The psychometric relationship between career thinking and salutogenic functioning amongst unemployed adults

Abstract

Orientation: Corporate survival mechanisms, like mergers, downsizing, restructuring and outsourcing, contribute to unemployment levels amongst adults. Psychological maturity seems to influence the quality of the career decisions that people make in these difficult circumstances. However, we do not know what their behavioural strengths are.Research objectives: The objective of this study was to investigate the psychometric relationship between career thinking (negative and positive career thoughts) and salutogenic functioning (locus of control and sense of coherence) amongst unemployed adults.Motivation for study: Career decision research has consistently surveyed students to understand career indecision. Adults are not a homogenous group. Therefore, this trend may not reflect throughout the larger adult population. For this reason, the researchers conducted exploratory research into the nature of career indecision amongst non-student adults.Research design, approach and method: The researchers used a quantitative design that included a four-instrument survey on a purposive sample of 225 Canadian unemployed and non-student adults who had not decided on a career. They calculated correlations and regressions.Main findings: The researchers reported significant relationships between the four constructs. They found that a sense of coherence predicted career thinking.Contribution/value-add: A sense of coherence, which includes comprehension, meaningfulness and manageability, acts as a facilitator of effective career thinking.Practical/managerial implications: During career assessment and guidance, the role of sense of coherence as a strength factor will indicate the person’s readiness to make important career decisions.

Comparing Employed and Unemployed Workers' Job Motivations for Sector Choice in East Asia: Does Employment Status Matter?

“…For example, Austin and Cilliers' (2011) study is one of the first in expanding the career choice literature by exploring the career decisions of older, non-student and adult populations using community-based research. Several previous studies have also recognized the importance of using larger community-based research sites (Reed, Lenz, Reardon, & Leierer, 2000) and non-student adult subjects (Austin, Wagner, & Dahl, 2003Luzzo, Funk, & Strang, 1996;Sampson, Peterson, Lenz, Reardon, & Saunders, 1996).…”

“…Most of the previous research on sector choice use workers in various sectors (i.e., public, private, and nonprofit) or student-based samples (Austin & Cilliers, 2011) for comparing job motivations. This is a problem because, for example, research using university populations and young adults is not reliable as they are expected to go through differing developmental stages and roles different than older adults do, which will affect career decision-making in many different ways over the course of their lifetime (2011).…”

Public Service Motivation: A Cross-Country Study

“…Although research shows that workers in the public sector are more likely to want to stay, whether the motive to continue to stay in the public sector derives from public service motivation has received empirical opposition (Gabris & Simo, 1995). In addition, research in the areas of social and economic psychology suggests that there are many differences between the employed and the unemployed (e.g., Austin & Cilliers, 2011). The lack of empirical understanding surrounding the motivation among the unemployed in the pursuit of career decisions, however, has made many public management scholars unable to deal with this growing segment of population in recruitment, training, and personnel management in general.…”

“…Austin and Cilliers (2011) posit that much of the current research uses either employed workers in various sectors (i.e., public, private, or nonprofit) or student-based samples. As university 1 On a similar research testing the effects of PSM on other work-related constructs (i.e., job satisfaction), Westover and Taylor (2010) note that the countries chosen in this study differ in many respects, from their national culture and customs (e.g., Great Britain compared to Israel), mode of governance, to their stage of economic development (e.g., the first three nations are members of the G-8 group).…”

Sense of coherence: A distinct perspective on financial well-being

“…The significant influence of SOC on employee health in the work context has been well established (Vogt, Jenny & Bauer, 2013) and widely explored as reflective of one's psychological well-being and coping ability (Austin & Cilliers, 2011;Feldt et al, 2011). SOC was originated by Antonovsky (1979) as the fundamental construct in his salutogenic theory.…”