Understanding the trait basis of career adaptability: A two-wave mediation analysis among Chinese university students

Guan, Y.; Dai, X.; Gong, Q.; Deng, Y.; Hou, Y.; Dong, Z.; Wang, L.; Huang, Z.; Lai, X.

Abstract

To investigate the mechanisms through which the basic traits (big-five personality and approach/avoidance traits) predict career adaptability, and develop a more systematic view of the components of career adaptivity, we conducted a two-wave survey study among 206 Chinese university students. Drawing on career construction theory and the distal-proximal framework of motivation, we incorporated core self-evaluation (CSE), proactive personality and learning goal orientation (LGO) as the key mediators and tested their relations with basic traits and career adaptability. It was found that these dispositional predictors (measured at Time 1) account for 43% (adjusted R2) of the variance in career adaptability (measured at Time 2). In addition, CSE mediates the effects of conscientiousness, neuroticism, approach and avoidance traits on career adaptability; LGO and proactive personality mediate the effects of openness to experience, conscientiousness as well as approach trait on career adaptability. When the three mediators (CSE, LGO and proactive personality) are put into the model, only extraversion has a remaining direct effect on career adaptability. Implications of the findings are discussed.

Citation

Guan, Y., Dai, X., Gong, Q., Deng, Y., Hou, Y., Dong, Z., …Lai, X. (2017). Understanding the trait basis of career adaptability: A two-wave mediation analysis among Chinese university students. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 101, 32-42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2017.04.004

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Apr 24, 2017
• Online Publication Date: Apr 27, 2017
• Publication Date: Aug 1, 2017
• Deposit Date: May 10, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 27, 2019
• Journal: Journal of Vocational Behavior
• Print ISSN: 0001-8791
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 101
• Pages: 32-42
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2017.04.004
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1358447