TY - JOUR
T1 - Career adaptability, job search self-efficacy and outcomes
T2 - A three-wave investigation among Chinese university graduates
AU - Guan, Yanjun
AU - Deng, Hong
AU - Sun, Jiaqing
AU - Wang, Yanan
AU - Cai, Zijun
AU - Ye, Lihui
AU - Fu, Ruchunyi
AU - Wang, Yang
AU - Zhang, Shu
AU - Li, Yuhui
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities , and the Research Funds of Renmin University of China (Project 13XNJ018 ).
PY - 2013/12
Y1 - 2013/12
N2 - Based on career construction theory, the current research examined the role of career adaptability in Chinese university graduates' job search process (. N=. 270). Results from a three-wave survey study showed that the four dimension of career adaptability (measured at wave 1) correlated positively with university graduates' job search self-efficacy (measured at wave 2) and their employment status (measured at wave 3). Among graduates who became employed, career adaptability dimensions also predicted positively their person-environment (P-E) fit perceptions (measured at wave 3). The results further showed that with the effects of demographics (gender, age, education level and major) and family background (family economical status and parental education) controlled for, when putting the four dimensions of career adaptability together, career concern and career control served as the strongest predictors for job search self-efficacy, which further mediated the positive effects of these two dimensions on employment status. In addition, career control also had indirect effect on P-E fit through the mediation of job search self-efficacy. Additional analyses using the global indicator of career adaptability also supported this mediation model such that career adaptability significantly predicted employment status and P-E fit, with these relations mediated by job search self-efficacy. These findings carry implications for research on career construction theory, as well as career education and career counseling practices.
AB - Based on career construction theory, the current research examined the role of career adaptability in Chinese university graduates' job search process (. N=. 270). Results from a three-wave survey study showed that the four dimension of career adaptability (measured at wave 1) correlated positively with university graduates' job search self-efficacy (measured at wave 2) and their employment status (measured at wave 3). Among graduates who became employed, career adaptability dimensions also predicted positively their person-environment (P-E) fit perceptions (measured at wave 3). The results further showed that with the effects of demographics (gender, age, education level and major) and family background (family economical status and parental education) controlled for, when putting the four dimensions of career adaptability together, career concern and career control served as the strongest predictors for job search self-efficacy, which further mediated the positive effects of these two dimensions on employment status. In addition, career control also had indirect effect on P-E fit through the mediation of job search self-efficacy. Additional analyses using the global indicator of career adaptability also supported this mediation model such that career adaptability significantly predicted employment status and P-E fit, with these relations mediated by job search self-efficacy. These findings carry implications for research on career construction theory, as well as career education and career counseling practices.
KW - Career adaptability
KW - Career construction theory
KW - Job search
KW - Person-job fit
KW - Person-organization fit
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84887159100&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jvb.2013.09.003
DO - 10.1016/j.jvb.2013.09.003
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84887159100
SN - 0001-8791
VL - 83
SP - 561
EP - 570
JO - Journal of Vocational Behavior
JF - Journal of Vocational Behavior
IS - 3
ER -
