Vocational Behavior Research Articles

Career Counseling and Family Therapy

Mark Savickas, PhD, has taught career counseling at Kent State University for 40 years while also serving as a professor of Family and Community Medicine at Northeast Ohio Medical University. His 80 articles, 45 book chapters, and 500 presentations to professional groups have dealt with vocational behavior and career counseling. He published Career Counseling (2011) and edited Convergence in Career Development Theories (1994 with R. Lent), Handbook of Career Counseling Theory and Practice (1996 with B. Walsh), Vocational Interests (1999 with A. Spokane), the Handbook of Vocational Psychology (2005 with B. Walsh) and the four-volume Major Works in Career Studies (2012 with K. Inkson). An interview with Mark Savickas, PhD, relating to his contributions career counseling revealed many connections between career and family counseling, including the how career concerns are a part of the family constellation. The interview examined the evolution of the career construction interview and similarities in the narrative processes that serve as a foundation for the theory.

Development of early vocational behavior: Parallel associations between career engagement and satisfaction

The present five-wave longitudinal study examined the parallel development of career engagement and satisfaction among young adults over an eight-year period starting from the last stages of their secondary education and ending after the transition to higher education or working life. The research questions were analyzed with parallel process latent growth curve (LGC) modeling and growth mixture modeling (GMM). The study is part of the ongoing longitudinal Finnish Educational Transitions (FinEdu) study, and followed 826 participants from ages 17 to 25. The developmental dynamics showed that career engagement and satisfaction developed parallel, each predicting the changes in the other. Towards the end of secondary education, career engagement increased and career satisfaction decreased on the mean level; however, later on, after the transition to higher education/work, both processes leveled off. The GMM results also revealed the existence of two latent trajectory groups, one representing a high transitional and the other a low increasing trajectory of career engagement and satisfaction.

Career and Retirement Theories: Relevance for Older Workers Across Cultures.

This paper reviews selected career development theories as well as theories specifically focused on retirement, with an emphasis on their application to retirement decisions and vocational behavior in multicultural populations. Theories are evaluated based on whether: (a) retirement was considered a stage of working life, (b) work satisfaction, motivation, and other work variables at retirement age were addressed, (c) work choices at retirement age were included, and (d) cultural and other minority status issues were either directly considered in the work/retirement decision or if the model could be reasonably applied to retirement across cultures. We provide specific recommendations for research and practice with the aim of helping practitioners and scholars conceptualize the current concerns older adults face in their working lives and during retirement planning.

Social Cognitive Career Theory, the Theory of Work Adjustment, and Work Satisfaction of Retirement-Age Adults.

Despite a recent increase in the number of adults who work past traditional retirement age, existing theories of vocational behavior have not yet received adequate empirical support. In a large sample of adults age 60-87, we evaluated the relationship between theorized predictors of work satisfaction proposed by Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT), work satisfaction as a predictor of continued work, as proposed by the Theory of Work adjustment (TWA), as well as the influence of reported experiences of discrimination on these relationships. While the results supported most of the predicted relationships, the effects of discrimination were stronger than the variables proposed by either SCCT or TWA for the present sample.

Effective use of digital applications promotes professional self-efficacy

Purpose– This paper aims to investigate the relationship between the use of digital applications (DAs) in the daily life of organizational workers, and the workers’ professional self-efficacy.Design/methodology/approach– A hypothesis was tested that the digital literacy of organizational workers is positively correlated with their professional self-efficacy. To test the hypothesis, 300 Israeli organizational workers filled online questionnaires that assessed their daily pattern of DA usage (both during and after working hours) and their self-perceived professional efficacy. A linear regression analysis was performed to identify correlations between the frequency (one dimension) and effectiveness (three dimensions) of DA usage and the workers’ self-perceived professional efficacy (three dimensions).Findings– The three dimensions of the DA usage effectiveness (diversity of the DA used, diversity of the means and ease of access to the DA) were significantly and positively correlated with all three dimensions of professional self-efficacy (functional autonomy, work effectiveness and personal knowledge sharing). In contrast, the frequency of DA usage was not correlated with any of the three dimensions of professional self-efficacy.Practical implications– High digital literacy allows rapid and effective retrieval of specific networked content and an accessible means of multimedia communication. According to the ecological model of organizational knowledge management, knowledge develops through diverse interactions between workers and through their ability to retrieve and share knowledge. The findings of this study support this model and indicate that high digital literacy, manifested through easy access and diverse use of DA, increases professional self-efficacy and knowledge sharing and, thereby, the stability of the organization. Managers should thus encourage workers’ digital literacy by allowing convenient access to a wide range of DA, both during and after working hours, to increase the organizational ability to adapt to complex and rapidly changing environments.Originality/value– DA are innovative tools that were only recently developed. This is the first study to characterize the relationship between the use of DA in daily life and the vocational behavior of organizational workers.

Extensions to the Dynamic Aspects of the Retirement Transition and Adjustment Framework (RTAF): Adjustment Behaviors, Work Styles, and Identity

The article summarizes the retirement transition adjustment framework (RTAF; [Hesketh, B., Griffin, B., & Loh, V. (2011)][1]. A future-oriented retirement transition adjustment framework. Journal of Vocational Behavior , 79, 303–314) based on the Theory of Work Adjustment (TWA; [Dawis, R. V. & Lofquist, L. H. (1984)][2]. A psychological theory of work adjustment. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press). and extends it to include additional variables important in retirement transition, namely self-efficacy, identity, stereotyping, and subjective life expectancy. The RTAF and TWA fit within the broad category of person-environment Fit theories. After describing both the structural and dynamic components of the RTAF, methodological issues are raised, and suggestions for future research and theory development outlined. The potential of the RTAF framework for use by individuals and counselors in retirement transition planning and facilitating positive aging is highlighted, as is its value to organizations in helping the adjustment processes of late career workers. [1]: #ref-39 [2]: #ref-18

The role of career adaptability in predicting entrepreneurial intentions: A moderated mediation model

Guided by the Career Construction Theory (Savickas, 2013), we view entrepreneurship as an adaptive vocational behavior driven by an individual's self-regulatory capacity to thrive in a complex entrepreneurial career context. Our research model posited that individuals rely on their adaptive resources and entrepreneurial self-efficacy as they form entrepreneurial intentions. Career adaptability, as self-regulatory competencies, is further strengthened by prior exposure to family business. We collected data over three measurement periods from Serbian business students (n=380) and validated the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale (CAAS). The moderated mediation model was supported and as predicted: (a) career adaptability was positively associated with entrepreneurial intentions and (b) the mediated relationship between career adaptability and entrepreneurial intentions via entrepreneurial self-efficacy was stronger for individuals with prior exposure to family business. In addition, we provide evidence for the psychometric properties of CAAS by examining its internal consistency, test–retest reliability, and factor structure. Taken together, our study offers the groundwork for understanding successful adaptation in the entrepreneurial career context and supports the cross-national measurement equivalence and utility of CAAS in a developing economy.

Características vocacionales de estudiantes universitarios ciegos y deficientes visuales: una aproximación cualitativa

RESUMENSon bien conocidos los condicionantes vocacionales que influyen en los estudiantes universitarios en función de características como el sexo, nivel socioeconómico o grupo vocacional al que se adscriben. Sin embargo, poco se conoce de las características vocacionales de estos estudiantes cuando están afectados por una discapacidad. La aproximación cualitativa, a través de entrevistas semiestructuradas, es la vía que permite conocer con detenimiento las necesidades y características de estos estudiantes para establecer un asesoramiento de calidad. Esta metodología nos muestra que dicho asesoramiento debe centrarse, básicamente, en tres campos: el socio-personal, el de autonomía e independencia personal, y el propiamente vocacional a través de servicios ofertados por la institución universitaria, como el llevado a cabo en la Universitat de València; pero sin restringir la actuación a este momento educativo. Este trabajo trata de realizar una primera prospección que sirva de base para establecer servicios especializados en la atención a estudiantes con discapacidad visual.ABSTRACTVocational characteristics related to sex, socioeconomic status or vocational group influencing higher education students´ vocational behaviour are well known. However, the vocational characteristics of students that suffer from some kind of dissability have been less studied. The qualitative apporach with it use of semi-structured interviews is the best way to find out the needs and unique characteristics of these students in order to deliver quality counseling services. Qualitative methodology shows us that vocational and career counseling should be based on three domains: the socio-personal domain, the personal autonomy domain, and the vocational domain. An example of counseling directed to the vocational domain could be the use of University-based counseling services, but should not be restricted to this educational level. This research attempts is a first step to develop specialized counseling services for students with some kind of visual impairment.

Las dificultades en el proceso de decisión vocacional en relación con: el género, el curso académico y los intereses profesionales

RESUMENEl objetivo de este estudio radica en profundizar sobre el comportamiento vocacional de los jóvenes madrileños de entre 14 y 18 años. A través de análisis estadísticos como la T de Student y ANOVAs realizamos una evaluación del tipo y grado de dificultades que experimentan los jóvenes en el desarrollo de su proceso de decisión vocacional, y analizamos las diferencias existentes entre éstas en función del género, el curso académico y los intereses profesionales. Para ello se ha realizado la adaptación y validación de una escala basada en la teoría del procesamiento de la información denominada Escala de Dificultades en la Toma de Decisión de la Carrera. Tras los análisis realizados observamos que en líneas generales se confirman las hipótesis planteadas ampliando el marco de la investigación en Orientación Vocacional. Finalmente se presentan las conclusiones, limitaciones e implicaciones del estudio.ABSTRACTThe purpose of this research is to deepen on the vocational behaviour of 2.783 Spanish students aged between 14 and 18. Through statistical analysis like T Student and ANOVA, we analyze the difficulties that this sample experiments, and we investigate if it experiments different kinds or levels of difficulties based on variables like gender, academic grade, and professional interests. To do that we have adapted and validated a Career Decision-Making Questionnaire based on Processing Career Information Theory. We have confirmed the hypothesis raised, and we thus extend Vocational Guidance researches. Finally, implications for counselling and future research are also discussed.

The Implications of Contemporary Approaches Toward Career Development

The dynamic nature of labor market and the shift from the lifelong employment with a single employer to multiple careers has impacted development of new approaches toward career. Hence, the concept of boundaryless career as the opposite to the traditional, organizational career was proposed. Meanwhile, the construct of protean career focuses on self-directed vocational behavior. The paper aims to compare traditional and contemporary approaches toward career development. The emphasis is put on individual perspective versus organizational perspective. The authors strive to reveal what factors impact the success of the second or even the third career. The contemporary findings provided in scientific literature are discussed and analyzed. The researches focused on approaches toward career are seen as vast and complex. On the other hand, the complexity of phenomenon impacted inconsistency of different studies. Resulting conclusions about the implications of contemporary approaches toward career development would lead us to develop the framework and recommendations for future research and theory development.

Practice and Research in Career Counseling and Development—2012

This annual review of the 2012 career development/vocational psychology literature includes 191 empirical (69%) and conceptual (31%) articles from career, counseling, development, and international journals. The review is divided into 4 major areas: professional issues, work and well‐being, life‐span perspectives, and career theory and concepts. Subsumed within these clusters are foci on the status of career/vocational guidance around the globe, the career development experiences of immigrants, and the effects of economic stress. The authors offer three summarizing impressions. First, the 2012 collection is definitively global; this is a credit to the individual and institutional dimensions of the counseling profession. Second, the research articles represent a wide array of methodological approaches, and researchers have made wise research design choices for their areas of inquiry. Third, there is a true professional responsiveness to the needs of the world. It is suggested that the 2012 literature reflects Parsons's early vision of social justice and multiculturalism.

The Relation of Career Indecision and Parental Attachment among Iranian Undergraduate Students

Career indecision particularly among college and undergraduate students is a concern of counselors and psychologists. This concern has led to numerous research studies related to career indecision and factors that influence it, such as family relationships. In this regard, several studies have reported a significant relationship between career indecision and parental attachment. However, little research has been undertaken on the influence of this factor in regard to career indecision for Iranian students. For this purpose, 158 Iranian freshmen and sophomores who had completed the ‘Career Decision Scale’ (Osipow et al., Journal of Vocational Behavior 9:233–243, 1976) and had been identified as career-undecided, completed the ‘Inventory of Parents and Peer Attachment-Revised’ (Armsden & Greenberg, Journal of Youth and Adolescence 16:427–453, 1987). The results revealed that a significant negative relationship was found between career indecision and attachment to mother, whilst the relationship between career indecision and attachment to father was not significant. However, regression analysis showed parental attachment did not significantly predict career indecision of students. Implications and recommendations for further research are discussed.

A orientação profissional como atividade transversal ao currículo escolar

A teorização e a prática em orientação profissional (OP) desenvolveram-se significativamente nas últimas décadas. Porém, parcela significativa das aplicações desse conhecimento na escola não tem acompanhado os desenvolvimentos atuais. Para analisar um projeto de OP transversal ao currículo escolar, avaliou-se a participação dos docentes e as implicações da OP no comportamento vocacional de alunos do segundo ano do ensino médio. Todos os professores foram convidados a participar. A avaliação do projeto foi feita por 69 alunos que responderam a um questionário e a uma escala de atitudes pré e pós-OP. Nem todos os docentes transversalizaram os temas propostos, mas a quantidade dos que fizeram isso aumentou significativamente. Quanto ao comportamento vocacional, constatou-se redução do número de dúvidas sobre profissões a seguir pós-OP. Houve manutenção das demais variáveis analisadas. A OP transversal ao currículo é uma atividade viável, capaz de promover o desenvolvimento dos adolescentes. Estudos adicionais são recomendados.

Faut-il (vraiment) augmenter les frais d'inscription à l'université ?

Résumé Cet article propose une analyse des arguments couramment avancés en faveur des frais d’inscription : i) l’iniquité du système français ; ii) l’efficience des frais comme outil pour sélectionner, orienter et inciter à l’effort ; iii) le financement de l’université. Nous défendons la thèse selon laquelle ces frais peuvent conduire de potentiels étudiants à renoncer à leurs études, à modifier l’orientation qui aurait été la leur en l’absence de frais ou encore à modifier leur comportement sur le marché du travail sous le poids de la dette. Nous montrons que les frais ne garantissent ni l’équité, ni un fonctionnement efficient du système d’enseignement supérieur, ni un accroissement des ressources des établissements.

Using career construction theory in employment counseling for sales and office and administrative support occupations

Clients present for career counseling with an array of career concerns. A single career theory may prove necessary, but insufficient, in addressing these concerns. Career construction theory (CCT; Savickas, 2005) assists individuals with career decision making by integrating 3 different viewpoints of vocational behavior. This article explains how to use CCT in career counseling, focusing on the area of sales and office and administrative support occupations. Labor statistics and growth projections are described, and a case study relating CCT to these occupational areas is provided.

Counseling Practices in Monitoring Vocational Behaviour of Students in Tertiary Institution

The study investigated counseling practices in monitoring vocational behaviors of students in tertiary institution. Two research questions and two hypotheses guided the study. The subjects for the study comprise 72 female and 43 male counselors drawn from both Nsukka and Obollo Afor education zones of Enugu State. The instrument for data collection was questionnaire, mean score, and t-test statistics were used in data analysis. Results showed that the approaches counselors use in equipping students with vocational information for career choice are media outlet, individual counseling, group counseling, career day/week, field trip/excursion, assemblies, seminars/workshop, and orientation. It equally revealed that counselors do not use any follow-up strategy in monitoring students’ behaviour after imparting vocational information to them. Implications of the findings were highlighted and recommendations were made.

Learn to Manage Work‐Life Boundaries, for Your Own Sanity

Learn to Manage Work‐Life Boundaries, for Your Own Sanity

Nancy E. Betz

Nancy E. Betz is a deeply respected pioneer in the areas of vocational psychology, the career development of women, and measurement and vocational assessment. Her scholarship in these areas is recognized nationally and internationally and dates to her early, innovative collaboration with Gail Hackett to apply Bandura’s concept of self-efficacy to understand the vocational behavior of women. This interview traces the life and career stories of Nancy Betz and in doing so illustrates the personal and contextual influences that shaped the person and professional she was to become. Nancy’s story is a powerful illustration of a number of central themes of counseling psychology, including the critical importance of scientific rigor, humanistic values, social influences, and diverse perspectives.

Work Values of University Students in Chinese Mainland, Taiwan, and Hong Kong

Leuty and Hansen (Journal of Vocational Behavior 79:379–390, 2011) identified six domains of work values in undergraduate students in the West. The review undertaken in this paper suggests that the factor structure of work values of university students in Mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong essentially matches these six domains, except for the omission of ‘Family Maintenance’ and Wang’s (Indigenous Psychological Research in Chinese Societies 2:206–250, 1993) ‘Instrumental Values.’ This suggests some commonality in the work values construct between the East and West, but there are a few subtle differences. It is argued that such differences heighten the need for measurement scales with context-specific and society-specific items when examining work values in different settings.

The relationship between maladaptive perfectionism with burnout: Testing mediating effect of emotion-focused coping

This study investigated the influence of maladaptive perfectionism with burnout in a sample of nurses. Specifically, structural equation modeling analyses were employed to examine the effect of maladaptive perfectionism with burnout and to test the mediating effect of emotion-focused coping. The results of this study suggested that emotion-focused coping fully mediated the relationship between maladaptive perfectionism and burnout. Nurses with higher levels of maladaptive perfectionism reported a higher habitual usage of emotion-focused coping, and maladaptive perfectionism had a direct effect on the choice of coping style. The results of this study broaden the current knowledge on perfectionism in relation to vocational behaviors and provided important managerial strategies and psychological interventions.