Applying the social cognitive model of career self-management to career exploration and decision-making

Revisiting a Faculty Career Management Life Cycle Model: Anticipating and Navigating Career Transitions in Academic Medicine

Career management models are valuable tools for faculty pursuing a career in academic medicine. These models help faculty transition through various stages of their careers, including commonly pursued academic advancements from assistant professor to full professor, as well as less common transitions like moving from full-time to part-time status, taking sabbaticals, going on medical leave, or assuming executive leadership roles. The success of faculty members across these stages is influenced by both environmental factors and individual-level characteristics. Recognizing career stages and transitions, as well as the impact of personal and environmental factors on career growth, is crucial. The proposed Faculty Career Self-Management Model (FCSM) provides a visual and descriptive framework to guide individual faculty and the professionals who support them in understanding, preparing for, and navigating career stages and professional transitions to build and sustain meaningful careers in academic medicine. The FCSM serves as a framework to explore, develop, and share best practices in supporting faculty vitality across the career lifespan.

The association between perceived social support and future decent work perception: A moderated mediation model

This study examined the relationship between perceived social support, career exploration, and future decent work perception among undergraduate teacher education students in Fujian Province, China. The research focused mainly on the moderating role of proactive personality in these relationships. Data from 542 valid questionnaires revealed that perceived social support significantly influenced career exploration, impacting students' perceptions of future decent work. More importantly, our analysis showed that proactive personality intensified the positive effects of social support on career exploration activities, enhancing students' outlook on their future careers. These findings confirmed social cognitive theory's relevance in understanding career development processes and highlighted the potential of proactive personality traits to leverage social resources more effectively. Given the evolving educational demands and the current socio-economic conditions in China, our study suggested that educational programs should emphasize nurturing proactive behaviors and strengthening social support systems to better prepare students for future professional challenges. These insights were crucial for educators aiming to enhance the quality and effectiveness of teacher education programs, promoting a more robust entry into the workforce for future educators.

Longitudinal test of the social cognitive model of well-being among Chinese college students

Since the social cognitive model of well-being in academic\work settings was proposed, more and more studies have supported its validity. Nevertheless, most studies failed to test the temporal precedence of its core variables related to individual career development. Thus, we aimed to test this model among 1512 Chinese college students with a longitudinal perspective. They completed the Career-related Parental Support Inventory, Career Exploration and Decision Self-Efficacy-Brief Decision Scale, Career Commitment Making Scale, and Multiple Happiness Questionnaire three times being a four-month interval. The result indicated that there were more positive predicting associations between career-related parental support, career decision self-efficacy (CDSE), career commitment making, and well-being. Moreover, the longitudinal mediation analyses indicated that T1 career-related parental support was linked to T3 well-being via T2 career commitment making, and that T1 CDSE was linked to T3 well-being via T2 career commitment making. The implications of these findings for further research, practices, and policy-making were discussed.

Employability and career beliefs inventory: a brief version for unemployed persons

BACKGROUND

Considering that beliefs may be assessed and changed, inventories measuring employability and career beliefs may be of utmost importance for career interventions.

OBJECTIVE

This study introduces the psychometric properties of a brief version of the Employability and Career Beliefs Inventory (ECBI) in a sample of unemployed persons.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Altogether, 2023 unemployed persons aged from 18 to 66 years old and living in Southern Portugal participated in an online survey. The ECBI's original internal structure was tested and did not fit the data. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were implemented, and a three-factor solution was retained. The three factors discriminate three types of beliefs named growth, pessimism, and flexibility. Measurement invariance models identified scalar equivalence across gender and educational degree, and metric invariance across age. All items fit the graded response model's parameters. The growth and flexibility subscales were less effective in the assessment of low latent trait levels, whereas the opposite was observed with the pessimism subscale. Internal consistency is good yet discrimination between factors is questionable. Correlations to career decision-making self-efficacy evidence validity based on the relations to other constructs.

CONCLUSION

Despite the limitations, the brief version of the ECBI proposed in this study is ready for further use and development among unemployed persons.

Career exploration and its influence on the relationship between self-efficacy and career choice: The moderating role of social support

Career choice is a highly complex process. The growth in the number, nature, and overlap between occupations creates a more multifaceted career landscape, especially for young people. This study expands the Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) by developing a model that includes additional factors influencing career choices, such as self-efficacy, career exploration, and social support. A convenient sampling method was applied, with 340 Vietnamese students responding to the questionnaire on Google Forms between August and October 2022. The results supported the research hypotheses, with environmental exploration emerging as the most decisive factor influencing career choice. The most exciting finding of this article is the negative impact of social support on the relationship between environmental exploration and career choice. Finally, the results underscore the significance of implementing career guidance and providing career experiences for university students at educational institutions.

How Important Are Parental Career Expectations? A Subtle and Long-Term Influence on Adolescents' Career Aspirations

Perceived parental expectations of adolescents have been linked to many high school consequences, yet few studies have examined the relationship between perceived parental expectations and adolescents' career aspirations, and potential mechanisms that underlie these associations. To address this research gap, this study investigated the reciprocal relationship between perceived parental expectations and career aspirations, as well as the mediating role of adolescents' career exploration among Chinese adolescents. Using a longitudinal design, a total of 2540 senior high school students (51.38% girls, Mage = 17.09 ± 0.69) participated in the study. The results showed that perceived parental expectations of adolescents have no direct impact on their subsequent career aspirations. A longitudinal mediating role of career exploration was found between perceived parental expectations and career aspirations. No gender differences were found in any of the pathways. These findings provided support for helping adolescents better set their career aspirations by acknowledging the critical role of parental expectations and the mediating role of career exploration.

Examining the relationship between self-efficacy, career development, and subjective wellbeing in physical education students

We investigated the relationship between self-efficacy and career development via subjective well-being of students majoring in physical education. Life satisfaction, positive affect, and negative affect were the componennts of subjective well-being. Participants were the 1381 adolescents with major in physical education with an age range of 18-22 years (Mage = 19.5 ± 1; females = 34.76%). Hayes PROCESS model was used to develop a multiple mediation model. The results suggest that higher self-efficacy leads to better career development. Further, a significant mediating role was played by negative and positive affect in case of the relationship between self-efficacy and career exploration, but life-satisfaction is not significant mediator. Conversely, life satisfaction and positive affect are significant mediators between self-efficacy and career adaptability but negative affect is not. The findings suggest that self-efficacy and subjective well-being benefit career development of adolescents in the physical education field.

Self-Efficacy and Life Satisfaction Mediate the Relationship between Perceived Social Support and Career Exploration among College Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Previous research on career exploration has mainly focused on cognitive-personal variables. Although the social cognitive career theory model posits that personality could influence career exploration through both personal agency and contextual factors, very few studies have examined the two possible paths simultaneously. We hypothesized that individuals who perceive higher social support experience more career exploration behavior, and this relationship is mediated by higher self-efficacy and life satisfaction. The participants of this study were 853 Chinese college students. The results showed that self-efficacy and life satisfaction independently and jointly mediated the relationship between perceived social support and career exploration. The multiple mediation model showed that the high perceived social support would increase students' sense of self-efficacy, which could improve their sense of life satisfaction, and further help them engage in more career exploration activities.

Developing STEM Career Identities among Latinx Youths: Collaborative Design, Evaluations, and Adaptations during COVID-19

In response to the low representation of Latinx adults in STEM occupations, this community-based participatory action research study aims to increase the number of middle school youths developing STEM career identities and entering high school with the intention to pursue STEM careers. The students were provided with summer and after-school activities focusing on network science and career development curricula. Using a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design and career narratives, this study examined the changes in STEM and career self-efficacy, as well as career identity. The results show improvements in self-efficacy, an increased number of youths with intentions of pursuing future STEM career opportunities, and deeper reflections on their talents and skills after program participation. This paper also describes the program development and implementation in detail, as well as the adaptations that resulted from COVID-19, for scholars and educators designing similar programs. This study provides promising evidence for the quality of STEM and career development lessons in supporting the emergence of a STEM career identity and self-efficacy.

Future time orientation, life projects, and career self-efficacy of unemployed individuals

This study examined the relationship between two variables of the psychological future [future time orientation (FTO) and life project (LP)] and their relationship with career self-efficacy in unemployed individuals. Participants were 216 unemployed adults (151 women, 65 men), aged from 18 to 67 years old (M = 42.8, SD = 10.57), who responded to measures of distance and impact of future time orientation, identification and involvement in life project and career exploration and decision-making self-efficacy. Results of latent mediation analysis and correlational analysis indicated that there is a direct effect between FTO and LP, but also an indirect (i.e., mediating) effect between them through career self-efficacy beliefs. These findings suggest that unemployed individuals with a stronger sense of future time orientation are more likely to identify and engage with their life projects, and that this organization of their life projects is mediated by their levels of career self-efficacy. Overall, the study provides important insights into the psychological factors that can impact the careers behaviors of unemployed individuals, as well as on the characteristics of career psychological interventions with this public.

Curiosity saved the cat: socio-emotional skills mediate the relationship between parental support and career exploration

According to career literature, greater parental support seems to be associated with higher levels of career exploration. This relationship may be mediated by self-regulatory processes, such as social-emotional skills, as curiosity. However, despite the large number of empirical studies that analyze the antecedents of career exploration, there are no references, to our knowledge, to the role of socio-emotional skills. Following this gap, the present study aims to examine the extent to which perceived parental support is associated with career exploration through the mediating effect of curiosity (socio-emotional skill), among a group of 8th and 9th grade students from public schools in southern Portugal (N = 540). An integrated model was conducted using AMOS 20.0 and the results revealed that curiosity is a partial mediator of the relationship between perceived parental support and career exploration. These results highlight the importance of considering socio-emotional skills (such as curiosity) when designing interventions to foster adaptive career behaviors. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed to open the opportunity to progressively extend the participation of proximal contexts (e.g., families) to career and socio-emotional skills development processes.

The Relationship Between Parental Attachment and Career Aspirations in Indian Female Undergraduate Students

The purpose of the present study was to examine the career aspirations of Indian female undergraduate students, by utilizing a theoretical framework integrating Attachment Theory and Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT). Data were collected from 157 female Indian undergraduate students at a Liberal Studies college in India to study the contribution of self-reported maternal and paternal attachment security in predicting career aspirations. In particular, the mediating effects of student-reported self-esteem and career decision self-efficacy were examined in the relationship between their perceptions of maternal and paternal attachment security and career aspirations. Secure attachment to mothers, but not fathers, was found to relate to self-esteem and career decision self-efficacy, which in turn predicted career aspirations. Findings from the study contribute to the literature on career aspirations of women in India and lend support for the integration of attachment theory and SCCT. Future research and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Should I Go or Should I Stay: job hopping in Malaysia small medium enterprise (SME) service sectors

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine the relationships between learning opportunities, person-organization fit, self-directedness career attitude and job hopping among generation Y employees in Malaysian small medium enterprise (SME) service sectors.

Design/methodology/approach

Research data was gathered from a sample of 203 generation Y employees from SME service sectors in Malaysia. Partial least squares structural equation modelling is used to perform the data analysis in the present study.

Findings

The results demonstrated that person-organization fit and self-directedness career attitude correlates significantly with job hopping among generation Y employees. However, there is no significant relationship between learning opportunities and job hopping.

Research limitations/implications

This study provides an empirical framework for explaining the job hopping among generation Y employees in SME service based on the review of related careers.

Originality/value

This study offers new insights into the predicting factors of job hopping among generation Y employees in the Malaysian context specifically.

Analyzing Factors Influencing College Athletes’ Career Actions Using Social Cognitive Career Self-Management Model

This study examines the career actions of college athletes and factors influencing the process by integrating the concept of goal setting in a social cognitive career self-management model. The author used a questionnaire survey to collect data. In total, 675 valid questionnaires were returned. The data obtained were statistically analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results show that our career action model for college athletes has an acceptable fit with the sample data. The results reveal that career self-efficacy, outcome expectations, career goals, career barriers, and goal adjustment are keys in college athletes’ career actions. The findings can serve as a reference to develop career counseling strategies for college athletes. This study not only expands the scope of research on career development counseling for athletes, but also increases the applicability and explanatory power of CSM theory.

The Chain Mediating Effect of Network Behavior and Decision Self-Efficacy between Work Skills and Perceived Employability Based on Social Cognitive Theory

The purpose of this study is to investigate the chain mediating effects of networking behaviors and decision self-efficacy between work skills development and perceived employability. Structural equations modeling is used to analyze data collected from 813 Chinese students. The results show the following: first, the work skills development is positively correlated with perceived employability. Second, network behavior and decision self-efficacy each have a mediating effect between work skills development and perceived employability. Finally, this study found a chain mediating effect of network behavior and decision self-efficacy between work skills development and perceived employability. Therefore, this research shows that Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) needs to focus not only on skills development and employability outcomes but also on developing a strong network-based platform for stakeholders. In addition, higher education institutions and workplaces should also provide career guidance and counseling centers to help students build confidence in career decision-making and ensure students' mental health care and healthy career development.

Do I decide my career? Linking career stress, career exploration, and future work self to career planning or indecision

Career planning and career decision are important tasks for college students. The process may be affected by career stress, career exploration, and future work self, with some students facing career indecision. Combining both construction career and proactive motivation model, this study investigated the relationships between career stress, career exploration, future work self, career planning and career indecision among 1,012 Chinese college students using the Structure equation model (SEM) to test the proposed mediation model. Results show that career stress negatively predicts career planning, while career exploration positively predicts career planning. The mediating role of future work self has on career stress and career exploration's effects on both career planning and career indecision was verified. Moreover, the study also found future work self's positive effects on both career planning and career indecision in Chinese college students. Finally, the study's theoretical and practical significance and implications are discussed.

A Multi-Group Study of Psychological Capital and Job Search Behaviours Among University Graduates With and Without Work Placement Learning Experience

We build upon the social cognitive career theory model of career self-management (SCCT-CSM) to test the effects of psychological capital constructs (hope, self-efficacy, optimism and resilience) on preparatory and active job search behaviours, mediated by job search goals in a multi-group study of university graduates who undertook work placement learning before graduation and those who did not. Using a two-wave data from 473 university fresh graduates in the one-year national youth service corps ( N = 209 who undertook work placement learning before graduation) and ( N = 264 who did not undertake work placement learning) in Nigeria, we test an SCCT-CSM-driven model employing structural equation modelling for the multi-group study. The findings revealed positive effects of self-efficacy and optimism on the preparatory and active job search behaviours across both samples but higher effects in the graduates who undertook work placement learning before graduation. Job search goals mediated the effects of self-efficacy and optimism on their preparatory and active job search behaviours in both samples. The serial mediation results show that self-efficacy and optimism indirectly affect the active job search behaviours via job search goals and preparatory job search behaviours. The implications of these results are discussed.

Interpersonal Factors Affecting Adolescents’ Career Exploration in PAKISTAN

This study examined the effects of social support on the career exploration of university students in Pakistan. Nine hundred and seventy-three university students from Pakistan completed the measures of social support and career exploration. Regression analysis was applied to examine the impact of social support by family, friends, and significant others. The results revealed that career exploration is significantly predicted by family support (β = 0.063; p = 0.010), friend support (β = 0.081; p = 0.001), and teacher support (β = 0.065; p = 0.010). Moreover, total social support significantly predicts career exploration (β = 0.027; p = 0.003) of university students in Pakistan. These findings enhance our understanding of the factors influencing career exploration in university students. Further development of the research is discussed as well as possible educational implications.

A moderated mediation model of implicit theories of intelligence and life satisfaction among Chinese adolescents

Although life satisfaction is critical for adolescents’ emotional, social, and educational functioning and positive development, social cognitive roles in adolescents’ life satisfaction and potential underlying processes are less known. The present study aimed to explore the effect of implicit theories of intelligence on adolescent life satisfaction and their potential mechanisms. A moderated mediation model was constructed to investigate the mediating role of career exploration and the moderating role of career-specific parental support. Data were collected from 443 10th grade high-school students in Sichuan, China. Results revealed that career exploration fully mediated the positive relationship between implicit theories of intelligence and life satisfaction, while career-specific parental support moderated the relationship between career exploration and life satisfaction. These findings highlight the value of exploring social-cognition and career-related factors in life satisfaction.

Testing an Extended Social Cognitive Model of Occupational Turnover Intentions

Workforce shortages in the health and social care sectors are a relevant issue worldwide. One measure to mitigate workforce shortages is to improve working conditions and workers’ future prospects in order to encourage worker retention. Although studies have examined factors related to organizational turnover, less is known about the factors that lead to occupational turnover intentions. Drawing upon social cognitive career theory, this study examines the reasons behind health and social care workers’ occupational turnover intentions considering emotional exhaustion as an explanatory variable. The participants were 403 health and social care workers who responded to a questionnaire about 4 years after completing their vocational education and training at the upper-secondary level. Structural equation analyses revealed that affective occupational commitment showed the highest negative correlation with occupational turnover intentions. Furthermore, the results suggest that career-related outcome expectations, wellbeing, and supportive working conditions are crucial for designing effective interventions.

Understanding Contextual and Personality-Related Factors Predicting Student Career Certainty in Work Placement Learning

This study builds on the social cognitive career theory model of career self-management (SCCT-CSM) to examine the effects of faculty-based supervisor informational support, parental instrumental support and classmate emotional support on student career certainty during work placement learning. It also examined the mediating effects of self-esteem and career decision self-efficacy in the relationships. Using data collected at three-time points from undergraduate students undertaking work placement learning in 109 Nigerian organizations, we test an SCCT-CSM-driven model of contextual factors (i.e. supports), core SCCT variable (self-efficacy), personality-related variable (i.e. self-esteem) and career-related action (i.e. student career certainty) in work placement learning context. The results suggest that perceiving higher informational and instrumental support from faculty-based supervisors and parents stimulated students’ career decision self-efficacy and self-esteem in learning career-related skills, consequently leading to higher student career certainty. The findings have important implications for faculty-based placement learning supervisors, parents, students and placements host organizations to acknowledge the role of support in enhancing student career certainty. Thus, support should be highly considered during work placement learning to improve student career certainty.

How Do Determiners of Job Performance Matter During COVID-19? The Conservation of Resource Theory

During the COVID-19 pandemic, business managers are facing many challenges from a severe challenge. Many organizations have changed their original management mode and organizational behavior to improve employees' organizational citizenship behavior, thus reducing their sense of anxiety and incapability. Thereinto, job performance of the employees also affects the growth and development of the organization. To explore how to fragment employees' positive psychology and job performance, this study discusses the influence on employees' subjective wellbeing and job performance from relevant factors at the organizational and individual levels. Also, to explore the influence of organizational support and occupation self-efficacy on job performance and the mediating role of subjective wellbeing during COVID-19, a total of 618 valid questionnaires were collected from all walks of life in 2020. Hypotheses were tested by structural equation modeling and Bootstrap technology. The results show that: (1) Professional self-efficacy and subjective wellbeing have a significant positive impact on job performance; (2) Subjective wellbeing plays a complete mediating role between organizational support and job performance, and subjective wellbeing plays a partial mediating role between professional self-efficacy and job performance; (3) Compared with the sense of organizational support, the positive effect of self-efficacy on job performance is more significant.

Test of a Social Cognitive Model of Proactive Career Behavior

We applied the social cognitive model of career self-management (CSM) to the study of proactive career behavior, referring to workers’ active attempts to guide their own career development. Within the CSM framework, proactive behavior is conceived as a key agentic ingredient linking cognitive, social, and personality mechanisms with a variety of career advancement and sustainability outcomes. A sample of 511 early to mid-career adult workers in the U.S. completed an online survey including measures of proactive career behavior, self-efficacy, and outcome expectations; proactive personality; supervisory support; and three positive career self-management outcomes (perceived career success, growth in work rewards, and job marketability). We tested measurement and structural models, respectively, examining the factor structures of, and hypothesized paths among, the constructs. These models offered good overall fit to the data and were found to be invariant across gender. We consider the implications of the findings for future inquiry on career sustainability from a social cognitive perspective.

How Determinants of Employee Innovation Behavior Matter During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Investigating Cross-Regional Role via Multi-Group Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling Analysis

The COVID-19 pandemic cropping up at the end of 2019 started to pose a threat to millions of people's health and life after a few weeks. Nevertheless, the COVID-19 pandemic gave rise to social and economic problems that have changed the progress steps of individuals and the whole nation. In this study, the work conditions for employees from Taiwan, Malaysia, and the Chinese mainland are explored and compared, and the relationship between support mechanisms and innovation behaviors (IB) is evaluated with a view of the social cognitive career theory. This study adopts the cross-sectional survey and purposive sampling to collect questionnaires. A total of 623 copies of a questionnaire from Taiwanese, 440 copies from Malaysians, and 513 copies from mainlanders were collected in this study to compare the three groups in developing employees' IBs. Smart-partial least squares for partial least squares structural equation modeling was applied in the structural model to conduct a verification of the hypotheses and comparative analysis in this study. According to the findings, compared with employees from the Chinese mainland, the Taiwanese and Malaysian samples show more significant paths regarding employee employability, IB, prior knowledge, perceived organizational support, self-efficacy, and job performance. Our results will offer more insights and advice concerning theories of human resource.

Career Exploration and Career Decision Self-Efficacy in Northwest Chinese Pre-service Kindergarten Teachers: The Mediating Role of Work Volition and Career Adaptability

Studies have documented that career exploration is significantly associated with CDSE, but how this association occurred is not clear yet. This study committed to clarifying the mechanism underlying the relationship between career exploration and CDSE by investigating the mediation effect of work volition and career adaptability among 586 pre-service kindergarten teachers. The participants are recruited from Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in northwest China, covering Han, Hui, and other minorities. They took part in a two-wave (6 months apart) longitudinal survey and reported on their career exploration at T1, work volition, career adaptability, and career decision self-efficacy (CDSE) at T2. Results showed that T1 career exploration is directly related to the T2 CDSE. Further, career exploration contributed to the CDSE through both the separated mediation path and the chained mediation path of T2 work volition and T2 career adaptability. The results suggest that individuals who engage in more career exploration activities are likely to have more confidence in their abilities to make career decisions over time, which was partially and serially explained by individuals’ perception of capacity despite constraints and greater self-regulatory strength. This study is a first attempt to deeply clarify the link between career exploration and CDSE, and the findings shed light on the independent and serial mediating effects of work volition and career adaptability. The implications and limitations are discussed.

The Effect of Digital Game-Based Learning on Learning Motivation and Performance Under Social Cognitive Theory and Entrepreneurial Thinking

This study aims to investigate the effects of students’ learning motivation and learning performance in a digital game-based learning setting and the structure of competition. This study uses Social Cognitive Theory, which emphasizes the bidirectional effects between personal factors, environmental factors, and behavior. We use the emotional state as the personal factor, social support as the environmental factor, learning performance as behavior. We also use self-efficacy and learning motivation as the mediating factors in the model. Data samples were collected from approximately 600 students in junior high schools in Taiwan. The students learned via either application or conventional lectures in three groups. The Control Group (CG) learned the course through a conventional learning approach. The Experimental group 1 (EG1) learned by a digital game, while Experimental Group 2 (EG2) learned through the digital game in combination with a structure that involved competing and entrepreneurship with classmates. The result of this research shows that the emotional state negatively affects learning motivation and self-efficacy, that self-efficacy will positively affect learning motivation, social support will positively affect self-efficacy, and self-efficacy and learning motivation will both positively affect learning performance. In addition, this research certifies previous works that entrepreneurs prefer to be more aggressive in competitions, have a high demand for accomplishment motivation, and are more likely to facilitate competitive over non-competitive environments.

The Effect of Grit on Career Adaptability of Chinese College Students Based on the Self-Regulatory Processes

Intelligence is innate, but grit is something everyone can develop. Grit not only enables students to stick to their goals, but also to persevere even when they fail. Career adaptability is an important concept in vocational education of college students, which is a person engaged in some work, must have a certain physical and psychological quality. Base on the self-regulation theory, this study investigated the relationship between grit and career adaptability of Chinese college student based on the self-regulatory processes. We surveyed 839 Chinese college students and tested a self-regulation model. As expected, grit was related to greater career adaptability via greater career exploration and decision self-efficacy, positive affect, and goal commitment. These findings not only broaden the theoretical framework for the effect of grit on career adaptability, but also open up a new horizon for improving college students' career adaptability in practice.

Working adults' future occupational plans: the contribution of role characteristics, social support, and occupational self-efficacy

School counselors' occupational plans were investigated in terms of the mediating role of occupational self-efficacy including three antecedents (role clarity, role autonomy, social support) on three outcomes (life satisfaction, job satisfaction, occupational plans) among 483 female Israeli school counselors, aged 26-69. High levels of the three antecedents were associated with high levels of occupational self-efficacy, which in turn was associated with high levels of life and job satisfaction and with counselors' plans to remain in their profession. The antecedents also demonstrated direct effects with job satisfaction. This emphasizes the importance of occupational self-efficacy in counselor retention and its antecedents.

“I Wanted a Profession That Makes a Difference”—An Online Survey of First-Year Students’ Study Choice Motives and Sustainability-Related Attributes

Higher education institutions are obligated to facilitate students in the development of sustainability competencies, which enable them to act as “change agents” in their future profession-specific environment. Therefore, students’ study motives, prior knowledge, attitudes, and experiences regarding sustainability should be considered when designing Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) programmes. The present study compares first-year students in teacher training with first-year students in other study programmes and explores their study choice motives as well as sustainability-related conceptions, engagement and self-efficacy beliefs using a semi-standardised online questionnaire. Results show that the choice of study is dominated by intrinsic factors and the relevance of extrinsic factors differs by degree programmes with lower extrinsic values for the teacher training students. Regarding sustainability, we find simple and often unelaborated concepts. Teacher training students show significantly higher scores than non-teacher training students regarding the sustainability-related behavioural domain and self-efficacy beliefs. In addition, a gender gap increasing with age and with lower sustainability scores for older males could be identified but only for teacher training students. In conclusion, the results show valuable starting points as well as challenges that should be considered when designing target-oriented learning processes in (inter)disciplinary sustainability courses at higher education institutions.

How Do Students Become Good Workers? Investigating the Impact of Gender and School on the Relationship between Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy and Career Exploration

In the field of vocational psychology, career decision-making self-efficacy (CDMSE) and career exploration (CE) are considered the crucial factors for developing a sustainable career. This study investigated the relationship between CDMSE and CE among Chinese high-school students, as well as the moderating effects of gender and school. From 2019 to 2021, 24,273 students from 13 different high schools were recruited in the study (male = 15,050, female = 9223; urban schools = 12,327, rural schools = 11,946). The results showed that (i) male students scored significantly higher than female students in both CDMSE and CE, (ii) students from urban schools scored significantly higher than students from rural schools in both CDMSE and CE, (iii) CDMSE positively predicted CE, and (iv) school moderated the relationship between CDMSE and CE, with the effect of CDMSE on CE stronger among rural school students; a moderating effect of gender was not found. These findings indicate that promoting CDMSE can lead high-school students, especially rural school students, to engage more in CE to ensure sustainable career development under the protean and boundaryless career orientation.

Understanding the career decision making of university students enrolled in STEM disciplines

This study investigated why university students choose to major in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine/health (STEM(M)) disciplines, and how their study and career-related confidence compares with that of their peers. The study engaged 12,576 students enrolled at Australian universities. The findings suggest that STEM(M) students’ career decision making is guided by their interest in the subject and their intentions to help people. Within the STEM(M) cohort, students in medicine and health were more confident in their career decision making than either their STEM or non-STEM(M) peers. Of interest, they were less aware of alternative career pathways and less prepared to reorient their careers should this be necessary. Female students reported greater confidence than male students in their career decision making, career identity, and career commitment. Implications include the need for career narratives beyond the STEM industries and for career development initiatives that are mindful of disciplinary and gendered differences.

Effective Learning Support Towards Sustainable Student Learning and Well-Being Influenced by Global Pandemic of COVID-19: A Comparison Between Mainland China and Taiwanese Students

The novel coronavirus disease that emerged at the end of 2019 began threatening the health and lives of millions of people after a few weeks. However, social and educational problems derived from COVID-19 have changed the development of individuals and the whole country. This study examined the learning method of Taiwanese versus mainland China college students, and evaluated the relationship between learning support mechanism and subjective well-being from a social cognition theory perspective. In this study, a total of 646 Taiwanese questionnaires and 537 mainland China questionnaires were collected to compare the two sample groups in development of students' subjective well-being. The results showed that social capital and learning support had significant positive correlations with self-efficacy, student employability and well-being and self-efficacy and student employability had significant positive correlations with well-being in Taiwanese sample. In mainland China sample, except paths among social capital, learning support, student employability and well-being, all paths were significant and positive related. Finally, based on the conclusions this study proposed some suggestions specific to theoretical mode for future study.

Cross-Cultural Differences in Adopting Social Cognitive Career Theory at Student Employability in PLS-SEM: The Mediating Roles of Self-Efficacy and Deep Approach to Learning

Unable to keep pace with the expectations of employers and societies that are constantly changing around the world, higher education policy and talent training have given rise to a gap between university education and employment. However, the higher education and industrial needs derived from technological progress have changed the development in country. This study aims to verify the learning method of Taiwanese vs. Malaysian university students and examines the relationship between teacher knowledge transfer and student employability from the perspective of a social cognitive career theory. In this study, 619 copies of questionnaires from the Taiwanese sample group and 443 copies of questionnaires from the Malaysian sample group were collected in total to compare the two sample groups in the development of student employability. The results indicate that teacher knowledge transfer has significant positive correlations with self-efficacy and a deep approach to learning and student employability, and the self-efficacy and a deep approach to learning have significant positive correlations with student employability in the Taiwanese sample. In Malaysia, except for the path between teacher knowledge transfer and student employability, all paths were significant and positively related. Finally, according to our results and findings, this study proposes several insights with practical and theoretical implications for future study.

Career Exploration and Decision-Making Learning Experiences (CEDLE) Scales: Validation Among Chinese Vocational College Students

This research aimed to conduct a validation study of a Chinese version of the Career Exploration and Decision-Making Learning Experiences (CEDLE) scales among 2,372 Chinese vocational college students. In Study 1, an exploratory factor analysis was conducted to evaluate the factor structure of the CEDLE among 625 samples. We obtained both a four-factor model and a five-factor model. Study 2 examined the structure of the CEDLE among 1,747 students, and the results demonstrate the superiority of the five-factor model. A multigroup confirmatory factor analysis supported the measurement invariance for the gender groups. The Chinese version of the CEDLE had excellent reliability values from .80 to .88, and the findings demonstrated that the Chinese CEDLE was a valid and reliable measure of self-efficacy-related learning experiences. This study contributes to the literature on prior learning experiences regarding students’ career behavior by providing evidence of the applicability of the CEDLE-Chinese version.

Factors Influencing Employees' Subjective Wellbeing and Job Performance During the COVID-19 Global Pandemic: The Perspective of Social Cognitive Career Theory

The novel coronavirus disease that emerged at the end of 2019 began threatening the health and lives of millions of people after a few weeks. However, social and economic problems derived from COVID-19 have changed the development of individuals and the whole country. This study examines the work conditions of Taiwanese versus mainland China employees, and evaluates the relationship between support mechanisms and subjective wellbeing from a social cognitive career theory perspective. In this study, a total of 623 Taiwanese questionnaires and 513 mainland China questionnaires were collected to compare the two sample groups in terms of the development of employees’ subjective wellbeing. The results show that the Taiwanese sample had more significant development paths compared to mainland China employees in terms of prior knowledge, perceived organizational support, self-efficacy, employee employability, subjective wellbeing, and job performance. Finally, based on the conclusions, this study proposes some specific suggestions on theoretical mode for future studies.

Navigating on the precursors of work readiness amongst students in Johannesburg, South Africa

Orientation: Research has been conducted regarding work readiness in a various contexts. However, there are deficiencies in studies that have focused on the precursors of work readiness in an African context.Research purpose: The primary objective of this study was to determine the impact of career self-efficacy (CSE), career exploration (CE) and self-perceived employability (SPE) on work readiness (WR) of students in the South African context, particularly in the Gauteng Province.Motivation for the study: There is an unequivocal gap between what educational institutions teach as well as what the South African labour market requires, highlighting a misalignment and one of many reasons graduates struggle to find work.Research approach/design and method: To close the research gap, the current study used a quantitative approach using the cross-sectional survey research design. A structured questionnaire was administered to 254 randomly selected students. The collected data were analysed using structural equation modelling.Main findings: The hypotheses testing results revealed that the WR was influenced significantly and positively by CSE, CE and SPE.Practical/managerial implications: The present research provides implications from which managers of institutions of higher learning can benefit. For instance, ensuring that experiential learning is involved in all the programmes. This will be more advantageous to students who would like to evaluate themselves to determine if they are work ready.Contribution/value-add: This study adds fresh understanding regarding the precursors that stimulate work readiness among students in a South African context.