How Career and Non-Work Goal Progress Affect Dual Earners’ Satisfaction: A Whole-Life Perspective

Abraham, E., Verbruggen, M., & Hirschi, A. (2024). How Career and Non-Work Goal Progress Affect Dual Earners’ Satisfaction: A Whole-Life Perspective. Journal of Career Development, 08948453241230907.

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Abstract

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.

Keywords: career goal progress, non-work goal progress, dual-earner couples, career self-management, satisfaction, gender

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Career proactivity: Conceptual and theoretical reflections

Akkermans, J., & Hirschi, A. (2023). Career proactivity: Conceptual and theoretical reflections. Applied Psychology, 72(1), 199-204.

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Abstract

This article adds several conceptual and theoretical reflections to the article “Career proactivity: A bibliometric literature review and a future research agenda” by Jiang et al. The authors conducted a timely and relevant study by analyzing and integrating literature on career proactivity from the domains of organizational and vocational behavior. Prior research has clearly demonstrated that these areas are still largely operating as separate “islands,” both conceptually and methodologically. As such, systematically analyzing the literature and synthesizing the many existing proactivity-related constructs are important steps forward in taking research on career proactivity to the next level. Though their bibliometric analysis confirms the gap between vocational psychology and OB research, there is also a hopeful message in the article, as several clusters showed considerable connections. Thus, it seems that scholars are starting to build bridges between the islands. Building on their analysis and future research suggestions, in this article, we further explore three specific considerations related to (1) conceptual issues, (2) theoretical issues, and (3) additions to their future research agenda.

Keywords: career proactivity, career self-management, grading coefficient, proactive behavior, proactive career behavior

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Exploring the dynamics of protean career orientation, career management behaviors, and subjective career success: An action regulation theory approach

Haenggli, M., Hirschi, A., Rudolph, C. W., & Peiró, J. M. (2021). Exploring the dynamics of protean career orientation, career management behaviors, and subjective career success: An action regulation theory approach. Journal of vocational behavior, 131, 103650.

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Abstract

Due to increased dynamics in the world of work and the resulting responsibility of individuals to shape their careers more independently, there is an increased need to focus on the individual as an active agent in the development of a successful career. Drawing on action regulation theory, this four-wave longitudinal study investigates the dynamic relations between protean career orientation, engagement in career self-management behaviors, and subjective career success over time. Based on a sample of N = 574 German employees, we tested a random intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM) to focus on within-person dynamics across four time-points while accounting for stable between-person differences. We found partial support for assumed dynamics in these variables, in that increases in protean career orientation predicted subsequent increases in career self-management behaviors. Moreover, increased protean career orientation and subjective career success (but not career self-management behaviors) predicted further increases in the same respective states. However, increases in career behaviors did not predict increases in subjective career success and increases in subjective career success did not predict increases in protean career orientation or career self-management behaviors. We discuss the findings in light of adopting a dynamic within-person approach to understand key career development constructs.

Keywords: protean career orientation, career self-management, subjective career success, action regulation theory, random intercept cross-legged panel model (RI-CLPM)

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Career self-management as resource management through action regulation: Theoretical concepts and practice implications for promoting career management skills

Schläpfer, D., Wilhelm, F., & Hirschi, A. (2023). Career self-management as resource management through action regulation: Theoretical concepts and practice implications for promoting career management skills. In A. Chant, J. Katsarov, J. Pouyaud, & L. Sovet, (Eds.), Developing Career Management Skills. NICE Foundation.

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Abstract

Career management skills are important in today’s labor market, which is characterized by increased volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. This chapter aims to provide a better understanding of core career management skills by presenting a framework which sees career self-management as an active process of resource management. Based on this perspective, career self-management consists of building, maintaining, and applying knowledge and skills, psychological (motivational/ attitudinal), and contextual resources through various career self-management behaviors. We moreover suggest how career self-management skills can be enhanced throughout the lifespan by presenting career self-management as an action-regulation process. This process consists of four phases in terms of (1) goal setting and development, (2) mapping the environment for goal-relevant resources and barriers, (3) planning and execution of behaviors, and (4) monitoring and feedback processing. Based on this conceptualization of career self-management, we discuss how practitioners can assist clients in this process across different action regulation phases of career self-management.

Keywords: career resources, action regulation, career self-management, career self-management skills

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Action regulation at the work–family interface: Nomological network and work-family consequences

Hirschi, A., von Allmen, N., Burmeister, A., & Zacher, H. (2022). Action regulation at the work–family interface: Nomological network and work-family consequences. Journal of Business and Psychology, 37(2), 369-387. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-021-09751-6

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Abstract

Pursuing personally valued goals in work and family is important for many people, yet research has only partially addressed how individuals can actively manage the work–family interface. We examined the role of action regulation at the work-family interface (AR-WF) as an integrated individual-level approach to attain favorable work-family outcomes through the selection and pursuit of goals at the work-family interface. We investigated the relation of AR-WF to theoretically-derived correlates and outcomes in two time-lagged studies with samples from the United States and Germany, based on a newly developed and validated measure to assess AR-WF. Overall, results showed that AR-WF is positively related to dispositional self-regulation, work and family role commitment, work and family goal regulation, and work and family social support. In contrast, AR-WF was largely unrelated to work and family role demands and segmentation or integration boundary enactment. AR-WF further positively related to work and family goal attainment, as well as work–family enrichment beyond related constructs. However, AR-WF was also positively related to increased work-to-family conflict. We discuss how a focus on action regulation can be useful for attaining a better understanding of the active role that people play in managing multiple role demands at the work-family interface.

 Keywords: work–family interface; action regulation; boundary management; multiple roles

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Pursuing Money and Power, Prosocial Contributions, or Personal Growth: Measurement and Nomological Net of Different Career Strivings

Hirschi. A. & Pang, D. (2023). Pursuing Money and Power, Prosocial Contributions, or Personal Growth: Measurement and Nomological Net of Different Career Strivings. Journal of Career Development. https://doi.org/10.1177/089484532311829

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Abstract

There is considerable agreement that individuals need an “inner compass” to manage their careers as self-directed and values-driven. However, how different career strivings (i.e., long-term, values-related career goals) affect career development remains largely unaddressed. To tackle this issue, we conducted a study to develop and validate new scales to assess self-enhancement, self-transcendence, and personal growth career strivings, representing key self-focused and other-focused extrinsic and intrinsic career goals. The validation of the scales among 389 U.S. and 490 German workers confirmed that career strivings are differentially related to existing measures of intrinsic and extrinsic career goals, work values, and motivational work strivings. Moreover, we confirmed with a time-lagged study among 354 German workers that career strivings (especially personal growth strivings) relate positively to career commitment, career satisfaction, and life meaningfulness. The studies support the utility of examining different career strivings as critical motivational factors in self-directed career management in future research.

Keywords: career strivings; career motivation; career goals; career self-management

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Contemporary Career Orientations and Career Self-Management: A Review and Integration

Hirschi, A. & Koen J. (2021). Contemporary Career Orientations and Career Self-Management: A Review and Integration. Journal of Vocational Behavior.

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Abstract

Successful career development requires increased career self-management and contemporary career orientations accordingly stress the importance of being self-directed, values-driven, and flexible. This paper provides an overview of key perspectives on contemporary career orientations in relation to career self-management (CSM), as well as a systematic review of these two streams of literatures. With a focus on highly influential classic and recent papers as well as on all papers published in the Journal of Vocational Behavior on these topics, we aim to integrate the literatures on career orientations and CSM and advance future research. To this purpose, we present an integrative framework of career self-regulation which views CSM as a dynamic process consisting of goal setting and development, information seeking, planning and execution of behaviors, and monitoring and feedback processing. This process is influenced by, and subsequently affects, individual career orientations. We finish the paper by providing several directions for future research in terms of examining more dynamic and self-regulatory processes, unpacking the role of context, integrating the larger proactivity literature, applying a work-nonwork perspective, and developing and testing interventions.

Keywords: career orientations; career self-management; self-regulation; protean career; boundaryless career; proactive career behavior

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Grass roots of occupational change: Understanding mobility in vocational careers

Medici G., Tschopp, C., Grote, G., & Hirschi, A. (2020). Grass roots of occupational change: Understanding mobility in vocational careers. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 122, 103480. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2020.103480

Abstract

Most prior research on career mobility has focused on people changing jobs and organizations. We know little about processes involved in individuals changing occupations, although these changes cause high individual, organizational, and public costs. Moreover, occupations are in- creasingly acknowledged as important anchors in times of more boundaryless careers. The current study investigates the impact of early satisfaction with the trained occupation (VET satisfaction) on occupational change by analyzing 10-year longitudinal panel data gathered in Switzerland (N = 905). Results from regression analyses showed that VET satisfaction predicted occupational change up to ten years after graduation. VET satisfaction in turn was affected by work characteristics experienced during VET, and VET satisfaction mediated the relationship between work characteristics during VET and occupational change. Using a subsample (N = 464) for which data were available on jobs taken up after graduation, we showed that VET satisfaction explained occupational change over and above work satisfaction in jobs held after graduation, highlighting the formative role of early experience during VET. Our findings inform both theory and practice. To fully comprehend occupational change, established turnover models also need to reflect on early formative vocational experiences. Firms should pay attention to favorable work characteristics already during VET and adjust adverse conditions to reduce undesired occupational mobility.

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Career self-management as a key factor for career wellbeing

Wilhelm, F., & Hirschi, A. (2019). Career self-management as a key factor for career wellbeing. In I.L. Potgieter, N. Ferreira & M. Coetzee (Eds.). Theory, Research and Dynamics of Career Wellbeing (pp. 117-137). Switzerland: Springer.

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Career self-management (CSM) is an important factor for achieving career wellbeing and is becoming increasingly crucial in career environments characterized by higher volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. In this chapter, we provide an overview of current research on CSM, and conceptually and empirically clarify its relation to career wellbeing. First, we define CSM and delineate its dimensionality. Second, we concisely summarize the empirical research on predictors and career wellbeing related outcomes of CSM. Third, based on our literature review, we suggest how CSM can be promoted through interventions, and how organizations can create synergies between organizational and individual career management. Finally, we suggest avenues for further research addressing identified research gaps: conceptual refinement, investigating facilitators of CSM at different action stages, broadening the scope of investigated career wellbeing outcomes of CSM, conducting theory-based intervention studies to systematically promote CSM, and examining contextual influences emerging in Industry 4.0 work-life spaces.

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Predictors of a Protean Career Orientation and Vocational Training Enrollment in the Post-School Transition

Steiner, R. S., Hirschi, A., & Wang, M. (2019). Predictors of a protean career orientation and vocational training enrollment in the post-school transition. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 112, 216-228. doi:10.1016/j.jvb.2019.03.002

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The post-school transition is a critical transition for adolescents and understanding when and how it results in beneficial outcomes is a pressing issue. We integrate career construction theory and social cognitive career theory and investigate a sequential model of predictors and outcomes at various stages in the post-school transition process. We focus on a protean career orientation as an important subjective transition outcome and whether adolescents continue with high school or vocational education and training (VET) as an important objective transition outcome. We propose that personal and contextual socio-cognitive factors during school (i.e., occupational self-efficacy beliefs and perceived career barriers) relate to the transition outcomes indirectly through their effects on vocational identity clarity. We tested our hypotheses among a sample of 819 Swiss adolescents, based on a time- lagged study with three waves over a period of three years. Results of structural equation modeling showed that occupational self-efficacy beliefs positively, and perceived career barriers negatively related to vocational identity clarity. A clear vocational identity in turn predicted a higher probability of VET enrollment compared to high school enrollment after school. Unexpectedly, a clearer vocational identity related to a weaker protean career orientation. Implications for post-school transition research and the protean career literature are discussed.

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Career engagement: Investigating intraindividual predictors of weekly fluctuations in proactive career behaviors

Hirschi, A. & Freund, P. A. (2014). Career engagement: Investigating intraindividual predictors of weekly fluctuations in proactive career behaviors. Career Development Quarterly, 62(1), 5-20. doi:10.1002/j.2161-0045.2014.00066.x

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Perceived organizational support and intention to stay in host countries among self-initiated expatriates: The role of career satisfaction and networks

Cao, L., Hirschi, A., & Deller, J. (2014). Perceived organizational support and intention to stay in host countries among self-initiated expatriates: The role of career satisfaction and networks. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 25(14), 2013-2032. doi:10.1080/09585192.2013.870290

The career resources model: an integrative framework for career counsellors

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Hirschi, A. (2012). The career resources model: an integrative framework for career counsellors. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 40(4), 369-383. doi:10.1080/03069885.2012.700506

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Hirschi, A., & Jänsch, V. K. (2013). Ohne Fleiss kein Preis [No pain no gain]. Panorama, 6, 22-23.