Vocational Identity Research Articles

Getting from 'Keep Out' to 'Lean In': A New Roadmap for Women's Careers

Forty years ago, a generation of American women embarked on careers they had never anticipated, knowing almost nothing about what their futures would be like. Now these pioneers are nearing retirement. A lifetime of results are in, and debate is raging about women’s progress, what they can do, what they should do, what hinders them and what remedies to try. We have excellent scholarship on many of these issues, but precious little on what women’s careers actually look like in the long term. We need much better tools to help women envision their futures, clarify alternatives and make choices that will be both viable and right for them over the course of their working lives. This study offers a new model for understanding women’s career development through adulthood. The research is grounded in biographical interviews with 40 women born between 1945 and 1955, from four occupations and a spectrum of socio-economic and ethnic/racial backgrounds. Case histories are used to describe participants’ careers, and to illuminate two life-long developmental tasks: the internal work of forming a vocational identity, and the external work of navigating a career. For women, accomplishing those tasks is complicated by a dilemma imposed by conflicting prescriptions about gender roles—between ambition (choosing a goal and going all-out for it) and drift (taking whatever comes along). Analysis of participants’ responses to the tasks and dilemma over time showed that they followed six career trajectories, distinct pathways that emerged from the astonishing complexity and diversity of their individual histories. Virtually all the women in this study found satisfying careers that exceeded their youthful expectations, even those with floundering beginnings and delayed outcomes. Findings also illuminate the role of confidence in women’s career leaps, and a heretoforeundescribed resource for helping women grow and achieve, the Developmental Community. Implications are drawn for individuals, organizations, research and theory. Acknowledgements: I am grateful to the forty women who so generously shared their life stories for this research. I am also indebted to many colleagues, friends, and family members—above all, my husband, Kelin Gersick—for their thoughtful comments.

Cape Verdean Immigrants’ Career Development and School Engagement

This study examined the contribution of perceptions of discrimination, career planning, and vocational identity to the school engagement experiences of first- and second-generation immigrants among a sample of 125 Cape Verdean high school students. Perceived ethnic discrimination was found to moderate the association between both vocational factors and school engagement. Students who perceived high levels of discrimination and endorsed a strong vocational identity also endorsed high levels of school engagement. When endorsing high levels of career planning, individuals reporting different levels of perceived discrimination did not differ in school engagement. However, large differences in school engagement were noted at low levels of career planning, with individuals reporting low levels of perceived discrimination endorsing higher engagement in school than those who perceived higher levels of discrimination. The findings highlight the importance of considering perceptions of ethnic discrimination as one explores the academic and vocational functioning of immigrant students of color.

Teacher's Feedback and Student's Identity: An Example of Elementary School Students in Portugal

The teacher's feedback is a pedagogical tool for promoting interaction in school. The main goal of this work is to understand the dynamics and consequences of the nature of teacher's feedback on student's identity and school commitment.We used the Dellas Identity Status Inventory-Occupation (DISI-O) to evaluate the vocational identity and an open-end questionnaire for student's perceptions about teacher's feedback. This study involved 42 students, between 13 and 19 years old. According to the results, the majority of the students are in the Moratorium status and they perceive the feedback from teachers as an important way to choose a vocational future.

Cross‐Cultural Comparison of the Effects of Optimism, Intrinsic Motivation, and Family Relations on Vocational Identity

This study explored the effects of optimism, intrinsic motivation, and family relations on vocational identity in college students in the United States and South Korea. The results yielded support for the hypothesized multivariate model. Across both cultures, optimism was an important contributing factor to vocational identity, and intrinsic motivation partially mediated the link from optimism to vocational identity. In addition, family relations moderated the mediation effect of intrinsic motivation with American students but not Korean students. With Korean students, family relations moderated the direct link from optimism to vocational identity. These results have significant implications for counseling to promote vocational identity development for diverse college students.

Comparison of the Effectiveness of Two Assessment Feedback Models in Reducing Career Indecision

We examined the relative effectiveness of information giving (IG) and therapeutic assessment (TA) models of career assessment feedback in reducing career indecision. Clients initiating career counseling at a large Midwestern University completed measures of career choice anxiety (CCA), vocational identity, and career decision-making self-efficacy prior to and following a two-session intervention. We also administered measures of treatment integrity and session helpfulness immediately following treatment. Clients were randomly assigned to an intervention based upon either an IG or TA model of assessment feedback. Results indicated that TA participants’ vocational identity scores improved significantly more than those of IG participants; a medium-to-large effect size was identified. TA and IG participants’ CCA and decision-making self-efficacy scores significantly increased but not differentially following treatment. Participants of both groups rated their feedback sessions as “greatly helpful.” We discuss implications for career assessment as well as the limitations of the study.

Dysfunctional career thoughts and attitudes as predictors of vocational identity among young adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

This study examined dysfunctional career thoughts and attitudes as predictors of vocational identity among high school students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Regression analysis results indicated that dysfunctional career thoughts and attitudes were significant predictors of vocational identity, accounting for 42% of the explained variance. Dysfunctional career thinking, measured by the Career Thoughts Inventory (Sampson, Peterson, Lenz, Reardon, & Saunders, 1996) and the Career Maturity Inventory — Revised (Crites & Savickas, 1996), displayed important predictive relationships with vocational identity as measured by the Vocational Identity Scale (Holland, Daiger, & Power, 1980). Implications for interventions and further research in vocational psychology and career counseling with ADHD students are discussed.

Effect of an Experiential and Work-Based Learning Program on Vocational Identity, Career Decision Self-Efficacy, and Career Maturity

Effect of an Experiential and Work-Based Learning Program on Vocational Identity, Career Decision Self-Efficacy, and Career Maturity

Assessing Difficulties in Career Decision Making Among Swiss Adolescents with the German My Vocational Situation Scale

Assessing problems in career decision making among adolescents is important for career guidance and research. The present study is the first to investigate among Swiss adolescents the factor structure and convergent validity in relation to personality of the German-language adaptation of the My Vocational Situation Scale. Two preliminary studies (N = 217) suggested that using a 5-point Likert scale response format would increase scale reliability. The confirmatory factor analyses in the main study with two cohorts (n = 341, eighth grade; n = 303, eleventh grade) confirmed that four main factors, which assess problems with identity, decision making, information, and perceived barriers, underlie the data. The barriers factor was differentiated into aspired vocation and personal situation. Construct validity was supported by significant relationships between favorable personality characteristics (emotional stability, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, generalized self-efficacy, and internal locus of control) and fewer problems. The results suggest that the vocational identity and barriers scales can be fruitfully applied to research on and the practice of career counseling with adolescents.

Examining tenets of personal growth initiative using the Personal Growth Initiative Scale–II.

One promising antecedent of optimal functioning is personal growth initiative (PGI), which is the active and intentional desire to grow as a person. PGI theory and its measure, the Personal Growth Initiative Scale, have consistently shown positive relations with optimal functioning and growth. Recently, the PGI theory and its measure have been revised to account for theoretical advances. Consequently, testing of the revised theory and measure is needed to assess their capacity to predict psychological functioning and growth. The current study examined 2 tenets of PGI theory in a sample of college students. Results indicated that 3 of the 4 factors of PGI were positively related to psychological well-being and negatively related to aspects of psychological distress. In addition, the same 3 factors were related to growth in a salient domain (vocational identity development) and explained variance beyond that accounted for by more stable personality traits.

Enhancing psychosocial outcomes for young adult childhood CNS cancer survivors

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between vocational identity, community integration, positive and negative affect, and satisfaction with life in a group of young adult central nervous system (CNS) cancer survivors. Participants in this study included 45 young adult CNS cancer survivors who ranged in age from 18 to 30 years (mean=22, SD=3.62), with a mean age at diagnosis of 8.8 years. Four standardized instruments were used to assess the individual's affect, satisfaction with life, vocational identity, and self-perceived level of community integration. Pearson correlation analyses were carried out to examine the relationships between the satisfaction with life and positive and negative affect, vocational identify, and community integration. A hierarchical linear regression was then performed to determine how well these variables predict satisfaction with life among CNS cancer survivors. Significant positive correlations were found between life satisfaction and positive affect (r=0.423, P<0.01), as well as life satisfaction and community integration (r=-505, P<0.001). A positive correlation between life satisfaction and vocational identity was only marginally significant (r=0.312, P<0.05). Regression results indicate that the model explained 29% of the variance with community integration making a unique contribution. The largest contribution of this study is that the findings provide initial evidence that addressing vocational identity and community integration may be important constructs in improving young adult CNS survivors' overall levels of satisfaction with life. These constructs have not been typically addressed in psychosocial cancer treatment programs.

Goal instability, self-esteem, and vocational identity of high school Portuguese students

According to the self-psychology of Heinz Kohut, development of a healthy narcissism that is reflected in a secure sense of self, permits individuals to set and pursue meaningful life goals and maintain a sense ofwell-being, particularly in periods of transition and change. Based on this perspective, the primary purpose of this study was to assess the contribution of goal instability and self-esteem to the vocational identity of Portuguese high school students using a sample of 375 individuals. Additionally, the effect of gender and age on vocational identity was assessed. A regression equation accounted for 32% of the variance of the dependent variable with goal instability emerging as the strongest predictor. Implications for career theory and counseling are discussed.

Career exploration and fit perception of Chinese new generation employees

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the mediating effect of vocational identity and the moderating effect of work values on the relation between career exploration and fit perception of Chinese new generation employees.Design/methodology/approachA survey was conducted to measure variables in this study. Based on review of the related studies about work value, career exploration, vocational identity and fit perception, the authors establish a theoretical model and propose hypotheses. Data were obtained from 647 Chinese post‐1980s generation employees.FindingsAccording to the statistical analysis result, the paper demonstrates that career exploration can affect fit perception through mediator of vocational identity; when people have stronger preference to chase for job comfort and security, the relations between career exploration effort, vocational identity and fit perception becomes stronger; once individual has stronger preference for status and independence, the relations between career exploration effort, vocational identity and fit perception becomes weakened.Research limitations/implicationsThe data used in this study only came from the employees, although the authors test homologous deviation through Harman single factor test. If the authors can conduct the survey from both employees and their supervisors, it will be better for them to avoid homology bias. Furthermore, more factors need to be considered in the formation of fit perception of Chinese new generation employees.Originality/valueThe paper explains the internal relations between work value, career exploration, vocational identity and fit perception on the basis on of the characteristics of Chinese new generation employees.

Improving Prediction of Significant Career‐Related Constructs for High School Students With Learning Disabilities

Preparing students with learning disabilities (LDs) to make the transition into the world of work is considered an essential preparation that high schools can provide. However, existing services are limited for career development preparation, and available programs rely on assessments normed for samples of students without LDs. This study examined the predictability of critical career‐related constructs of dysfunctional career thoughts, career maturity, and vocational identity in high school students with LDs, using a sample of 139 such students. Data analyses were performed using multiple regression and t tests. Results indicate that it is possible to predict important career constructs for students with LDs using standardized instruments, which can inform subsequent interventions.

Relationship between Family Variables, Vocational Identity, and Psychological Well-being for Agricultural High School Students

Relationship between Family Variables, Vocational Identity, and Psychological Well-being for Agricultural High School Students

Factors of Vocational Identity for Social Welfare University Students in Japan

Factors of Vocational Identity for Social Welfare University Students in Japan

Are RIASEC Interests Traits? Evidence Based on Self–Other Agreement

Two studies examined the conceptualization of career interests as traits using self–other agreement data. Study 1 participants were 114 college student–friend dyads, and Study 2 participants were 93 student–parent dyads. In each study, students provided interest (using Holland’s realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising, and conventional [RIASEC] dimensions) and personality (using the Big Five factors) self-ratings, and friends/parents completed parallel measures on which they rated the students. Self–other agreement for interests was similar in magnitude to that for personality, providing support for a trait conceptualization. Student–parent dyads were in closer agreement regarding realistic than investigative or conventional interests, but among friends the degree of agreement across RIASEC interest dimensions did not differ. The magnitude of agreement between friends was comparable to that of student–parent dyads, but whereas one index of agreement between student–parent dyads was associated with students’ vocational identity, agreement with friends was unrelated to vocational identity. Implications for theory, intervention, and research are presented.

The Influence of Gender on ProfessionalismFemale in Trainees.

This study aimed to analyze the experience of female trainees who were trained in hospitals after graduating from medical school, focusing on methods of representing their gender in training courses. We interviewed 8 trainees who had been trained in a hospital in Seoul and 4 faculties from June 2010 to October 2010. We analyzed their similarities and differences and developed a vocational identity formation process to represent gender. Gender was represented contradictorily in their training course, affecting their choice of specialties and interactions with patients. But, female trainees did not want to their being distinguished from their male counterparts with regard to being a good doctor to be influenced by meritocracy. It was difficult for them to bear children and balance work and family life due to aspects of the training system, including long work hours and the lack of replacement workers. Consequently, they asked their parents to help with child care, because hospitals are not interested in the maternity system. Female trainees did not consider being a doctor to be a male profession. Likely, they believed that their femininity influenced their professionalism positively. The methods of representing gender are influenced by the training system, based a male-dominated apprenticeship. Thus, we will research the mechanisms that influence gender-discriminated choices in specialties, hospitals, and medical schools and prepare a maternity care system for female trainees. Strategies that maximize recruitment and retention of women in medicine should include a consideration of alternative work schedules and optimization of maternity leave and child care opportunities.

Work and psychiatric illness in Aotearoa/New Zealand: implications for career practice

ABSTRACT This paper aims to examine the influence of Māori culture upon psychiatric service provision in Aotearoa/New Zealand and the implications of this for career counselling of people with experience of mental illness in Aotearoa/New Zealand. The research explored the experiences of a group of women in Aotearoa/New Zealand who have been diagnosed with a psychiatric illness, with the aim of gaining some understanding about how they negotiate issues around diagnosis, recovery and resilience development and employment. The women interviewed for the study ranged in age from 17 to late 60s. They displayed academic ability ranging from literacy issues to postdoctoral experience. Their psychiatric illnesses ranged from single episodes to chronic lifetime conditions and from depression to psychotic bi-polar disorder. Their occupations ranged from unemployed status to an acting CEO. All but one of the women identified as Pākehā/tauiwi. One woman had Māori heritage but had been adopted at birth by Pākehā adoptive parents and had no knowledge of her Māori whakapapa [genealogy; descent lines; ancestry] until later in her adult life. The key idea that emerged was the importance of mentors in vocational settings, and the helpfulness of Māori-focused group and family wellness models for renegotiating vocational identity when suffering from a psychiatric illness. Implications for career practitioners are discussed.

Towards a Paradigm Shift in the Production of Vocational Education Teachers in Nigeria

Modern education the world over now envisions achievement of science and technological advancement for economic growth and poverty reduction. The imperative is for teachers to deliver instruction in vocational skills, attitudes, understanding and knowledge related to occupations in various sectors of the Nigerian economic and social life. If we believe that the quality of an educational system is a correlate of teacher quality then, logically, the teacher should be the first to acquire this vocational identity and orientation to be able to transmit the same to students. Today, schools have ‘talk-and-chalk’ teachers teaching vocation education students with traditional skills - dictate long notes, memorize books, drill and indoctrinate skills rather than skills that reduce classroom experiences to real world situations. This means teaching without teachers and represents a fundamental missing link. A paradigm shift is required. Therefore, it is recommended that teacher training (production) programmes (in terms of curricula, content, pedagogy and funding) be reformed to produce sharp and appropriate teacher response to this new concept of education.

Career Development Skills, Outcomes, and Hope Among College Students

The purpose of this study was twofold. First, the utility of the Integrative Contextual Model of Career Development (ICM) to describe the career development behavior of college students was examined. Second, relationships among educational and career development skills (career exploration, person–environment fit, goal setting, social/prosocial/work readiness, self-regulated learning, and the utilization of emotional and instrumental support), educational and career development outcomes (self-efficacy, positive self-attributions, vocational identity, magnitude of vocational interests, and proactivity), and two components of hope (agency and pathways) among college students were explored. Results indicated that ICM is a useful model for college students and that the interrelated skills predicted the interrelated outcomes. The agency aspect of hope predicted both skills and outcomes; and skills or outcomes predicted agency. Pathways were not predictive of nor predicted by skills or outcomes. Suggestions about how these skills can be developed in college students are offered.