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Getting Back to Work: Self-Efficacy as a Predictor of Employment Outcome

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Michael Regenold
Michael Regenold
Michael Regenold
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Martin F Sherman at Loyola University Maryland
Martin F Sherman
Mickey Fenzel at Loyola University Maryland
Mickey Fenzel
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Abstract

Examined whether self-efficacy would be predictive of future vocational outcomes for participants in a supported employment program. Participants were 86 18–54 yr olds associated with a private, non-profit agency located in Baltimore, Maryland, which provides supported employment services for persons with psychiatric disabilities. Stepwise logistic regression analyses supported the hypothesized relation between self-efficacy and whether the employment goal was attained. Hypothesized relations between symptomatology and prior employment history and the outcome variable were also supported. This research lends support to self-efficacy as a promising predictor of vocational rehabilitation outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved)
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SP RING 99— VOLUM E 22 NU M B ER 4
Get ting B ack to W o r k :
Self-Efficacy as a
Pre dicto r of Em p l o y m e n t
Outc ome
Mic h a e l R e g e n o l d ,
Ma r t i n F. Sh e r m a n &
Mi c k e y F e n z e l
MICHAEL REGENOLD, MA, IS A
THERAPIST AT HEGIRA,
WESTLAND COUNSELING CENTER,
WESTLAND, MICHIGAN.
MARTIN F. SHERMAN, PHD, IS A
PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY, IN THE
DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY, LOYOLA
COLLEGE, BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.
MICKEY FENZEL, PHD, IS AN ASSOCIATE
PROFESSOR OF PSYCHOLOGY,
DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY,
LOYOLA COLLEGE.
PORTIONS OF THIS RESEARCH WERE
PRESENTED AT THE AMERICAN
PSYCHOLOGICAL SOCIETY
CONVENTION, WASHINGTON, DC, MAY,
1998. THE AUTHORS WOULD LIKE TO
THANK ELLEN FABIAN FOR GUIDANCE
OFFERED ON THIS ARTICLE’S
THEORETICAL DEVELOPMENT AND
COMMENTS ON DRAFTS
OF THIS ARTICLE.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
MARTIN F. SHERMAN, DEPARTMENT OF
PSYCHOLOGY, LOYOLA COLLEGE, 4501 N.
CHARLES ST., BALTIMORE, MARYLAND
21210-2699. ELECTRONIC MAIL MAY BE
SENT TO mfs@ vax.loyo la.edu.
The primary purpose o f this exploratory research was to
examine whether self-efficacy would be predictive of future vocational out
comes f or participants in a supported employment program. Participants
were 86 persons associated with a private, non-profit agency located in
Baltimore, Maryland, which provides supported employment services fo r
persons with psychiatric disabilities. Stepwise logistic regression analyses
supported the hypothesized relation between self-efficacy and whether the
employment goal was attained Hypothesized relations between symptoma
tology and prior employment history and the outcome variable were also
supported. The importance o f this research is that it lends support to self-ef-
ficacy as a promising predictor of vocational rehabilitation outcomes.
Periodic reviews of vocational rehabili
tation research have identified several
demographic and clinical factors that
have and have not correlated with fu
ture vocational skills. For instance,
Anthony and Jansen (1984) reported
that poor predictors of future vocation
al success include psychiatric sympto
matology, type of diagnosis,
intelligence, aptitude, and personality.
They also reported that a person’s abili
ty to succeed in a community setting is
a poor predictor of success in a work
setting and suggested that a better pre
dictor of future vocational success is the
ARTICLES
rating of a person’s work adjustment
skills made in a workshop setting or
sheltered job site. According to Anthony
and Jansen (1984), the best demo
graphic predictor is a person’s prior
employment history. Anthony, Cohen,
and Farkas (1990) reviewed studies that
investigated demographic predictors of
future vocational success and found
that employment history was the demo
graphic variable most predictive of fu
ture vocational success, accounting for
between 27% and 53% of the variance
in employment.
361
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An instrument was developed to assess the career search efficacy of individuals who are interested in finding careers or jobs, changing careers or jobs, or reentering the job market. Principal components analysis of the 35-item Career Search Efficacy Scale (CSES; Solberg, Good, & Nord, 1991) yielded four factors: (a) Job Exploration, (b) Interviewing, (c) Networking, and (d) Personal Exploration Efficacy. Internal consistency for the subscales ranged from .87 to .95 indicating very good internal consistency. Convergent and discriminant validity of the CSES was also assessed. A principle component analysis indicated that the CSES converged with indices of career self-efficacy and discriminated from personality measures (e.g., assertiveness, interpersonal skills, and instrumentality). Implications for future research and practice are discussed.
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Work, Self, and Life Satisfaction for Persons with Severe and Persistent Mental Disorders
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Enhancing the vocational status of persons with severe mental disorders is an important goal of psychosocial rehabilitation programs. Changes in vocational and residential status, and community tenure, were evaluated in relation to subjective client outcomes. Eighty-eight psychiatrically disabled clients of a large mental health center were interviewed regarding their self-efficacy, self-esteem, and life satisfaction. Only 6-month change in vocational status was positively and significantly related to these subjective outcomes. The data support a model wherein improvement in vocational status results in higher self-efficacy, which then affects life satisfaction through its impact on self-esteem.
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A Self-Efficacy Approach to the Career Development of Women
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  • Jun 1981
An approach to the conceptualization and facilitation of women's career development based on and , 84, 191–215) self-efficacy theory is presented. The model presented postulates that largely as a result of socialization experiences, women lack strong expectations of personal efficacy in relationship to many career-related behaviors and, thus, fail to fully realize their capabilities and talents in career pursuits. Sex differences in the access to and availability of four sources of information important to the development of strong expectations of personal efficacy are reviewed and discussed in relationship to women's career decisions and achievements. The utility of the proposed model for integrating existing knowledge of women's career development, for generating productive avenues of inquiry, and for guiding intervention efforts is discussed. The conceptual framework provided is seen as having implications for the career development of men as well as women, but the focus herein is on its potential for contributing to knowledge of the career development of women.
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A Social Cognitive Framework for Studying Career Choice and Transition to Work
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Anchored in Bandura's social cognition theory, this framework focuses on the interplay among self-efficacy, expectations, and goals in enabling individuals to act on their career development. The interaction of sociocognitive variables with personal/environmental characteristics and school-to-work transition is described. (SK)
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Using Quality-of-Life Indicators in Rehabilitation Program Evaluation
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  • Jun 1991
Reviews assessment approaches to measuring quality of life (QOL) in rehabilitation program evaluation from 3 perspectives. These are (1) QOL as a measure of life satisfaction across multiple life domains; (2) QOL as a measure of adaptive functioning or environmental mastery; and (3) QOL as a social indicator measuring changes among specified groups of people in response to services or programs provided. Each approach relies on different outcome criteria and measuring instruments, and each is reviewed separately, with examples of studies that have incorporated that approach in evaluating QOL outcomes. Practical applications of QOL assessments are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
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