemistry professors' retrospective views on their career choice and what differences exist among these professors' views based on their gender and academic stage. Qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with 12 men and 12 women chemistry professors yielded several categories within the personal, environmental, and behavioral SCCT themes that are related to the professors' career choice. The most mentioned categories in each of the three themes, respectively, were: (a) self-efficacy for scientific/chemistry learning, (b) teachers' or lecturers' influence, and (c) overcoming barriers. Gender and career-stage patterns emerged, e.g., women related more than men to the influence of their teachers or lecturers and of their family and friends. Women and junior-intermediate level men discussed overcoming barriers more frequently than senior level men. These retrospective findings facilitate understanding of enablers and impediments of chemistry professors' career trajectories. Recommendations offered to policymakers aim to promote encouragement of junior-intermediate chemistry professors, especially women, to advance their academic career in chemistry while maintaining work-family balance.

A serial mediation model of the linkage between entrepreneurial education, self-efficacy, attitudes and intentions: does gender matter? A multi-group analysis

PurposeThis paper aims to use the Social Cognitive Career Theory and a serial mediation model to explore how entrepreneurial self-confidence and attitudes mediate the connection between entrepreneurial education and entrepreneurial intention. Additionally, the study seeks to examine how gender impacts these relationships.Design/methodology/approachTo test the formulated hypothesis and the serial mediation effect, a sample of 1,266 master’s students from nine universities/institutions across three primary regions of Vietnam was used. The structural equation modeling technique, with Gaskin (2019)'s plugin and a 5,000-bootstrapping sample, was applied. Also, a multi-group analysis was used to illustrate the differences between male and female students in the relationships between variables.FindingsThe research reveals that entrepreneurial education plays a contributive role in increasing entrepreneurial self-efficacy, entrepreneurial attitudes and startup intentions. Entrepreneurial self-efficacy and entrepreneurial attitudes also serve as serial mediators in the entrepreneurial education-intention relation. Moreover, this study demonstrates the significant moderation role of gender in these links.Practical implicationsThe outcomes of the current research hold significance for educators, policymakers and practitioners, as they can use these findings to encourage individuals to engage in entrepreneurial activities and to improve the overall entrepreneurial ecosystems.Originality/valueThe current research sheds new light on the entrepreneurship and gender literature by using the Social Cognitive Career Theory to elucidate the serial mediating role of entrepreneurial self-efficacy and entrepreneurial attitudes in the relation between entrepreneurial education and entrepreneurial intentions.

Application of Intention-Based Models in the Context of Intrapreneurship: A Literature Review

The purpose of this paper is to examine the intention-based model in the context of Intrapreneurship. Inrapreneurship is an emerging research area under the umbrella of Entrepreneurship. Even though entrepreneurial intentions and behaviors are widely discussed in entrepreneurship literature, it lacks in Intrapreneurship. Under the area of intrapreneurship, it requires emerging behavioral intentions and behaviors exists in an organization for any entrepreneurial initiative. However, the scope of this study limits promoting innovations through intentions and behaviors. Innovations are important to face the competition and ensure survival regardless of the size of the business. Despite this situation, innovations are hardly introduced because of lack of intentions and behaviors. Thus, this study attempts to encourage innovations by intentions and behaviors of individuals. In this context, still, there is a gap in the existing literature to investigate such intentions and behaviors in Intrapreneurship. This study aims to fill this gap by exploring intention-based theories thus contributing to the existing literature. Accordingly, the study provides some useful insights to Theory of Reasoned Actions (TRA), Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), and Entrepreneurial Event Model (EEM). Discussion of these theories helps researchers to understand different psychological factors affecting intentions and behaviors and accordingly decisions can be taken with broader perspective. Thus, this study attempts to provide useful insights to encourage innovation. Future research can focus on these intention-based models to understand the nature of intentions and behaviors in Intrapreneurship which demands more empirical investigations.

The Future of Accounting Talent: Career Values, Choices and Satisfaction Among Early Career Accountants

AbstractAmid a global war for accounting talent, this paper extends our understanding of early career accountants’ (ECAs) career values and the alignment between their career expectations and experiences when entering the profession. Drawing on survey data from 305 ECAs and 165 managers/recruiters of ECAs in Australia, the paper uses social cognitive career theory and person–organisation fit theory to explore the dynamic interplay between individual and contextual factors and career values, career choices and subsequent career satisfaction. The findings emphasise the importance of both intrinsic, and to a lesser extent extrinsic, career values for ECAs, with variations by gender and organisation setting. ECAs and managers identified different perceptions of attractors to diverse organisational settings. While ECAs were generally satisfied with their careers, satisfaction varied by organisation type. Intrinsic career values were positively associated with ECAs’ career satisfaction, along with age and closer alignment between career expectations and experiences. Our analyses suggest implications for the recruitment and retention of new accounting talent and calls to engage with individual and contextual influences on career values, experiences and satisfaction. Specifically, the paper highlights how different organisations can tailor their strategies to better attract and retain early career accountants to support more sustainable careers.

Social Cognitive Model of Academic Engagement

Academic Engagement has received widespread attention in educational research due to its association with multiple positive indicators of positive academic functioning and students’ well-being. Academic engagement is a positive state of mind characterized by students’ active participation and commitment to academic activities, which are critical aspects in the learning process. However, theoretical models that integrate relevant factors and explain how these factors contribute to academic engagement are currently lacking. The Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT; Lent et al., 1994) proven to be an integrative and useful framework to explain several aspects of academic behavior. In this study, we examined the adequacy of the SCCT model to explain academic engagement. Three-hundred and eleven university students (64% women) aged between 17 to 48 years old participated in the study. Results from structural equation modeling provide support for the SCCT model. Academic self-efficacy had a strong positive effect on academic engagement, as well as positive affect, social support and academic goal progress, although to a lesser extent. These findings confirm the value of SCCT as a heuristic model to explain a wide range of academic behavior, including academic engagement. Practical implications are discussed and avenues for future research are suggested.

Entrepreneurial education and intention: fear of failure, self-efficacy and gender

PurposeThis research adopts the social cognitive career theory (SCCT) and a moderated mediation model to investigate the moderating impacts of entrepreneurial fear of failure (FOF) and gender on the direct and mediation relationships between entrepreneurial education (EE), entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE) and entrepreneurial intention (EI).Design/methodology/approachThe authors utilized a three-phase random sampling to compile a dataset from 1,890 graduate students from nine universities and higher education institutions in Vietnam. Cronbach's alpha and confirmatory factor analysis results showed that the key study variables were reliable and valid. Harman's single-factor method and other tests of analysis assumptions ruled out common method bias and other confounding factors. The authors utilized the PROCESS macro to test a hypothesized moderated mediation model that included direct, indirect and conditional indirect effects.FindingsThe findings yield that ESE partially and positively mediates the relation between EE and EI. FOF was found to negatively moderate the impacts of EE on ESE and EI, and the direct effect of ESE on EI among females is stronger than among males. More importantly, the mediation influence of FOF on the linkage between EE and EI becomes weaker when the level of FOF is high, yet this mediation relationship among females is higher than among males at all levels of FOF.Practical implicationsThe results of this research are valuable for educators, policymakers and practitioners so that they may inspire individuals' entrepreneurial pursuits, especially those of female entrepreneurs.Originality/valueThis study significantly contributes to the entrepreneurship and gender literature by applying the SCCT to elucidate the moderated mediation impacts of FOF, ESE and gender on the relationship between EE and EI.

Mexican American Adolescents’ Conversations About Goals: The Centrality of Financial Aspiration to Career and Educational Pursuit

We explored Mexican American adolescents’ goals as discussed with a romantic relationship partner. Thirty-four Mexican American hetero-dating couples aged 15 to 17 ( M = 11.71 months dating) from an urban city in a Southwest border state participated in a video-taped discussion. Drawing on Social Cognitive Career Theory, we inductively coded for themes and found that youth prioritized career, education, family planning, travel, and relationship goals. We were sensitized to the centrality of financial aspiration to each of these themes, and further operationalized youth’s level of financial aspiration as either modest, ambivalent, or high. Applying this template, we analyzed the extent of fit of adolescents’ goals to their financial aspiration. Adolescents with modest financial aspiration evidenced clearer paths to goal-success compared to adolescents with high financial aspiration. Although adolescents with higher financial aspiration described parallel career choices, adolescents with more modest financial goals were more apt to describe clear steps to attaining their careers and additional pursuits. We recommend programing that provides the opportunity for adolescents to connect their financial aspiration to their preferred careers and lifestyle goals. Such programs should also include relationship and family-planning, as these are important to diverse youths and influence post-secondary education and career pursuit.

Career competencies: an integrated review of the literature

Purpose A boundaryless career perspective suggests that career competencies are essential for employees who wish to advance their careers in high uncertainty. This study aims to propose an integrated conceptual model for career competencies to provide insights for employees and organizations by identifying what and how one can prepare and provide support for career development in an uncertain and complex work environment. Design/methodology/approach The integrated literature reviewed was adapted to provide a conceptual model for career competencies. All 77 studies were reviewed, guided by the intelligent career theory (ICT) and social cognitive career theory (SCCT). Findings The mechanisms of career competency development were examined through the interrelationship between three types of knowing; knowing-why, knowing-whom and knowing-how. Career competencies can be considered a developmental process, therefore, they could develop through various interventions and accumulate over time. Especially the results indicate that learning is an essential component of career competencies, as it increases self-efficacy and promotes a desire to achieve positive career outcomes. Originality/value This study provided a conceptual model, explored the mechanisms of career competency development and considered how career competencies influence career outcomes. Furthermore, it identified the context of the construct of career competencies by integrating the SCCT and ICT. Finally, it showed the inadequacy of existing research on negative factors of career competency outcomes and recommended further research to broaden the general context of career competency studies.

Why bother teaching entrepreneurship? A field quasi-experiment on the behavioral outcomes of compulsory entrepreneurship education

ABSTRACT The proliferation of entrepreneurship education in business schools suggests that it is commonly believed to foster venture creation. At the same time, research on entrepreneurship education is growing. However, further studies are needed to determine the effectiveness of compulsory entrepreneurship education (CEE) by providing evidence on the specific type of entrepreneurial behavior it elicits and when these effects occur. To address this gap, this study evaluates different behavioral outcomes of CEE over time while building on social cognitive career theory to account for mediating effects of entrepreneurial intentions and entrepreneurial self-efficacy. We conduct a field quasi-experiment by following university business students (1,387 observations for 450 individuals) over 24 months post-treatment. Our findings reveal that CEE effectively increases entrepreneurial behavior in the short term but does not extend much beyond that. A follow-up study (N = 395) adds confidence to the generalizability of the results. We contribute to research on entrepreneurship education and policy.

Identifying Supports and Barriers in Engineering Students’ Processes Toward Career Attainment

Evidence shows that biomedical engineering students face unique challenges in entering the workforce compared to peers in other engineering majors. The purpose of this study is to explore the factors impacting undergraduate engineering students’ career attainment, or the acquisition of employment in a chosen field, and how the students experienced these factors in their pathways towards post-graduate employment. By studying differences in processes towards career attainment, there is an opportunity to promote equity and better support the inclusion and persistence of women and racially minoritized groups in engineering, particularly their readiness to enter the engineering workforce. We sought to answer two research questions: (RQ1) What contextual factors are identified by engineering students as supports and barriers to their attainment of a career in the engineering field? (RQ2) How are engineering students experiencing inequities in their processes toward career attainment? We conducted six focus groups with undergraduate engineering students at a large Midwestern University. Participants were purposefully sampled based on demographics from four engineering disciplines: biomedical engineering and the three preferred majors for students transferring out of biomedical engineering at our university, chemical engineering, materials science and engineering, and mechanical engineering. We used social cognitive career theory (SCCT) to inform our data collection and analysis and interpret the findings. The transcripts were analyzed by developing a codebook containing theory-driven codes from SCCT and emergent codes from the data. We identified five themes representing the contextual factors impacting engineering students’ processes toward career attainment: implications of (1) interpersonal relationships; (2) institutional infrastructure; (3) academics; (4) social identity; and (5) out-of-class experiences. We also found that these contextual factors may act as either a support or barrier depending on personal factors such as demographics, personality, or identity. The nuance revealed in this study, that a contextual factor may be both a support and barrier, presents implications for universities to provide more individualized career preparedness resources and recognize the ways that students’ positionalities impact their processes toward career attainment.

A Dynamic Dyadic Systems Perspective on Communication of Real-Time Support Between Graduate Women in STEM and Their Mentor

ABSTRACT Women of Color (WoC) in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) leave doctoral programs at disproportionately high rates. Supportive mentorship is key to increasing belonging and rates of retention, yet little is known about how conversations between mentees and their mentors on academic and personal stress topics unfold in real-time. Applying the lens of Social Cognitive Career Theory to communication dynamics between mentees and mentors, the present study utilized a dynamic dyadic systems (DDS) perspective to examine observationally coded data from six mentee-mentor dyads. First, hierarchical clustering analysis was applied to identify speaking turn types. Then, sequence analysis was used to identify common multi-turn patterns or conversation motifs (CM). Results showed five predominant CMs: (CM1) support provision through listening; (CM2) focus on mentor’s experience; (CM3) support provision through advice; (CM4) mentee’s making a bid for support; and (CM5) mentor dominated conversations. This study demonstrates methods for identifying potentially meaningful patterns of support in stress conversations between mentees and mentors. The application of such methods with larger samples may aid in understanding ways to increase retention among WoC in STEM through mentor support provision.

Personal and Contextual Variables Predicting College Aspirations Among Latinx High School Students

This study used path analysis to examine personal and contextual variables that hinder or foster college aspirations in Latinx high school students in the framework of social cognitive career theory (Lent et al., 1994). A total of 247 Latinx high school students from an urban high school in Southern California completed a survey that measured self-efficacy, outcome expectations, supports, and barriers to college aspirations. The findings indicate that contextual factors (supports and barriers) were better predictors of college aspirations than personal factors (self-efficacy and outcome expectations). Barriers were the biggest negative predictors, while academic performance was a positive predictor of college aspirations. Additionally, supports were the biggest predictor of personal factors. The results also suggest that personal and contextual variables were moderated by student gender and immigrant generation type. Environmental conditions affected the college aspirations of Latino males and first generation immigrants more than the college aspirations of Latina students and older generations. Implications for practice and future research are also discussed.

Are gender-science stereotypes barriers for women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics? Exploring when, how, and to whom in an experimentally-controlled setting.

Based on Social Cognitive Career Theory principles, the present study sought to investigate whether stereotype threat experiences could act as a barrier and reduce the persistence of women in math-intensive activities. More specifically, we assessed whether the experimental activation of stereotypes about women's lower math capabilities affected the performance, persistence, and self-selected difficulty of engineering students in a math task which required sustained effort. We also evaluated the relationships between these effects and the participants' pre-testing gender-science stereotypes and math self-concept. A sample of 340 engineering students (175 and 165 self-identified as males and females, respectively) were recruited and randomly assigned to a control (Con) or stereotype threat (StA) condition to form four similarly sized groups. All participants rated their self-concept in four academic domains (math, chemistry, physics, and coding), completed the gender-science Implicit Association Test, and a "reading comprehension task" that served to promote the stereotype threat manipulation immediately before facing a modified version of the Math Effort Task (M-MET). We observed that, in the control condition, M-MET performance, self-selected difficulty, and persistence were similar in female and male participants, independent of their gender-science implicit stereotypes but correlated to their math self-concept scores. In contrast, the StA condition triggered opposite effects in female and male students, so they showed decreased/enhanced M-MET performance and self-selected difficulty, respectively. This experimental condition also resulted in enhanced persistence of the male students without affecting the number of trials completed by female students. These effects were correlated with the strength of the participants' gender-science implicit stereotypes but not with their math self-concept scores. In fact, as revealed by finer-grain analyses, stereotype threat only had a significant impact on individuals harboring stereotypical gender-science implicit associations. Therefore, it is concluded that: (1) stereotypes can promote differences between male and female engineering students in their performance, self-confidence, and persistence in math-related activities; (2) These effects seem to be more prominent in individuals implicitly perceiving science as a masculine domain. The relevance of these findings to explain women's enhanced abandonment rates of math-intensive studies is discussed.

The relationship between professional self-concept and career decision-making difficulties among postgraduate nursing students in China: the mediating role of career decision-making self-efficacy.

In the context of a global shortage, uneven distribution, and structural imbalance of nursing talent, postgraduate nursing students must make appropriate decisions about their careers not only for the nursing profession but also for society as a whole. However, little research has been reported on the current status and factors influencing career decision-making difficulties among postgraduate nursing students. Exploring the mediating role of career decision-making self-efficacy between professional self-concept and career decision-making difficulties among postgraduate nursing students in China based on the social cognitive career theory. 276 postgraduate nursing students from 25 universities in seven administrative regions of China were selected by stratified random sampling. Data were collected with the Career decision-making difficulties Questionnaire, Career Decision-making Self-Efficacy Scale, and Nursing Professional Self-concept Scale through an online survey, and were analyzed by univariate analysis, correlation analysis, multiple linear regression analysis, and PROCESS macro. The score for career decision-making difficulties was 2.84 (SD = 0.54). Professional self-concept (r = -0.496, p < 0.01) and career decision-making self-efficacy (r = -0.551, p < 0.01) were negatively associated with career decision-making difficulties. Career decision-making self-efficacy played a partial mediating role between professional self-concept and career decision-making difficulties (p < 0.01), with the mediating effect (Effect Value = -0.253, Bootstrap 95% CI: -0.349, -0.156) accounting for 53.82% of the total effect. The high scores of career decision-making difficulties among postgraduate nursing students demand widespread attention. Nursing educators need to develop a complete and standardized career counseling curriculum for postgraduate nursing students, and should pay attention to the cultivation and development of positive professional self-concept and career decision-making self-efficacy of postgraduate nursing students to reduce their career decision-making difficulties and help them make effective career decision-making.

Role‐overload and self‐esteem affecting teachers career satisfaction: Serial mediation through work engagement and job satisfaction

AbstractThis study examines the effects of role‐overload (RO) and self‐esteem (SE) on career satisfaction (CS) through work engagement (WE) and job satisfaction (JS). It follows the social cognitive career theory (SCCT) and job demands‐resources (JD‐R) model. A quantitative survey was conducted on Indian school teachers (n = 630). A serial mediation model was developed to examine the proposed relationship. Hypotheses were tested by SEM and bootstrapping to verify the direct/indirect effects. The results reveal that SE, directly and indirectly, influence CS. The serial mediation was found between RO on CS through SE, WE, and JS. WE and JS also serially mediated between SE and CS. However, RO does not affect CS directly but through serial mediation. Study proposes a structural model with organizational and individual factors influencing CS. Unlike previous researchers, this study combines personal resources and organizational demands predicting CS. The study helps to understand the connecting link between SCCT and JD‐R theory. Organizations can make use of this model for developing CS by managing RO through interventions.