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Career transitions and employability
Abstract
How individuals can be employable and make successful career transitions throughout their working life is gaining increased attention from scholars in the field of vocational and organizational psychology for several decades now. Although contemporary career literature implicitly or explicitly assumes a strong connectedness between career transitions and employability, these two concepts have their own historical development in the literature. In this paper we provide a historical account of how the research fields around both have evolved, and we highlight some key insights from seminal work. We then review the literature to explore in more detail how the relationship between career transitions and employability has been empirically studied in the vocational and organizational psychology literature so far. We end with discussing the major observations from this review and formulate pathways for future research.
... The competitiveness among Generation Z affects their employability. There is a strong connection between career transition and employability (De Vos et al., 2021). The definition of employability refers to a set of skills, knowledge, and personal attributes that benefit individual in their workforce and life after college (Finch et al., 2017). ...
... The definition of employability refers to a set of skills, knowledge, and personal attributes that benefit individual in their workforce and life after college (Finch et al., 2017). While employability in this research refers to individual approaches, especially among graduates, to obtain a job using their competencies and personal qualities (De Vos et al., 2021). Employability plays a significant role in maintaining the resilience of individuals during the transition phase between education and the world of work. ...
... Meanwhile, as delineated in this research, the concept of employability encompasses the various approaches adopted by individuals, particularly recent graduates, to enter the workforce by leveraging their competencies, skills, and personal qualities (De Vos et al., 2021). This includes their ability to effectively apply their knowledge and experiences to secure and thrive in suitable employment opportunities. ...
Globalization has significantly led to increased human mobility and intensified competition in the job market. With its large population surplus and a predominantly productive generation, Indonesia also faced this challenge. The article aims to identify strategies for preparing and providing Generation Z with the skills and portfolios demanded by the evolving job market. This research employs two main methods. The first method uses a quantitative paradigm with a questionnaire to measure Generation Z’s self-assessment of their competitiveness derived from the dynamic capabilities framework by Finch et al. The second method implements a qualitative paradigm, employing focus group discussion to provide an in-depth analysis of the identified phenomenon of employability. This research successfully unpacked the integrated dynamic competitiveness of Generation Z, including intellectual, job-specific, personality, and meta-skills resources. These findings are crucial for each university to consider the Generation Z conditions during the work transition.
... These soft skills encompass self-awareness, respect for others, leadership acumen, a positive attitude, teamwork, self-confidence, critical thinking, and effective communication. Professionals are mandated not only to master the technical dimensions of their job but also to possess a repertoire of various soft skills (De Vos et al., 2021). ...
... . Typically, hard skills are acquired through formal training and education, whereas soft skills are cultivated through personal experiences and reflection (De Vos et al., 2021). In the labor market, success for a young specialist hinges equally on both hard and soft skills. ...
... In the realm of Western education and psychology, the examination of career development and preparedness is conducted by employing career decision-making theories. These theories are grounded in methodologies that intricately model the complexities inherent in the process of career decision-making-an endeavor where individuals assess various alternatives with the aim of choosing the most desirable outcome (De Vos et al., 2021). As articulated by Kulscar and Gati (2020), career decisions encompass choosing an occupation, associated educational training, subsequent job selection, determining whether to remain in a job or transition to another, opting for formal and informal advanced training, and more. ...
This study delves into the intricate landscape of career decision-making, transcending the conventional job selection paradigm to encompass a holistic understanding of oneself, an awareness of potential vocations, and insights into developmental trajectories. Conducted at Toraighyrov University in the Kazakhstan, the research engaged 310 participants, comprising 215 undergraduates and 95 graduate students. Spanning humanities and STEM fields. Key findings emphasize the critical need for tailored interventions, including a specialized career course targeting information utilization skills and self-awareness. The proposed enhancement of one-on-one career counseling sessions aims to empower students with lifelong skills for effective self-management. Employing the Career Decision-making Difficulties Questionnaire (and the Six Phases of Career Decision-making Questionnaire, the study delineates the six phases of career decision-making, shedding light on significant challenges that serve as prognostic indicators of career readiness motivation. A noteworthy finding reveals that 43% of fourth-year undergraduates and 47% of graduate students are positioned in the pivotal fourth phase, representing a fundamental competency for those embarking on their professional journeys. Furthermore, the study underscores the rarity of achieving the sixth phase, symbolizing a fully determined career choice, with only 15% of graduate-level respondents and 7% of undergraduates reaching this advanced level of decision-making prowess
... Por outro, os empregados também passaram a perceber possibilidades de mobilidade profissional e a agir nesse sentido (Cappelli, 1999, Clarke, 2013. Ambos os movimentos provocaram mudanças na natureza das carreiras, cada vez mais caracterizadas por avanços e descontinuidades, movimentos verticais e horizontais, e maior instabilidade (Clarke, 2013;De Vos, Jacobs, & Verbruggen, 2021;Lyons, Schweitzer, Ng, & Kuron, 2012). Diante dessa nova realidade, ao trabalhador passou a ser imputada a responsabilidade por sua empregabilidade, aqui definida como a condição de ser empregável ou de conseguir um emprego condizente com as próprias competências e as necessidades do mercado (Helal, 2005). ...
... A análise das entrevistas mostrou que os participantes que tinham mais conhecimento a respeito de si mesmos fizeram uma transição mais satisfatória do que aqueles que tomaram suas decisões de forma menos reflexiva. A maior clareza em relação ao significado do trabalho em suas vidas e a respeito de suas competências e limitações parece ter contribuído positivamente para a transição, conforme apontado na literatura sobre empregabilidade e competências de carreira (Defillippi & Arthur, 1994;De Vos et al., 2021;Fugate et al., 2004). ...
O presente estudo teve como objetivo analisar a transição de carreira de trabalhadores na maturidade que tiveram suas carreiras corporativas interrompidas pela demissão. Participaram da pesquisa, de caráter qualitativo e exploratório, 21 profissionais, com idades entre 45 e 60 anos, que ocupavam cargos de gestão e foram desligados das organizações privadas em que trabalhavam. Os dados foram obtidos por meio de entrevistas individuais, conduzidas segundo o método biográfico. Os resultados mostraram que a transição de carreira foi influenciada por fatores contextuais e individuais, incluindo condições do mercado de trabalho, ageísmo, duração da transição, situação financeira, suporte social e características pessoais. Com relação aos resultados da transição, foram identificados três grupos, denominados excluídos, precarizados e nostálgicos, em consonância com sua posição em relação ao mercado de trabalho formal. Apesar de terem seguido caminhos diferentes, todos se encontravam numa posição notadamente pior do que a anterior à demissão. De uma perspectiva teórica, esses resultados nos permitem questionar os modelos de carreira que reforçam o viés da agência individual, relativamente aos aspectos contextuais. De uma perspectiva aplicada, ao trazer evidências da vulnerabilidade de trabalhadores maduros, esperamos chamar a atenção para a necessidade de políticas públicas e práticas organizacionais voltadas à valorização desse grupo profissional.
... Indeed, employability, generally defined as an individual's employment potential in the internal and external labor market [5], is considered an important trending topic in career studies [6]. The contemporary employability literature emphasizes perceived employability, a subjective evaluation of one's employability, as a critical personal resource for career advancement and transitions and a competitive advantage for both employees and organizations [7][8][9][10]. It is also a key indicator of the career sustainability paradigm emerging from the psychology of sustainability and sustainable development [4,11,12]. ...
... Moreover, we draw on self-regulation theory [27][28][29] to propose that career crafting positively influences perceived employability. Specifically, employees who engage in proactive career self-regulatory strategies (i.e., career crafting) have the motivation and ability to cope with career transitions across their lifespan and manage their own careers in desired directions [26,43], which enables them to achieve favorable career outcomes [1,8]. Indeed, career crafting reflects an effective form of proactive career management in a time when individuals' career pathways are becoming flexible and nonlinear through a series of decisions and choices [26,31]. ...
The dramatic changes in modern careers call for more knowledge about employability, a key indicator of career sustainability. In reply, this study introduces the recently developed concept of forgone identity dwelling (FID) into the employability debate and aims to explain whether and how FID promotes employees’ perceived employability. Specifically, we draw on a self-regulatory perspective to propose that FID may serve as a meaningful way to enhance employability through a proactive career self-regulatory pathway characterized by career crafting, especially for employees high in promotion regulatory focus. To investigate this, we used the method of a three-wave survey study conducted among 435 Chinese employees and tested the hypotheses using path analysis with Mplus. The findings showed that FID motivated the employees to engage in career crafting, which in turn positively affected their perceived employability. Furthermore, promotion focus strengthened the positive effects of FID, such that the employees high in promotion focus were more likely to translate FID into employability through career crafting. These results highlight the importance of leveraging FID experiences to enhance employees’ proactive behaviors and employability. This study is the first to link FID to sustainable career outcomes, inspiring future research to explore additional mechanisms for the nuanced effects of FID on career sustainability.
... Workers need to adjust to these changes and often transition between jobs, as well as states of employment, unemployment, and participation in the labor force [1]. For example, major economic (e.g., globalization) and technological (e.g., the rise of artificial intelligence) changes challenge sustainable employment opportunities [2]. This increases the likelihood of job transition and diminishes employability prospects for individuals with lower educational qualifications or those whose skills are less aligned with emerging developments [2]. ...
... For example, major economic (e.g., globalization) and technological (e.g., the rise of artificial intelligence) changes challenge sustainable employment opportunities [2]. This increases the likelihood of job transition and diminishes employability prospects for individuals with lower educational qualifications or those whose skills are less aligned with emerging developments [2]. Labor market shifts increase social costs and raise the issue of achieving social sustainability in the sense of fostering the well-being of all individuals. ...
This study introduces a methodology for labor market foresight through alternative futures. It discusses three alternative scenarios for managerial roles, each exploring varying levels of technological advancement and economic growth, to provide insights into the evolving demands for managerial roles. By drafting a diversified skill portfolio, it is argued that employability skills for managers concern providing education in a combination of areas, such as new technologies, trend analysis, and strategic foresight based on the sector in which the firm operates, negotiation skills and human resources management, contemporary sales techniques, entrepreneurship, and personal growth, including time management, creativity, public speaking skills, and foresight skills. Utilizing responses obtained through an online survey administered in Greece during 2024 to managers and employing principal component analysis (PCA), we establish correlations between skill portfolio composition preferences, foresight analysis, and design of diversified skill portfolios. Diversified skill portfolios are a holistic approach to training, reskilling, and upskilling, including an optimum combination of foundational, complex, digital, green, and always case-fit per occupation or sector of economic activity. Consequently, the insights derived from this study offer a microeconomic perspective regarding the optimal combination of skills for managerial occupations and a macroeconomic perspective concerning the formulation of future training policies for human capital development.
... Over the course of their professional life, individuals navigate a range of career transitions because careers become ever more complex and individualized (McDonald, 2018;Tomlinson et al., 2018). Indeed, career and vocational psychology scholars generally agree that as careers are increasingly focused on continuous learning and development, career patterns have become more dynamic and idiosyncratic (De Vos et al., 2019;De Vos et al., 2021;Fouad & Kozlowski, 2019). As a result, career transitions not only occur at relatively predetermined points in time (i.e., normative career transitions, such as school-to-work transitions) but also more and more often throughout the life span (i.e., idiosyncratic career transitions, such as work-to-work transitions). ...
... Our literature review will focus on a variety of career transitions and, hence, go beyond existing reviews focusing more narrowly on work transitions (Fouad & Bynner, 2008), theoretical perspectives in career transition research (Sullivan & Al Ariss, 2021), conceptual papers on career transitions (Louis, 1980), (work) role transitions (Ashforth et al., 2000;George et al., 2022;Nicholson, 1984), career transitions and employability (De Vos et al., 2021), and methodological reviews (Bliese et al., 2017) on transition research. Table 1 provides an overview of these articles and shows how our review study builds on and extends them. ...
... The literature has generally addressed this concept using two distinct approaches: the input approach and the output approach (Forrier et al., 2018). The input approach focuses on a set of factors that enhance the likelihood of obtaining and retaining a job, including qualities or competencies such as flexibility, adaptability, proactivity, and other career-related skills (de Vos et al., 2021;Forrier et al., 2018;Fugate & Kinicki, 2008). The output approach refers to perceived employability, meaning an individual's self-perceived likelihood of obtaining and maintaining employment (Berntson & Marklund, 2007;Vanhercke et al., 2014). ...
Although constraining contextual and extrinsic factors pose significant challenges for first-generation college students, intrinsic and individual strengths also play a crucial role in facilitating positive outcomes in their career development. To better understand the role of these factors, this study aimed to examine the relationships among perseverance of effort, career adaptability, career engagement, and perceived employability, within the framework of Career Construction Theory. Data were collected from 308 senior first-generation college students in Türkiye. Using PROCESS v4.3 for R, we found that perseverance of effort significantly predicted both career adaptability and career engagement. Career adaptability significantly predicted both career engagement and perceived employability, while career engagement also significantly predicted perceived employability. Additionally, career adaptability and career engagement serially mediated the relationship between perseverance of effort and perceived employability. This study revealed that adaptivity, adaptability, and adapting responses were crucial internal factors leading to positive outcomes for first-generation college students. The implications, limitations, and future directions of this research are also discussed.
... In today's rapidly evolving world, the combination of increasing speed in technological developments, new business models, expanded globalization, and increased demands for productivity, creativity, and flexibility showcases the need for fostering effective career development at an earlier age (De Vos et al., 2021). This process begins with engaging educators, students, and families in ongoing discussions about careers, employment, and postsecondary education, starting at the elementary level and continuing throughout high school (McFarlane & Guillermo, 2020). ...
Career development promotes the development of key life skills, allows students to discover opportunities, connects school to work, encourages collaboration, and is instrumental in preparing students for postsecondary success. Despite this, many elementary educators struggle to seamlessly integrate career development activities into curricula. This paper will explore how to strengthen students' foundational career skills, offer suggestions and resources on how to seamlessly integrate career development into elementary curricula, and how to celebrate and share student learning as elementary students discover their personal, career, and/or educational aspirations.
... Furthermore, perceived employability is an additional factor that has the potential to influence subjective career success (Van der Heijden et al. 2022). Throughout a person's career, employability are very important because they influence the choices available for changing careers, both within and outside the current role or profession (Clarke, 2008;Diaa et al. 2024;Vos et al. 2021). According to (Akkermans et al. 2019;Niu et al. 2019), there is a growing recognition of the significance of employability in determining career success. ...
Background: There has been a notable shift in career theory, whereby traditional career paths, which were largely determined by an employee's initial training and investment from the employer, have shifted towards modern career paths that are largely guided by the employee themselves. This shift is accompanied by a change in the contemporary workforce, where success is now characterised by a stronger focus on subjective aspects. Purpose: This study investigates the impact of perceived organizational support and perceived employability on the subjective career success among independent workers in Hajj and Umrah travel companies in West Sumatra. It also explores the parallel mediating effects of perceived internal and external employability. Design/methodology/approach: This quantitative investigation was conducted using a survey approach. The study involved 210 participants, and data collection was conducted through the utilisation of a questionnaire. To test the hypotheses, a quantitative approach incorporating structural equation modelling (SEM) was employed using SmartPLS 4.0. Findings/Result: The research findings indicate that perceived organizational support has a positive influence on subjective career success. We also discovered that perceived external employability influenced subjective career success, whereas perceived internal employability did not. The results also show that perceived external employability plays a mediating role in the relationship between perceived organizational support and subjective career success. Conclusion: The research findings indicate that individuals exhibit a higher level of sensitivity towards their subjective career success when it comes to external options, as opposed to internal ones. Originality/value (state of the art): This study expands the existing literature by exploring parallel the mediation of perceived internal and external employability. Keywords: independent workers, perceived internall employability, perceived externall employability, perceived organizationall support, subjective career successs
... Contemporary career paths are characterized by frequent and diversified career transitions (De Vos et al., 2021;Sullivan & Al Ariss, 2021). Alongside socially expected transitions, such as moving from school to work (e.g., Schoon & Heckhausen, 2019) and from work to retirement (e.g., Froidevaux et al., 2018), other career transitions (e.g., unemployment, lateral or downward mobility, sick leaves; Bidart, 2019;Lipshits-Braziler & Gati, 2019) are situation-dependent and less predictable. ...
Although extensive research on career transitions exists, little is known about the challenges and processes of involuntary career change. Building on Savickas's theoretical framework of objective and subjective careers, we investigated the subjective experiences of involuntary career changes while apprehending their objective unfolding. Following a longitudinal qualitative design, we conducted two waves of semistructured interviews with 18 participants who had been forced to change careers due to health issues, migration, or saturated labor market in Switzerland. A four-step temporal thematic analysis covering case description, case comparison, case processes analysis, and processes comparison highlighted a spectrum of career change processes. At one end, individuals experienced synchronous progressions and regained meaning and control over their career combined with a rather linear status sequence. Conversely, some individuals underwent asynchronous developments consisting of either modest objective steps that instigated meaningful subjective experiences or status stagnation, leading to a loss of control and meaning. These findings underscore the variety of involuntary career change processes and unveil synchronicity as a key temporal element in involuntary career change processes. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
... Career transitions are a normal part of career development and can occur throughout the lifetime. Even when career transitions are beneficial to, or sought after by, the person (e.g., a promotion) they can still create complexity in their life, with unexpected or unwanted transitions (e.g., unemployment) creating challenges to wellbeing (De Vos et al., 2021). Although newcomers are highly resilient, international career transitions bring with them additional complexity due to the multiple and changing geographical and cultural contexts, and circumstances around the transition, which may require intervention and support (Vincent et al., 2013;Young et al., 2022). ...
The interconnectedness of global economies and workforces have influenced the mobility of people between countries and their career development. Researchers need to consider contextual influences on international career transitions and select a methodology that illuminates peoples’ meaning making of diverse experiences. In this critical review, we reflect on Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), through describing the theoretical underpinnings and practical applications, including the seven indications and six contraindications of the IPA process. Overall, IPA seems to have strong applicability for research with people experiencing international career transitions, particularly because of the solid philosophical and human sciences basis, representation of shifts in meaning-making, and consideration of individuals’ unique transition contexts and diverse experiences. Researchers are invited to consider some hesitations in the IPA process, such as challenges in creating deep interpretations in data analysis and distinguishing whose interpretations are represented in the findings. Future research considerations are suggested to advance theoretical and practical applications, including a summary evaluation of the IPA process to inform researchers’ decision-making.
... SMK seeks to develop a workforce capability to adapt in the business area and transition to the industrial sector as well as to equip graduates with relevant skills and knowledge (Auvinen et al., 2020;Darmawan et al., 2020;Hamid et al., 2020;Sudira, 2019). Apart from hard skills, vocational education graduates must also have soft skills to be able to compete in the working environment (De Vos et al., 2021;Dzulkurnain et al., 2024;Fitra et al., 2024;Nasution et al., 2024;Pinna & Pitzalis, 2024;Putra et al., 2024). Data from the Programme of International Student Assessment (PISA) in 2018 showed that Indonesian students have average learning outcomes with a score of 396. ...
This study aims to develop a digital simulation and communication e-module based on Project Based Learning by using Moodle application to improve critical thinking skills in the field of computer and network engineering. The main focus of this study is to assess the validity, practicality, and student responses to the developed e-module design. The study employed a Research and Development (R&D) with the 4D model, including Define, Design, Develop, and Disseminate. The instrument used was a set of questionnaires on validation, user practicability, and student responses to the e-module, distributed to 25 students. The e-module was rated as valid by media experts (82%) and material experts (84%) and very practical according to teacher assessment (89.09%) and practical according to student assessment (84.07%). The results showed that students' scores after using the e-module were higher than the scores before using the e-module, indicating the effectiveness of the e-module in improving students’ critical thinking skills and understanding of the learning. The findings emphasize the importance of technology integration in vocational high schools to prepare students for future jobs and encourage innovation in 21st century learning methodologies.
... Clearly, the employee and gig worker's careers unfold within organizations, but potentially in different contexts of those organizations. Future research must address the impact of digitization (i.e., gig work) on employability and changing views of what having a career might mean (De Vos et al., 2021). Further, findings from this study imply that certain applicant work preferences and individual characteristics, such as a sense of agency and need for affiliation, will dramatically impact job seekers' willingness to pursue face-to-face versus gig work opportunities. ...
The opportunity to construct a career and the prevalence of virtual work are hallmarks of the extant environment that makes career decisions and workforce recruitment increasingly complex. We seek to understand jobseekers’ choices in this context, which allows for great personal control and independence. We draw on the career self-management stream of social-cognitive career theory to inform our examination of the influences of certain applicant work preferences and individual characteristics on preferences for gig or traditional work and related job-seeking behaviors. Findings from this study indicate that a sense of agency and need for affiliation are significantly related to new and transitional job seekers’ willingness to pursue face-to-face versus gig work opportunities. Additionally, this work revealed a positive relationship between a preference for face-to-face and gig work options, indicating that incorporating a combination of the two may be optimal for employees and employers.
... Research on employability and its relationship with skills, higher education and professional development has grown exponentially [21][22][23][24]. This theme is directly linked to Sustainable Development Goals 4 and 8, which address quality education and decent work, respectively [25,26]. ...
The study analyzes how graduate students in economics, administration and accounting perceive their managerial skills for employability, with the aim of determining its associated variables to improve the educational processes of future managerial leaders. It focuses on the importance of developing transferable skills that meet current and future job demands. To measure the perception of skills, a structured and duly validated questionnaire (Employability Skills 2000+) was used, answered by 225 graduate students in Economics, Administrative and Accounting Sciences in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The data obtained from the application were analyzed using the Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) method with the FACTOR software. The CFA generated an adaptation of the original scale with 21 variables. The resulting scale determined three predominant factors: personal management skills, fundamental skills and teamwork skills, which presented good consistency and validity, allowing us to make conclusions regarding employability skills in the context studied. The findings show the existence of a correlation between fundamental skills and variables such as work experience, employment status and gender, as well as a high correlation between teamwork skills, work experience and employability conditions.
... Employability, the amalgamation of individual abilities, personality traits, and productivity, is increasingly crucial in navigating today's dynamic job market (De Vos et al., 2021;Zhang and Liu, 2022). This importance is further magnified in the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI), where the landscape of employment is undergoing significant transformation (Donald et al., 2024a, b). ...
Purpose
Utilizing the Social Cognitive Theory framework, this research aims to illuminate how self-efficacy acts as a mediating factor, enhancing employability among working university students by fostering essential capabilities in digital leadership and intercultural competence.
Design/methodology/approach
Quantitative study with 206 working undergraduates from an Indonesian university. Questionnaires and structural equation modeling (SEM) with SPSS and SmartPLS were used.
Findings
Findings showed that working undergraduate students possess a high level of digital leadership capability and intercultural competence and tend to display increased confidence in their ability to perform challenging tasks and attain anticipated outcomes, thereby enhancing their employability. The integration of these skills, coupled with a solid self-efficacy belief, emerges as a powerful combination in the modern employment landscape in the digital transformation and Artificial Intelligence age.
Research limitations/implications
This research is conducted in one university in Indonesia, potentially limiting its generalizability. Future studies could expand its regions to multiple universities across different countries for a more comprehensive implication.
Practical implications
This research answered the call for strategies from the university level on enhancing the development of essential competencies for working undergraduate students’ employability. It further highlights the necessity for shaping the curriculum to prioritize digital leadership capability, intercultural competence, and the cultivation of self-efficacy among working students.
Social implications
This insight of the research has profound social implications, indicating that educational institutions must adapt their curricula to prioritize these competencies. By doing so, universities can better prepare students to navigate the complexities of the modern workplace, thereby contributing to a workforce that is not only technologically proficient but also culturally adept and resilient in the face of challenges. This adaptation is essential for fostering a generation of graduates who are well-equipped to contribute positively to a diverse and rapidly evolving labor market, ultimately benefiting both the individuals and the wider society by promoting economic development and cultural understanding.
Originality/value
Adopting a quantitative approach, this research offers a data-driven lens of employability determinants, deepening the understanding of how intertwined competencies shape employment outcomes in the AI age.
... One of the elements of employability is building career paths. It is possible to observe an increasing amount of research concerning the importance of employability for understanding individuals' careers, thereby linking employability with the constructed career path (De Vos, Jacobs & Verbruggen, 2021). Forrier, Verbruggen and De Cuyper (2015) identified professional competences and the importance of active career path building in relation to employability. ...
Objective: The objective of this paper is to identify narcissistic traits that may have an impact on an individual’s employability and to determine the nature of the influence of these traits on employability. Research Design & Methods: During the first stage, based on a critical literature review, narcissistic traits were identified and a 20-item catalogue of traits affecting an individual’s employability was created. During the second, a diagnostic survey was conducted to determine whether the narcissistic traits in the catalogue have an impact on employability, what is the direction of influence of individual narcissistic traits on employability, and whether the nature of the influence of these traits on employability varies by type. The research sample was purposive and random. 198 respondents participated in the survey. Findings: The obtained results confirmed that the proposed trait catalogue for studying the impact of narcissistic traits on employability can be considered as reliable. 13 narcissistic traits were found to weaken initial and internal employability, while 8 traits were found to weaken external employability. The trait that most significantly weakens employability is displaying a demanding attitude, while the most strengthening trait is a strong belief in the possibility of professional success. Assessments concerning the impact of narcissistic traits on initial and internal employability were similar. There were differences between assessing the nature of the impact on initial and internal employability and on external employability. Implications / Recommendations: The studies confirmed that most narcissistic traits weaken employability, while some strengthen it. It was also found that the nature of the impact of narcissistic traits may vary by type of employability. Contribution: The study showed how individual narcissistic traits affect employability. Also indicating the differences in assessing narcissistic traits in the context of initial, internal, and external employability. These findings may be useful in shaping individual employability.
... Career is related to many aspects of an individual's life, study, and work. For example, a career reflects a lifelong learning and working process [42], positions held by a person during a lifetime [43], or a series of work experiences in organizations [44]. ...
... The sequence of the work experiences that evolves in the individual's life course is defined as career (De Vos et al., 2021). Career management involves strategically outlining the stages of professional advancement to align with personalized objectives. ...
This qualitative study investigates sustainable career perceptions among painting artists in Pokhara, utilizing pseudo names for participants: Ram, Hari, Purnima, and Kalpana. Through purposive sampling, semi-structured interviews was conducted to gather insights. Thematic analysis was applied to identify patterns and themes within the data. Ethical considerations, such as informed consent and participant confidentiality, was strictly followed. By employing these methods, this study shed light on the intricacies of sustaining an art career in Pokhara. This study reveals how personal passion and adaptability influence painting artists’ careers in Pokhara, emphasizing their contribution to personal fulfillment, the art community, and society. It underscores the importance of resilience, personal branding, financial awareness, and gender dynamics in navigating challenges. Art communities and organizations can use the insights of this study to develop collaborative initiatives that support artists, encourage networking, and nurture emerging talents, ultimately contributing to a thriving art community.
... Therefore, the importance of the Big Five traits in professional development was taken into account. Personality traits have been found to be a predictor of: employment instability (Wille et al., 2010); the intensity of job search activities (Pavani et al., 2021); and career change and employability decisions (de Vos et al., 2021). Moreover, career exploration correlates negatively with neuroticism, but positively with openness to experience, extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness (Li, Guan et al., 2015). ...
This manuscript is dedicated to atypical forms of employment which are a response to transactional relations between the employee and the employer on the modern labour market. The general research question is whether employees who accept atypical forms of employment (or “AFE”; readiness to providing work) obtain benefits in the form of high employability and well-being as well as low levels of job insecurity. The assumptions and the research scheme are new compared to previous studies. A quantitative CAWI study was conducted on a sample of Polish full-time employees (N = 543), as potentially voluntarily declaring their acceptance of AFE. In addition, well-being was operationalised according to C. Ryff ’s approach as a sense of agency in the creation of the professional environment. The respondents were divided into two groups – those accepting AFE and those accepting traditional, long-term employment, in reference to the concept of transactional and relational psychological contract. The regression analysis shows that the first group had a high level of employability. However, they achieved low levels of well-being, and job insecurity was not significant. These are individuals in managerial positions in the private sector. On the other hand, the group that accepts the traditional form of relationships are public sector employees and have high job insecurity only. An important determinant of the acceptance of AFE is the so-called “Big Five trait” openness. In addition, the level of acceptance decreases with age. Gender and education are not statistically significant. The focus in this paper on full-time employees, and the benefits of AFE, fill the research gap in this area. It also delivers recommendations for labour market practices and policy on how to support employees on the modern labour market in EU countries.
... This finding is also supported by previous Korean research with a similar population (Kim et al., 2019) of women college students who were less strategic in their early career pursuit compared to their male counterparts . Unlike this finding, most mainstream literature has viewed career transitions as the result of a well-developed understanding of oneself and strong motivation (Sorrentino, 2006;Lent and Brown, 2019;Nakitende, 2019;De Vos et al., 2021). ...
Introduction
Relatively little research has explored non-Western women workers and their career transitions within their unique cultural contexts. Thus, more context-sensitive approaches to women’s career trajectories are needed.
Methods
Based on Bian and Wang’s Career Decision Tree Model (2019) as a conceptual framework, the reasons for South Korean women workers’ career transitions and influencing factors were explored using a qualitative approach with in-depth interviews with 35 South Korean women workers at various career stages.
Results and Discussion
Their main motive of career transitions was difficulty maintaining their physical and mental health, which stemmed from their demanding work life. A typical issue, the burden of child rearing and family responsibilities, was also reported, but it was not the primary reason for their career transitions. Instead, the women workers often mentioned these responsibilities along with other reasons. Other reasons were unresolved career interests and expectations associated with their lack of career goals and preparation prior to joining the labor market. These factors led to significant changes in women’s values and priorities along their career path, which finally triggered a decision to make a career transition. South Korean socio-cultural characteristics embedded in the South Korean women’s personal and organizational lives provide insights on how to interpret the findings. Although on the surface some of our findings appeared to confirm previous studies on women’s career transitions in Western-based literature, noteworthy differences were discovered when delving deeper into women’s career transitions in the South Korean context.
... As previous studies (Baluku et al., 2021;De Vos et al., 2021;Fu et al., 2023;Rosa et al., 2023;Vermeire et al., 2022) have noted, STWT can be a challenging step in students' career development, but their ability to develop certain personal resources, personality traits and adjust quickly is paramount to a successful STWT. For example, several potential challenges that may hinder smooth STWT may include a lack of practical work experience, global inequality, cultural and social adjustments, inability to build and sustain professional networks, inadequate career guidance, and lack of employability skills. ...
This study examines how and whether the constructs of openness to experience in the work placement learning setting (openness to learning in a new environment, openness to supervisor feedback, and openness to diversity) might influence students’ readiness for school-to-work transition. Also, it builds upon the assumptions of the social cognitive career theory – model of self-career management to examine the mediating effect of self-efficacy in the proposed relationships. Analysis of 543 responses from undergraduate students undertaking work placement learning in 221 Nigerian firms using the structural equation modelling revealed positive effects of the constructs of openness to experience on students’ readiness for school-to-work transition. Also, self-efficacy was a significant mediator in the positive relationships. Our findings make important theoretical and practical contributions by offering highlights into the crucial role of openness to experience in enhancing students’ readiness for school-to-work transition via self-efficacy in the work placement learning setting.
... Until the 1980s, employability research chiefly focused on unemployed persons and vulnerable clusters of the economic market [9]. Graduate employability is seen as a multifaceted, dynamic, and multidimensional construct that includes both subjective and objective elements [10][11][12][13][14]. The study focuses on investigating how FS an Employability Enhancement initiative of the Education Department, Government of Gujarat is empowering students with various skill sets that make them ready for industry employment/ self-employment/ government employment, in short-market employment, a step towards Self-reliant India @75. ...
We described an exploration of the impact of India's state Gujarat Government's Employability enhancement drive, ‗Finishing School' (FS) training on the graduate level tribal college students in Gujarat, India. A literature review on employment skills (ES), vision, mission, and ES set module of FS was used to formulate the tool-Employability Enhancement Measuring Scale (EEMS). Data generation methods include pre and post-tests by EEMS survey questionnaire. SPSS 24 statistical package program was used for data analysis. The values before and after the training were compared using the Paired and Independent samples t-test and descriptive statistics. Results indicated a significant positive effect on tribal students' employability skills. The tool traced what students became by improving upon the ES sets by the end of the ‗FS' training. The study's significance lies in the focus on tribal groups, aligning with the state's long-term vision for holistic 107 STEM Education Volume 4, Issue 2, 106-126 growth. With a majority of students from the underprivileged Dang Forest area, the research suggested that FS training promoted inclusive growth, contributing to New India @ 75, and supporting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4,8,10, and 16. It could be inferred that the experimental group in this study constituted 93% tribal students, many of whom were first-generation learners, making the Gujarat experiment a valuable model for potential adoption in diverse regions globally.
... Nowadays, economic, technological and social changes modify work structures, as well as the requirements for employability [15]; jobs have changed in the functions performed by workers and job stability, and this explains why the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) [14] insists that generic and specific competencies are increasingly important in the future employment [16,17]; demanding training and development of different skills that are compatible with the supply in the current labor market [18,19]. ...
This review article seeks to systematically identify appropriate ways to measure managerial skills. The systematic literature review was conducted according to the criteria in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guide, and the eligibility criteria were declared through the PICOS tool (population, interventions, comparators, outcomes and study); a tool based on 6,803 records identified bibliometrically in the Web of Science database. The literature review stages determined a reduced set of articles that presented valid and reliable measurement scales covering some determinant constructs on managerial skills for employability such as fundamental, emotional, managerial, leadership, decision-making, communication and teamwork skills.
... As a result, employees constantly look for ways to alter various aspects of their current situation, and CA participation is crucial in this process. Any organizational change results in a shift in the workforce in terms of career transition (De Vos et al., 2021). Therefore, it can be argued that career transitions cause employees to engage in CA and futuristic career behaviors geared toward managing internal and external career requirements and supporting employees in becoming independent career creators. ...
Purpose - Career adaptability is an important concept in organizational behaviour, especially in today's quickly changing work environment, and firms worldwide face the challenge of retaining employees due to high turnover intentions. Drawing on Career construction theory, this study analyses the association between career adaptability and employee turnover intention in Nepalese private commercial banks. Design/Methodology/Approach -The explanatory research design examined the causal relationship between the career adaptability dimension and employee turnover intention. Cross-sectional data were collected from 380 respondents by using a convenience sampling technique. The data was analyzed quantitatively using structural equation modelling. Findings - Results show concern, curiosity, and confidence play a significant role in predicting turnover intention. Surprisingly, control does not seem to have a relevant influence on turnover intention. Research Limitations/Implications - The scope of this study is restricted to the banking professionals of Kathmandu Valley, self-reported bias, and cross-sectional data, which limits the generalizability of the findings. The study contributes to the expanding topic of career adaptability and turnover intention by underlining the significance of psychological factors in lowering turnover rates. Practical Implication- The application of this research is extensive, and organizations can use the findings to improve their recruitment practices and provide the necessary training for workers to adapt to changing careers while considering social and cultural factors, which can aid in retaining employees and enhancing organizational productivity. Originality/Value - To the author's best knowledge, this study is one of the first attempts to examine the association between career adaptability and employee turnover intention in the banking industry by using Structural Equation Modelling and Career construction theory. Keywords - Concern, Control, Curiosity, Confidence, Employees Turnover Intention, Commercial Banks Paper Type: Research Paper
Background
Although occupational change is becoming commonplace for contemporary employees, it remains understudied from the theoretical perspective. With employees bringing along previous job experiences into their new roles, occupational changes potentially create favorable conditions for employees’ job crafting and innovation performance.
Objective
Based on Career Construction Theory, this study aims to gain a better understanding of the increasingly prevalent phenomenon of occupational change. Specifically, this study explores the potential facilitating effect of occupational change on job crafting and subsequently on employee innovation performance.
Method
A questionnaire survey administered to 413 employees was conducted to examine the proposed hypotheses. Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) and a mediation analysis using bootstrapped sampling were employed in the data analyses.
Results
The results confirmed the hypothesis that occupational change experience is positively associated with employee job crafting. Moreover, job crafting was found to play a full mediating role in the relationship between occupational change experience and employee innovation performance.
Conclusion
This study serves as an exploratory attempt to better understand the new and under-researched topic of occupational change. By focusing on the new experience and capabilities that occupational changers can bring to their new jobs, this study proposes that occupational changes could potentially facilitate job crafting which further enhances innovation performance. In this vein, this study provides new theoretical insights and meaningful managerial suggestions on the topic of occupational change.
In this article, a model of role transition for mid-career women taking maternity and childcare breaks is presented. Three distinct phases of a break in mid-career—opting out, staying home and opting in—are identified and at every stage, women face multifaceted challenges in navigating role transitions. Using transcendental phenomenology, various themes are identified in the lived experiences by interviewing 26 mid-career women who had opted out and opted back in after a minimum of two years. The findings indicate that participants experience both macro and micro transitions during the stages of opting out and opting in, resulting in a range of positive and negative emotions. The resulting model incorporates the environmental factors that affect this process, and results elucidate the nuanced aspects in navigating this complex transition. Emphasising a departure from traditional linear career paths, I recommend adopting the three pillars of the Kaleidoscope Career Path model—authenticity, balance and challenge—as strategies to cope with the uncertainties and challenges of mid-career women’s professional lives.
Purpose
Based on the conservation of resources (COR) theory, this paper aims to explore how individual factors, organizational training practices and national values of masculinity and uncertainty avoidance influence workers’ perceived employability.
Design/methodology/approach
A hierarchical linear model tested the proposed hypotheses among a sample of 26,555 workers from 29 European countries, obtained through the 6th European Work Conditions Survey.
Findings
Results show the influence of individual factors (i.e. level of education, work experience at the current organization, training paid for by employees, etc.), the organization’s training practices and national cultural values on the European workers’ perceived employability. Post hoc analysis also shows that current “person-job fit” moderates the influence of several individual factors, organizational practices and cultural values on perceived employability.
Research limitations/implications
It would be interesting to replicate this study in non-European countries to better understand the effect of national cultural values on perceived employability. Future research should also consider a longitudinal approach to better capture the dynamics of employability over time.
Practical implications
As a complex and increasingly interesting phenomenon in the academic literature on management, this study contributes a deeper understanding of how several factors influence perceived employability. Individuals and organizations should invest in training and development programs that enhance employability, considering individual and cultural factors. Additionally, this research provides insights for policymakers and practitioners aiming to strengthen workforce development and adaptability in Europe.
Originality/value
This study provides a comprehensive framework based on a multilevel approach (individual, organizational and national factors) to understand the antecedents of perceived employability among individuals already employed.
The main aim of this research is to investigate the relationship between job satisfaction, career development, and employee retention, particularly in Pakistan's banking sector. Job satisfaction and opportunities for career growth are critical factors influencing employee retention in organizations. Despite this significance, there's a lack of research in Pakistan, especially within the banking sector. This study seeks to bridge this gap by examining how job satisfaction and career development contribute to improving employee retention in Pakistani banks. It is hypothesized that employees who are satisfied with their jobs and have prospects for career advancement tend to remain with their organizations for longer periods. The findings of the study confirm the substantial impact of job satisfaction and career development on employee retention. Reliability statistics indicate strong internal consistency among the variables studied. Regression analysis reveals that both job satisfaction and career development have positive and significant effects on employee retention.
Mesmo sendo uma habilidade frequentemente exigida em processos seletivos, o domínio da língua inglesa é tratado em muitos casos como elemento acessório em entrevistas de emprego. Nestas situações é comum que o candidato selecionado para uma determinada vaga falhe em atender minimamente à competência linguística exigida na oferta de emprego. A pesquisa aqui apresentada teve como objetivo identificar e categorizar as razões que ocasionam este fenômeno e suas consequências. Para tanto, foi realizada uma pesquisa qualitativa de caráter exploratório, a partir de entrevistas com recrutadores e candidatos selecionados para vagas que exigiam o domínio da língua inglesa. Os resultados foram analisados utilizando a técnica de análise de conteúdo. Verificou-se que, embora considerado de caráter essencial durante o recrutamento, o fator linguístico não foi decisivo para a escolha do profissional contratado ao final do processo. Concluiu-se que os principais motivos para esta assimetria foram (i) a dificuldade do entrevistador em avaliar o nível de inglês do candidato e (ii) a discrepância entre o nível de inglês exigido na descrição de cargo e o uso efetivamente necessário para a rotina de trabalho.
This article investigated the extrinsic and intrinsic outcome expectations of professionals transitioning from corporate employment to becoming entrepreneurs or self-employed individuals. In 2022, the authors conducted a systematic literature review following the PRISMA protocol, evaluating fourteen articles obtained from Scopus, Web of Science, PsycInfo, Lilacs, and Scielo databases. The main extrinsic outcome expectations identified were the pursuit of work-life balance. The main intrinsic outcome expectations were the pursuit of autonomy and satisfaction. Understanding both sets of outcome expectations can assist professionals in the investigated transition processes and help organizations develop strategies to retain professionals relevant to the business.
Lecturers' academic careers as professional workers have a different process from other workers. Understanding career insights is important for lecturers in carrying out their profession. this research aims to test the moderating effect of managerial support on the influence of career motivation and self-concept on career insight. this research uses quantitative methods, data collection uses instruments with a 1-5 Likert scale. Respondents were 499 lecturers in Jakarta, Indonesia. The data analysis technique uses SEM PLS. The research results show that career motivation and self concept have a positive effect on lecturers' career insight. meanwhile, managerial support does not have a significant moderating effect on the influence of career motivation and self concept on career insight. this research recommends the need for efforts to increase the role of managerial support in increasing lecturers' career insight. this is an opportunity for further research with different theoretical and methodological aspects.
Drawing on implicit leadership theory, this study examines the key conditions under which leader humility facilitates the career outcomes of employees. First, considering both similar-attraction and opposite-attraction perspectives within implicit leadership theory, we propose two competing hypotheses, and suggest that leader humility interacts with follower narcissism to predict perceived leader competence. Second, in accordance with implicit leadership theory, we propose that humble leaders are perceived to be more competent when the power distance climate is relatively lower. Further, we suggest that perception of their leaders as competent is positively related to followers' career satisfaction and proactive career behavior. To test our model, we implemented a multi-wave, time-lagged survey with 187 subordinate–supervisor dyads from 79 teams. The results demonstrate that followers who are highly narcissistic or who are members of groups with a lower power distance climate are more likely to regard humble leaders as competent, which allows them to experience enhanced career satisfaction and engage in more proactive career behavior. Both the theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Purpose-Responding to the call for more research on the consequences of grit, this study aims to examine the relationship between grit and employees' perceived employability. Drawing on the self-determination theory, the authors hypothesize that job involvement and team member proactivity sequentially mediate the relationship between grit and employability. Design/methodology/approach-A time-lagged research design with a one-month interval was conducted to collect data from three public sector organizations in China (N = 484). The model was tested using confirmatory factor analysis, correlation analysis and the PROCESS bootstrapping program in SPSS25.0 and AMOS21.0 software. Findings-The findings reveal that the positive effect of grit on employability is mediated by job involvement and team member proactivity sequentially. Originality/value-The authors contribute to the literature on the employability outcomes of grit. It is also one of a few studies that use a job perspective on the grit−employability relationship.
Career crafting offers a new approach for individuals to cope with changing career situations. However, few studies have focused on personality-related antecedents that stably predict career proactivity. Additionally, as individuals’ careers are embedded in various social relationships, career crafting involves significant social interaction. Our study focuses on gratitude, which is related to social interaction, suggesting that gratitude fosters an appreciation for interpersonal relationships, providing a beneficial impetus for career crafting. A quantitative approach was adopted with a three-wave survey with 825 responses, and SPSS 26 and Mplus 8.3 were used as the analytical software for confirmatory factor analysis, hierarchical regression analysis, and path analysis. We conducted an empirical examination employing a moderated mediation model grounded in the framework of proactive motivation. The results revealed a positive correlation between gratitude and career crafting, with prosocial motivation mediating this relationship. Simultaneously, intrinsic motivation moderated the relationship between prosocial motivation and career crafting. Our study emphasizes gratitude’s role in career crafting and explores how it, along with prosocial motivations, drives proactive behaviors, responding to calls for relational work redesign and examining interactions between intrinsic and prosocial motivations in careers. It has important practical implications for individuals, organizations, and career counselors.
The purpose of this chapter is to explore the complexities and challenges for higher education curriculum transformation in the 21st century. More specifically, the focus is on the ways in which such transformation could place equal value to disciplinary knowledge, graduate attributes, and technology. In other words, how to enable students to learn so that they can use acquired disciplinary knowledge, graduate attributes, and technology to enable them to adapt to changes brought about by 21st-century demands. By means of a literature review as a research methodological choice, the chapter explores the value of placing disciplinary knowledge, graduate attributes, and technology side by side in the centre of the curriculum.
The Training and Placement Cell (TPC) is an essential organisational outlet that shapes careers by providing wellthought-
out career assistance and facilitating smooth job placements. Considering which, this study intended at
assessing the effectiveness of training and placement cell activities on student career transition to employment
through career preparedness. Present research employed a quantitative research design targeting higher education
students of Commerce and Management in South Indian region. Through purpose-built questionnaire, 466
responses were collected at 93.2 % response rate. The results depicted that the male students and student
belonging to Institute of National Importance depicted high involvement in training and placement activities,
Career Preparedness, and Career Transition to Employment. Moreover, Campus Recruitment provided by the
training and placement cell depicted a comparatively higher contribution towards career preparedness and due
to the career preparedness among students, training and placement cells contributes significantly to the student’s
career transition to employment. The present study results have practical implications for educational institutions
and policymakers. Based on the study outcome it is also possible to identify practical viewpoints that
guide the training and placement cells at the institution level to define certain criteria such as employment
prospects, skill-building seminars, and industry involvement.
As unemployment rates have been on the rise over the past few years, Malaysian graduates have had difficulties finding work. The rising unemployment rate is a serious worry since it might harm Malaysia’s educational system’s reputation and, as a result, cause some employers to lose faith in the abilities of our local graduates. Therefore, the issue’s underlying cause requires quick care. This paper examines the employability of university graduates in Malaysia using a self-administered questionnaire, data was collected from 188 undergraduates in Malaysia. The Statistical Package of Social Sciences (SPSS) has been adopted for analyzing the data. This study includes variables such as graduate attributes, employability skills, education level, internship experience, and job mismatch are the main factors affecting the employability of university graduates in Malaysia from an undergraduate’s perspective. This study uses the Model of Employability theory as the theoretical foundation. This research believes that the data collected are of great benefit and value to students, academics, researchers, learning institutions, business organizations, and governments.
This paper identifies the economic, sociological, psychological, and managerial approaches to analyzing the determinants of employability, and their limitations, and then proposes an interdisciplinary approach and systemic framework. Through a theoretical analysis, we find that these determinants interact with the internal and external environment of the individual who is integrated within society; has upgradable human and social capital; has a psychological make-up; and lives in a constantly changing socioeconomic context. The complexity of societies, companies, and a globalized economic system induces the use of interdisciplinarity by considering instability, openness, creativity, ambiguity, and paradox. The operationalization of the systems approach is to analyze the internal factors of each subsystem, the interactions between subsystems, and the relationships between subsystems and their environments. Future investigations should seek to identify the empirical determinants of employability through a systemic approach.
Purpose
The increasing complexity of global labor markets and work environments has made the school-to-work transition more difficult. We explore factors that influence important career outcomes for young adults in China as they transition from their university to the labor market. Specifically, we examine how protean career orientation, self-perceived employability, mother’s and father’s career support and human capital (English language proficiency) may influence career satisfaction and employment status during adulthood.
Design/methodology/approach
We collected survey data in two waves, six months apart, and obtained English proficiency ratings from university records.
Findings
Father’s and mother’s career support was significantly associated with protean career orientation and protean career orientation was significantly related to self-perceived employability. Self-perceived employability was significantly associated with career satisfaction and employment status. The career support-career satisfaction and career support-employment status relationships were fully mediated by protean career orientation and self-perceived employability. Contrary to expectations, the human capital variable of English language proficiency did not moderate the serial mediation involving either career satisfaction or employment status.
Originality/value
By integrating protean career theory, human capital theory and research on parental support, we offer an interdisciplinary contribution to the school-to-work transition literature. We also advance protean career theory by studying it as a mediating variable and by examining parental support as an antecedent of it.
Aim
This study aims to explore the longitudinal predictive effect of self‐awareness on career adaptability in new nurses at a tumor specialty hospital and the mediating mechanisms of work readiness and transition shock.
Background
Career adaptability is crucial for the personal development of nurses and also intricately linked to the retention rates among newcomers in oncology nursing. Inadequate career adaptability contributes to higher turnover, which in turn exacerbates the shortage of qualified nursing personnel in this field. There is a pressing need for dedicated research and interventions that support new nurses, especially in specialized areas like oncology, to promote their well‐being and career advancement. Comprehending these challenges is essential for devising effective strategies that will retain nursing talent and ensure the sustainability of a robust healthcare workforce.
Methods
Longitudinal data from four follow‐up surveys were collected from 248 new clinical nurses at the National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, and Peking Union Medical College. Mediation analyses using R 4.1.2 were conducted to examine the pathways between self‐awareness, work readiness, transition shock, and career adaptability.
Conclusions
Self‐awareness not only directly predicts career adaptability but also influences it through the bidirectional and chained mediating pathways of work readiness and transition shock.
Implications for nursing and health policy
These findings equip nursing managers with flexible strategies to foster and enhance nurses' career adaptability, providing targeted support as nurses assimilate into their clinical roles. This not only strengthens workforce stability but also mitigates turnover, ultimately reinforcing the healthcare workforce.
In the face of increasing globalization and heightened economic competition, it is imperative to ensure that graduates possess the necessary skills and knowledge for successful employment. This study explores graduate employability within the framework of social factors, with a specific focus on the impact of social mobility skills, social support, and self-efficacy, drawing from the self-determination theory. Purposive sampling method is used in this study and applies the criteria inclusion technique. Conducted among 328 final-year students from universities situated in Sialkot, Narowal, and Gujranwala divisions, the study employs SPSS and Smart PLS4 for thorough data analysis. The results revealed that social mobility skills and social support are strong predictors of graduate employability. The results further confirmed the mediating role played by self-efficacy in shaping graduate employability. These findings not only provide valuable theoretical insights but also offer practical implications for universities and industry leaders in Pakistan. This study contributes a distinctive perspective to the existing body of knowledge concerning graduate employability, emphasizing its adaptability across diverse labor markets and cultural norms.
I explored the implementation of a Study and Research Path (SRP) for the teaching and learning of probability in engineering education. The approach provided a student-centered learning environment, integrating practical activities within an active learning conception. A detailed SRP task involving weather forecasting was described, highlighting a methodical 10-day learning process that considers research, practical application, and reflection. The effectiveness of this SRP task was evaluated through thematic analysis of student reflective essays, focusing on their learning experiences and challenges. The analysis revealed enhanced understanding of probability, varied student engagement, and the value of practical learning. It also identified challenges in conceptualizing abstract probability concepts. The findings highlighted the SRP's potential in improving students' conceptual grasp and application of probability in real-world scenarios, providing key insights for future educational strategies in engineering. This study contributes to the broader discourse on innovative teaching methodologies in engineering education, demonstrating the impact of active, inquiry-based learning approaches.
Thai universities play a crucial role in preparing learners to be productive members of society. This study looks at how universities prepare students for work and what can be done to improve the process. Using a mixed method approach involving a survey of university students’ opinions, a focus group of hiring managers interviews, and interviews with lecturers, a holistic view is achieved from the main stakeholders. The stakeholders show significant dissonance among expectations. These differences stem from many sources, mainly, the lack of shared and open information. Students enter university without a clear goal or a realistic informed prospectus. Lecturers try to bridge the gap between what is expected to be delivered and what industry needs. However, lecturers are working against a tide of reluctance from students’ aptitude and abilities, faculty realities and fractured industries that do not share. Human resources personnel seem not to have a clear idea of what is expected from graduates, especially in a dynamic environment. What employers want varies widely, making training difficult. Even when students enter the workforce with the creative energies required, the established systems stifle growth. Having greater interaction among the parties would help reduce the differences in expectations. The interactions need to be continual throughout the students’ time at university. Flexible programs and more internships would allow students to better understand how what is taught can be applied. Lecturers would have access to more relevant data and with class discussions being more informed. Companies can structure onboarding programs better as students would have experienced an introductory phase. More exchanges among stakeholders are required.
Many career self-management models assume that career goal progress promotes satisfaction, but research on the topic has yielded mixed results. Adopting a whole-life perspective, this study examines how career and non-work goal progress relate to career, non-work, and life satisfaction and explores crossover effects and gender differences between dual-earner partners. We tested our research model using Actor-Partner Interdependence Modeling on a two-wave dataset of 190 heterosexual dual earners (i.e., 95 couples). Career goal progress was not related to any of the satisfaction indicators. For men, non-work goal progress was marginally positively related to career and non-work satisfaction and positively related to life satisfaction. For women, non-work goal progress was not related to any satisfaction indicator. Between partners, men’s non-work goal progress was positively related to women’s non-work and life satisfaction, whereas women’s career goal progress was negatively related to men’s life satisfaction. Implications for research and career practice are discussed.
The meaning of the term graduate employability continues to evolve. Where skills and competencies development dominated the discourse of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, recent definitions of graduate employability take a more holistic approach. An area of nascent interest in literature is the development of different forms of employability capital. This chapter briefly presents the evolution of graduate employability before offering a more in-depth focus on employability capital. The different conceptualizations of employability capital are presented, culminating in the Employability Capital Growth (ECG) model consisting of nine forms of capital, external factors, and personal outcomes. Next, the focus shifts to the operationalization and practical application of the ECG model, offering benefits to various actors operating within a sustainable career ecosystem. The chapter concludes with real-world examples of developing graduate employability and using employability capital to bridge our understanding of theory and practice.
The relationship between responses to Owens’ Biographical Questionnaire and job choice six years later was examined on a sample of female (N = 531) and male (N = 464) college graduates. Subjects were administered the Biographical Questionnaire during their freshman year; their job choices were identified during their first 3 to 4 postcollege years and coded according to Holland’s job classification scheme. Using Biographical Questionnaire factor scores as predictor variables and Holland’s job group membership as categorical variables, multiple discriminant analyses were conducted. Results show that the total percentage of variability in the discriminant space explainable by the biodata factor scores was 24.0% and 20.0% for males and females, respectively. Psychological interpretations of the multiple discriminant functions were attempted and results are compared to a related study by Eberhardt and Muchinsky (1982).
This longitudinal study among Registered Nurses has four purposes: (1) to investigate whether emotional, quantitative and physical demands, and family-work conflict have a negative impact on nurses' perceived effort; (2) to investigate whether quality of leadership, developmental opportunities, and social support from supervisors and colleagues have a positive impact on meaning of work; (3) to investigate whether burnout from the combined impact of perceived effort and meaning of work mediates the relationship with occupational turnover intention; and (4) whether the relationships in our overall hypothesized framework are moderated by age (nurses categorized under 40 years versus 40 years old). In line with our expectations, emotional, quantitative, and physical demands, plus family-work conflict appeared to increase levels of perceived effort. Quality of leadership, developmental opportunities, and social support from supervisors and colleagues increased the meaning of work levels. In addition, increased perceived stress resulted in higher burnout levels, while increased meaning of work resulted in decreased burnout levels. Finally, higher burnout levels appeared to lead to a higher occupational turnover intention. Obviously, a nursing workforce that is in good physical and psychological condition is only conceivable when health care managers protect the employability of their nursing staff, and when there is a dual responsibility for a sustainable workforce. Additionally, thorough attention for the character of job demands and job resources according to nurses' age category is necessary in creating meaningful management interventions.
A sustainable career is one in which individuals enjoy at least a moderate degree of productivity, health, and happiness across their lifespan. To elucidate what people might need to learn to enhance their career sustainability, we depict a wide range of typical career- and home-realm challenges. Being in learning mode is proposed as a self-regulatory meta-competency that shapes self-directed learning regarding how to tackle sustainable career challenges. People are in learning mode when they hold a growth mindset as they cycle through relevant approach, action, and reflection experiential learning processes. Given the relative stability yet plasticity of mindsets, we offer a dual-process model of mindsets that highlights how people may be nudged in and out of learning mode, both momentarily and over longer time frames. We outline implications for sustainable careers and mindsets theory and research, as well as practical implications for organizations, management education, vocational counseling and peer coaching, and those striving to forge a more sustainable career.
Ten scholars in vocational psychology identified strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in a 2001 issue of the Journal of Vocational Behavior. This article reviews the state of the field in 2001 and then identifies to what extent the strengths and concerns have changed in the past two decades. While the field continues to have a strong theoretical and empirical tradition, old concerns about insularity, methods used to examine research questions, gulfs between science and practice, and turf wars remain a serious threat to the field. We outline the nature of these concerns and propose recommendations from the literature to these concerns.
This study investigates the relationship between perceived investments in Human Resource (HR) practices and workplace commitment, from the perspective of social exchange theory. An innovative feature is that we introduce perceived employability as a potential mediator, thus bringing in a career perspective: our argument is that perceived investments in HR practices promote feelings of employability, which then create workplace commitment. Based on a 6-week follow-up sample (N = 437) and a 1-year follow-up sample (N = 127), the results of structural equation modeling analyses mostly provided support for our hypotheses. Participation and communication practices were linked to commitment via employability (in both samples), and training and development only in the short term (6-week sample). Performance feedback and reward practices, however, were unrelated to commitment via employability. Overall, our findings show that employees bring in career considerations, employability concerns in particular, in the exchange with their employer. In addition, we contribute to filling the HRM “black box” by showing that employability might be an explanatory mechanism in the HR practices – outcome relationship.
This study examines when and why turnover cognitions affect stayers’ subsequent career
satisfaction. To develop our hypotheses, we build on and compare two theoretical perspectives, i.e., the insufficient justification perspective and regret theory. Hypotheses were tested using two studies with Belgian employees. The baseline hypothesis that initial turnover cognitions are related with lower subsequent career satisfaction received support in both studies. In Study 1, using two-wave data from 226 employees in four organizations, we tested whether the turnover cognitions-subsequent career satisfaction relationship was moderated by four contextual factors (i.e., internal job transitions, lack of external job opportunities, on-thejob embeddedness and off-the-job embeddedness). We found marginal support for a mitigating role of internal job transitions, support for a mitigating role of lack of external job opportunities and support for an amplifying role of off-the-job embeddedness. We found no moderation effect of on-the-job embeddedness. In Study 2, using three-wave information from 705 employees in seven organizations, we tested and found support for the mediating role of justifiability and regret. Overall, this study shows that turnover cognitions have consequences when people end up staying in their organization, which calls for more theoretical and empirical work on staying despite preceding turnover cognitions in order to improve our understanding of the complexity and dynamic nature of the turnover/retention phenomenon.
This study investigates the joint effects of individual characteristics and the labour market on career mobility. We propose that level of education, openness to experience, and a favourable labour market relate positively to employees crossing organizational, industrial, and occupational boundaries. Management programme alumni (N = 503) provided information through an online survey about their career histories, their level of education, and their openness to experience. Additionally, we used the unemployment rate as an indicator for yearly changes in the labour market. The results of our cross-classified multilevel analysis indicate that both individual characteristics and the labour market are determinants of career mobility. Level of education had a positive effect on organizational and industrial boundary crossing, and changes in the labour market related to organizational boundary crossing. Against our assumptions, openness to experience had no effect on career mobility, and none of the predictors were related to occupational boundary crossing. Our results demonstrate the importance of investigating career mobility from a boundary perspective combined with a focus on both individual and contextual characteristics. The dominance of education compared to personality and the difficulty of explaining occupational mobility open new research avenues and yield practical implications for employees, career counsellors, and organizations.
This chapter intends to contribute to a better understanding of career development over the lifespan by examining individual as well as contextual factors contributing to life-long career development. Considering manifold changes in the work environment as well as throughout the individual’s career, we review classic theories of career development in the beginning of this chapter. We then describe changes in today’s careers and depict modern career theories such as the protean or the boundaryless career. Subsequently, we elaborate on sources of change over the lifespan from an individual perspective: We explain how changes in personality, work values or goal setting influence career development. From an organizational perspective, we describe how changes in the psychological contract or various age norms may influence the career development of employees. In the last part of this chapter, we outline central career developmental issues for individuals over the lifespan and point out recommendations for organizations in order to help promoting a meaningful, fulfilling, and sustainable career development over the lifespan.
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine selection practices of school districts by capturing the
promotion of teachers to assistant principal positions to determine if: there is a relationship between
employability and assistant principal promotion (within-school, within-district, and external); and if the
state-specific educational leadership policy directly impacts the employability of assistant principal candidates.
Design/methodology/approach
Principals in the state of Georgia were the unit of analysis, and data
collected included personal characteristics of each participant when entering their first assistant principal
position, school characteristics of the place of promotion, and type of promotion (internally within-school,
internally within-district, and externally). Both descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis were
utilized to examine the impact of type of promotion as well as the state-specific educational leadership policy
on participant employability at the time of promotion.
Findings
This study found a significant positive relationship between internal promotion (within-school)
and employability as well as a negative association between participant employability and Georgia
state-specific policy. Additional findings indicate a positive relationship between combination schools
(i.e. grades K-8; 6-12) and participant employability.
Originality/value
This study advances the HRM literature concerning employee selection by expanding
the scope of hiring practices outside of the private sector and provides focus on the public sector, specifically,
the public school environment. In addition, the focal position (public school administrators in the state of
Georgia) has yet to be utilized in employee selection research in the areas of internal and external promotion.
Previous researchers have studied the probability of internal and external promotion based on demographic
factors such as race and gender, however, this specific study uses distinctive predictor variables backed by
literature to evaluate applicant employability
Previous research attempted to identify personal resources that promote employability, that is, an individual’s chance to find and maintain employment. This has resulted in a large number of different personal resources, which are not always clearly differentiated from one another and often seem to—at least partially—overlap conceptually and/or empirically. In response, we aim at conceptual clarification and integration of what we coin “employability capital”. Based on a literature review, we developed a conceptual framework that integrates the various facets. Two types of distinctions were found: (a) an employability distinction, which differentiates between job-related, career-related, and development-related employability capital, and (b) a capital distinction, which differentiates between human capital (more specifically knowledge, skills, and attitudes) and social capital. We performed a Q-sorting study in which items of existing measurements were mapped onto the conceptual framework by subject matter experts. Overall, we found support for the conceptual framework.
Based on career construction theory, this study examined the relationships between career adaptability, organizational success, and individual career success with the moderating effect of career identity. Using a time-lagged survey design, we tested the proposed model on a sample of 1,652 employees from 20 Chinese companies. The results showed that career adaptability was negatively related to turnover intention but positively associated with supervisor-rated job performance, career satisfaction, and yearly income. In addition, the relationship between career adaptability and turnover intention was significantly positive for employees with low levels of career identity. Moreover, the positive relationship between career adaptability and career satisfaction was stronger for employees with high levels of career identity, and the relationship between career adaptability and yearly income was significantly positive for employees with high levels of career identity. We discuss the research implications for the development of career adaptability and career counseling.
The antecedents of voluntary employee turnover are well studied but little is known about the
consequences or outcomes of this voluntary job mobility. We address this gap through a
survey study of 121 banking employees who have changed their employer in the last three
years. We hypothesized that job change, whether self-initiated or imposed, may improve
organizational commitment, work engagement, and well-being. These positive effects are
expected when the job change is perceived as professionally and personally beneficial.
Regression analyses revealed that employer change that is perceived as successful, whether
voluntary or not, predicts an increase in general well-being, work engagement and, to a lesser
extent, affective organizational commitment. These results suggest that employer change may
help employees to be more mobilized in their new work. Misconceptions about highly mobile
employees and advantages of job change for both employees and organizations are discussed.
This article surveys 100 years of research on career management and retirement, with a primary focus on work published in the Journal of Applied Psychology. Research on career management took off in the 1920s, with most attention devoted to the development and validation of career interest inventories. Over time, research expanded to attend to broader issues such as the predictors and outcomes of career interests and choice; the nature of career success and who achieves it; career transitions and adaptability to change; retirement decision making and adjustment; and bridge employment. In this article, we provide a timeline for the evolution of the career management and retirement literature, review major theoretical perspectives and findings on career management and retirement, and discuss important future research directions.
We review seminal publications on employee turnover during the 100-year existence of the Journal of Applied Psychology. Along with classic articles from this journal, we expand our review to include other publications that yielded key theoretical and methodological contributions to the turnover literature. We first describe how the earliest papers examined practical methods for turnover reduction or control and then explain how theory development and testing began in the mid-20th century and dominated the academic literature until the turn of the century. We then track 21st century interest in the psychology of staying (rather than leaving) and attitudinal trajectories in predicting turnover. Finally, we discuss the rising scholarship on collective turnover given the centrality of human capital flight to practitioners and to the field of human resource management strategy.
Although turnover intentions are considered the most proximal antecedent of organizational exit, there is often temporal separation between thinking about leaving and actual exit. Using field data from 2 diverse samples of working adults, we explore a causal model of the effects of turnover intentions on employee behavior while they remain with the organization, focusing specifically on organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) and deviance behaviors (DBs). Utilizing expectancy theory as an explanatory framework, we argue that turnover intentions result in high levels of transactional contract orientation and low levels of relational contract orientation, which in turn lead to a decrease in the incidence of OCBs and an increase in the incidence of DBs. We first used a pilot study to investigate the direction of causality between turnover intentions and psychological contract orientations. Then, in Study 1, we tested our mediated model using a sample of employees from a large drug retailing chain. In Study 2, we expanded our model by arguing that the mediated effects mediated effects are much stronger when the organization is deemed responsible for potential exit. We then tested our full model using a sample of employees from a large state-owned telecommunications corporation in China. Across both studies, results were generally consistent and supportive of our hypotheses. We discuss the implications of our findings for future theory, research, and practice regarding the management of both the turnover process and discretionary behaviors at work. (PsycINFO Database Record
In this study, being "locked-in" at the workplace is conceptualized as being in a non-preferred workplace while at the same time perceiving low employability. The aim of the study was to investigate how being locked-in or at risk of becoming locked-in (being in a non-preferred workplace yet currently satisfied, combined with perceiving low employability) relates to well-being (subjective health and depressive symptoms). The hypotheses were tested in a Swedish longitudinal sample (T1 in 2010 and T2 in 2012) of permanent employees (N = 3491). The results showed that stability with regard to locked-in-related status (being non-locked-in, at risk of becoming locked-in, or locked-in at both T1 and T2) was related to significant and stable differences in well-being. The non-locked-in status was associated with better well-being than being at risk of becoming locked-in. Moreover, those at risk of becoming locked-in showed better well-being than those with stable locked-in status. Changes towards non-locked-in were accompanied by significant improvements in well-being, and changes towards locked-in were associated with impairments in well-being. The relationships that were found could not be attributed to differences in demographic variables and occupational preference. The findings indicate that being locked-in is detrimental to well-being. This has implications for preventative interventions.
The relationship between perceived employability and turnover intentions seems much more complicated than what the common sense would suggest. Based on the reviewed literature, it was expected that job satisfaction, affective commitment, and perceived job security would moderate this relationship. Using a sample of working individuals from different occupations and sectors (N = 721), it was found that employees who perceived themselves as highly employable were more likely to have turnover intentions when their affective commitment was low and perceived job security was high; and the relationship was negative for employees with shorter tenures. Understanding the conditions under which perceived employability is associated with turnover intentions may help organizations design human resource policies that allow them to retain an educated and competent workforce.
Boundaries in the study of career Before I built a wall I'd ask to know What I was walling in or walling out In a world imagined by apostles of self-help such as Horatio Alger, Samuel Smiles (Smiles, 1958), or Hollywood, anyone can do anything; there are no limits to the life that can be led. Yet casual empiricism shows that if there is any truth in this assertion, it applies to a remarkable few. We watch the careers of those who start from humble beginnings and rise to dizzy heights with a mixture of awe and suspicion, perhaps animated by a tinge of jealousy. Awe, because the achievements are so remarkable; suspicion, just because the achievements are so remarkable. It might be that if we can attribute these paragons' rise to anything other than ability and hard work—for example, to a wise choice of parent or good social of ...
The vulnerable situation of temporary agency workers is manifested in previous research that evidences the job insecurity of this group. However, research shows that this insecurity is due to the temporary nature of employment contracts for this group of workers. In Sweden, where temporary agency workers have the same type of employment contracts (i.e., temporary or permanent contracts) and are entitled to the same employment protection as other groups of employees, one might expect a different picture. This article examines the situation of temporary agency workers who have the same working conditions as client organization employees. These workers have permanent contracts and are treated like client organization employees. We have chosen to examine this case because we anticipate it to be very likely to contradict statements regarding temporary agency workers’ affiliation with the precariat. This article aims to empirically elucidate the precariousness of temporary agency workers who are highly integrated with client organization employees and who share the same work tasks. Our analysis shows that competence development is crucial to perceptions of job security. However, temporary agency workers lack competence development, both on the part of the employer (the temporary work agency) and on the part of the client organization. The client organization has no incentive to invest more than the required competencies, since temporary agency workers only constitute a buffer in case of a downturn. We argue that it is the agency workers’ connection with a buffer that results in a lack of job security. Our results also show that temporary agency workers’ job security could be increased if temporary agencies were to invest in competence development for the agency workers, thus overcoming these workers’ vulnerability in constituting a buffer.
The Chaos Theory of Careers outlines the application of chaos theory to the field of career development. It draws together and extends the work that the authors have been doing over the last 8 to 10 years.
Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to reflect on a broad body of work that responds to the boundaryless career concept, first introduced in 1993, and to anticipate new theory-building and research. Design/methodology/approach - Covers the origination of the concept, its meaning and definition, the underlying influence of an earlier group of careers scholars from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and the importance of an interdisciplinary perspective. Findings - Identifies three categories of activity - involving internal debates, fresh theoretical contributions, and new collaborative opportunities - that have occurred citing boundaryless career scholarship. Research limitations/implications - Suggests how scholars can build on the legacy of both organizational and boundaryless careers research in their future work. Originality/value - Links between foundational MIT work on careers, boundaryless careers and current debates to suggests future research directions.
In this contribution, we provide a critical analysis of the current status of vocational psychology and present an expansive vision for the future. We begin with an overview of the importance of vocational psychology in the history of The Counseling Psychologist, followed by a critical review of contemporary theory, research, practice, and training. We aim to expand the traditional purview of career choice and development and broaden the impact of the field to meet the needs of all who work and who want to work. We propose a new mission for vocational psychology characterized by innovative theoretical advancements, renewed interdisciplinary and international collaborations, and the inclusion of macrolevel factors in research, practice, and policy. Lastly, we conclude with a vision of vocational psychology in 20 years, which optimally will be reflected in a broadened scope of mission, integrative theoretical frameworks, and an expanded training and policy agenda.
This qualitative study offers empirically-based explanations of the dynamics of career mobility trajectories to self-employment, a popular phenomenon in real life but less so in the literature. Embedded in the career ecosystem of an emerging-economy country, we investigate the mobility dynamics of people in different stages of their self-employment career. We conducted in-depth interviews with 35 individuals who opted for entrepreneurship or self-employed careers, and deploy the interpretive phenomenology to explore the dynamics of career mobility of self-employment. The results demonstrate different patterns of mobility between self- and paid employment during individuals’ career sequences. The different push and pull forces that influence mobility are identified and explained. The study advances the theories of career and entrepreneurship literature by not only illustrating the mobility dynamics of self-employment as a stage of one’s career but by also exploring the dynamic mechanisms of the mobility, drawing on the career ecosystem framework.
Most, if not all, workplace phenomena are dynamic, meaning that they emerge, evolve, and dissolve over time. Yet, the role of time is commonly overlooked in OB literature. This special issue showcases how a temporal process-oriented lens can be used to study dynamics of workplace phenomena. In this editorial, we define the term dynamics, arguing that research on workplace dynamics focuses on how within-person (or more broadly, within-unit) processes unfold over time. Moreover , we zoom in on the diverse roles of time, illustrating the rich diversity in research on workplace dynamics, and we highlight three specific challenges for scholars wanting to pursue this line of research. We conclude that the time has come to move from a differential to a temporal and process-oriented perspective, allowing us to understand what happens, how things happen, and why things happen at the workplace.
In this paper, we provoke the strong focus on personal agency in employability research. We counter three dominant assumptions in the literature, namely, (a) that employability is an individual asset, (b) that employability is owned by the individual, and (c) that employability leads to positive outcomes. A key observation is that the three dominant theories that are being used in employability studies, namely, human capital theory, conservation of resources theory, and social exchange theory, also question these core agency assumptions that form the basis of those studies. Based on these theories, we identify three blind spots in employability research: Employability is (a) contextual, (b) relational, and (3) polarising. Taken together, we make the case that the agency perspective overlooks a potential dark side of employability: The winner takes it all, the loser has to fall. We outline a future research agenda on this potential dark side of employability.
This article uses bibliometric analysis to review the Journal of Vocational Behavior (JVB) over 23 years. To conduct this review, we systematically analyzed 1490 JVB articles published from 1994 to 2016. We draw on this analysis to answer the questions: a) What key works did JVB articles build on during this period? and b) What key topics, articles, and trends appeared in the journal? We then provide empirically grounded reviews of major topic areas in JVB, and discuss recommendations for future research. This review is accompanied by two analytic science maps: 1) a co-citation map that reveals 466 key works referenced by JVB articles (http://bit.ly/JVBFoundationsMap), and 2) a topic map that reveals 353 JVB article topics, topic relations, topic trends, and citation rates associated with each topic (http://bit.ly/JVBTopicMap). These maps provide an overview of key vocational behavior topics and scholarship that readers can download and interactively explore to help guide their future research.
Purpose: Employability has been suggested as an alternative to job security in response to more flexible work arrangements, arguing that the important question for employees is no longer the security of their current job, but their employment security in the labour market. The purpose of this paper is to test two core assumptions of this argument: first, is employability associated with a lower preference for job security? And second, are individuals with lower job security in fact compensated with higher employability? Both assumptions have received criticism in recent literature. The focus is on employees’ perceived basic and aspiring employability. The former refers to employees’ expectations of remaining in employment and the latter to expectations of upward mobility.
Design/methodology/approach: The data used in the analysis were nationally representative Norwegian survey data from 12,945 employees (2009–2013).
Findings: Employees with higher aspiring employability and education levels have a significantly lower preference for job security, but this is not the case for employees with higher basic employability. Additionally, while employees with lower job security have higher aspiring employability, they have lower basic employability and receive less employer-supported training.
Originality/value: The current paper is the first to investigate how employability relates to the employees’ own preference for job security. In line with critics of the employability argument, the results support that job security continues to be an important protection mechanism. Moreover, employees with low job security lose out twice as employers also invest less in their training and future employability.
The concept of boundaryless careers characterizes emerging career patterns that are less dependent on traditional organizational career management. Based on an evidence-based review of literature on the relationship between career boundarylessness and career success published from 1994 to 2018, we found that boundaryless careers have mixed effects on the various indictors of career success, and these effects depend on the operationalization of career boundarylessness, the motives (voluntary vs. involuntary), career competencies, adaptive capabilities and career resources held by individuals, as well as the structural constraints and institutional support for boundary-crossing behaviors. In addition, career success was also found to predict subsequent career mobility. Based on these findings, we develop an integrative model to understand the complicated and dynamic relationship between boundaryless careers and career success. This review serves as an important step to integrate theories and research on boundaryless careers and career success, and more interdisciplinary work should be done in the future to examine this question.
[Accepted for publication] Recent economic and organizational changes have fostered an increasing diversification of the workforce, among whom freelancers are an underrepresented population in the literature. This study aimed at examining the role of protean and boundaryless career, professional commitment, and employability activities in fostering freelancers’ subjective career success. Data were collected via an online survey among a sample of 425 Italian freelancers, and analysed through structural equation modeling. Results partially confirmed several hypotheses: higher self-directed career management and boundaryless mindset predicted higher employability activities and professional commitment; moreover, employability and professional commitment acted as mediators between career attitudes and subjective career success. The study provides support for the importance of such variables to freelancers’ career success, as well as for the significance of protean and boundaryless careers among non-traditional occupational groups. Interventions aimed at fostering such attitudes could support freelancers in improving their attainment of professional progress and perception of career success.
The progression of occupational careers can be conceptualized as a path-dependent process, in which former decisions affect the range of occupational alternatives. The impending losses of human capital increasingly dissuade individuals from changing their occupation. We suggest that path dependence will lead to a decrease in mobility in occupational careers over time, and that occupational turbulence in the earlier career stages will be linked to turbulence in the later stages of an occupational career. Our sample comprises the first 15 years after entry to the labor force in the occupational histories of 456 individuals from Germany. To test our assumptions, we introduce a method that allows us to examine the turbulence – that is, the number of occupational transitions and/or distinct occupations and/or the variation in the duration and timing of events – in occupational career trajectories. In support of our hypotheses, turbulence in occupational careers is linked to the turbulence of the further occupational career path and decreases over time. Gender also has a considerable effect on occupational turbulence. We discuss our findings and elaborate on theoretical implications for career research.
The 3rd edition of this classic book offers practitioners, researchers and students a comprehensive introduction to, and overview of, career theory; introduces the Systems Theory Framework of career development; and demonstrates its considerable contemporary and innovative application to practice. A number of authors have identified the framework as one of a small number of significant innovations in the career development literature. The Systems Theory Framework of career development was developed to provide coherence to the career development field by providing a comprehensive conceptualisation of the many existing theories and concepts relevant to understanding career development. It is not designed to be a theory of career development; rather systems theory is introduced as the basis for an overarching, or metatheoretical, framework within which all concepts of career development, described in the plethora of career theories, can be usefully positioned and utilised in both theory and practice. It has been applied to the career development of children, adolescents and women. Since its first publication, the Systems Theory Framework has been the basis of numerous publications focusing on theoretical application and integration, practice and research, with a growing number of these by authors other than the framework developers. Its application across cultures also has been emphasised. The theoretical and practical unity of the Systems Theory Framework makes this book a worthy addition to the professional libraries of practitioners, researchers and students, new to, or experienced in, the field of career development.
In today's rapidly changing and increasingly competitive labour market individuals need to take control over their own career more actively. However, some employees feel that they lack psychological suppositions to get another job, even though they wish to, and as a result feel stuck in a non-preferred workplace (being locked-in). The aim of this study was to investigate how helplessness are related to being locked-in at the workplace over time, since it can be argued that helplessness precedes, is reciprocally related to, or a consequence of being locked-in at the workplace. The sample consisted of 978 Swedish employees with permanent contracts and the data were collected at two time points (2012 and 2016). Results from a cross-lagged SEM analysis showed best fit statistics for a model of reciprocal relationships over time; helplessness associated with subsequent perceptions of being locked-in at the workplace and an association, although less substantial, was found in the reversed direction from locked-in status to helplessness. Results remained unchanged when job change, reorganization, gender, age and education were controlled for, which lends further credibility to the finding. Implications for future research and theory development are outlined in the discussion.
Purpose
In the current war for talent employers are concerned about the idea that the best employees are more likely to leave the organization for another employer (i.e. the management paradox). This study tests this management paradox. It This study aims to advance our understandings of how employees’ occupational expertise is associated with job search intensity, through its assumed relationships with perceived internal and external employability onin the internal and the external labor market. We , thereby testeding our research model across three different age groups (young, middle-aged and senior employees).
Design/methodology/approach
We conducted a survey among 2,137 professional workers and applied multi-group structural equation modeling.
Findings
Perceived internal employability negatively mediated the relationship between occupational expertise and job search intensity, whilst there was a positive mediational effect of perceived external employability. Age had a moderating effect on the association between perceived internal employability and job search intensity.
Research limitations/implications
Our findings contribute to the scholarly literature on the management paradox, and the empirical work on employability and age.
Practical implications
Organizations can recoup their investments in expert workers' employability and enhance their retention by providing opportunities for internal career development.
Originality/value
This study is original by including both internal and external employability. By doing so, we, thereby shedding new light on how occupational expertise might explain job search and how this relationship differs depending on employee age, thereby using a large sample of respondents.