The purpose of this paper is to test the construct validity of the measurement model of Schein's Career Orientation Inventory (1990) where entrepreneurship and creativity constitute two separate constructs. Design A fairly representative sample of 1,847 Israeli working adults completed Schein's Career Anchor Inventory (COI) questionnaire. The data was subjected to confirmatory factor analysis to compare the fit of the proposed nine-construct model to Schein's eight Findings The findings demonstrate that a) the proposed nine-construct model of the COI, which distinguishes between Entrepreneurship and Creativity constructs has a better fit than the eight-construct model. b) The nine-construct model has convergent and discriminant validity and unidimensionality. Value The study's contributions are threefold: first, it generally supports Schein's Career Anchor Theory, yet, with nine anchors rather than with the original eight; second, it confirms the distinction between entrepreneurship and creativity; and third, it highlights the need to rephrase several existing items, and add new ones. The suggested changes and the conceptual framework of the nine-anchor model will make the COI a more valid and reliable instrument, both for theory-building, as well as for practical and diagnostic use by career counselors.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the career anchor concept developed by Edgar Schein.Design/methodology/approachThe paper focuses on the distribution of the eight career anchors, on a large heterogeneous sample and the differences in the distribution by gender and type of employment; and the impact of the congruence on job satisfaction between a person's career anchor and his job setting. The sample consists of 1,847 Israeli men and women who completed Schein's Career Anchor Inventory questionnaire. They also provided biographical data and indicated their level of job satisfaction. A new measure is developed and validated to assess the congruence between a person's career anchor and his job.FindingsThe most prevalent career anchor in the sample is lifestyle with the technical/functional anchor, second. Major differences were found between the self‐employed and salaried workers in four anchors. Significant differences between men and women are found in all but two career anchors: technical/functional and security. Finally, the study supports the hypothesis that congruence between a person's job and his career anchor has a positive impact on his job satisfaction.Originality/valueThe study furthers existing research on career anchors by using a large heterogeneous sample and offering a new measure of “congruence” between a person's job and his career anchor.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine whether gendered differences in occupational aspirations still appear when considering students with similar abilities who study competitively in the same achievement‐oriented educational setting.Design/methodology/approachThe hypotheses stipulated an interaction between gender and year of study on students' career aspirations and on career‐style preferences. An interactive expression was constructed, multiplying gender by year of study (i.e. a female student in her freshman year, a female student in her senior year, and so on). A sequence of logistic regressions was used to test the hypotheses. The hypotheses were tested by cross‐sectional analysis of the data, using 802 valid questionnaires collected from a sample of 1,000 Israeli accounting students from the accounting programs at three institutions of higher learning.FindingsIt was hypothesized that differences between the sexes in occupational aspirations and career style preferences would evolve and increase with years of study and especially as students approached the end of the academic track. In other words, it was expected that an interaction between gender and year of study would affect students' occupational aspirations and career‐style preferences. The findings supported the hypothesis. In their freshmen year, the sexes shared a similar pattern of aspirations and goals. However, during their later academic years, females reduced their occupational aspirations and revealed a stronger preference for a convenient balance between work and other facets of life. Logistic regressions demonstrated the statistically significant effect of the interaction between gender and academic year on student occupational aspirations and career‐style preferences.Originality/valueThe study demonstrates the decrease in female students’ occupational aspirations during the educational period, and that encouraging young women to obtain male‐type professional education might be insufficient in order to eliminate inequality between the sexes.

No abstract

The study investigates changes in Israeli accounting students' career aspirations during their course of studies, and the relationship between these and their perceptions of professional accountancy firms. We employed a cross-sectional analysis of students across consecutive educational levels from the first year to the end of their formal education. We assumed that revealed differences between the accounting student cohorts, in terms of their perceptions of professional accountancy firms and their career aspirations, could be interpreted as reflecting changes over time in students' attitudes. Results from the sample show that accounting student' aspirations to pursue a career with a professional accountancy firm decline significantly between the first and postgraduate years, while their desire to work in the business sector increases. The results show the same trend with regard to the student's positive perceptions of the above firms as future workplaces. Non-parametric tests demonstrate significant relationships between students' career aspirations and their perceptions of professional accountancy firms. We suggest that the change in students' perceptions and aspirations is a symptom of something similar to a 'reality shock', and that it results from the students' exposure to the accounting profession. Professional accountancy firms need to implement innovative policies to meet the challenge.Accounting education, career aspirations, perceptions, students, reality shock,