Career insecurity is a central topic in career research because many career paths are characterized by high levels of uncertainty. In academia, individuals face not only high levels of insecurity in the early career phase but also the responsibility of managing their careers by themselves. Building on the motivational theory of life-span development and the social cognitive theory of self-regulation, this longitudinal study investigates the relationship between perceived career insecurity, work-related self-management, and occupational selfefficacy beliefs based on a sample of 3,118 PhD students and PhD holders. We employed the random intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM) to separate between-person effects from within-person effects across eight measurement points (6-month time intervals). At the between-person level, career insecurity was negatively correlated with self-management and self-efficacy. At the within-person level, (a) increases in self-management and self-efficacy predicted decreases in subsequent career insecurity, and (b) increases in career insecurity predicted decreases in subsequent self-management and self-efficacy. Mediation analyses showed self-management to reduce career insecurity via increases in self-efficacy.

SummaryBased on a “whole‐life”‐perspective and integrating theories of self‐identity and resource management, the present longitudinal study examines the dynamic relationship between career involvement and conflicts between work and nonwork goals in a sample of 3095 German‐speaking doctoral students and doctorate holders (37.0% women) from various STEM fields. We expected increases in goal conflicts to decrease career involvement, and simultaneously tested reciprocal relationships, that is, from involvement on conflicts. The random intercept cross‐lagged panel model (RI‐CLPM) was used to analyze within‐person associations across eight measurement occasions (6‐month time intervals) while controlling for between‐person effects. At the between‐person level, career involvement and goal conflicts were negatively correlated. At the within‐person level, results showed negative cross‐lagged effects from goal conflicts to career involvement as well as negative cross‐lagged effects from career involvement to goal conflicts. This indicates that the interplay of goal conflicts and career involvement can result in either an upward or a downward spiral. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

The purpose of the present investigation is to analyze the relation of frustration tolerance and delay of gratification with PhD-intention and expectations. We conducted one correlational and two experimental studies. In Study 1 (N1 = 171 undergraduates), we found the hypothesized positive association between delay of gratification and frustration tolerance and the intention to obtain a PhD. In Studies 2 and 3, we used experimental vignette designs. In Study 2, doctoral students and postdocs (N2 = 180) evaluated a fictitious student regarding PhD-intention and a successful PhD-process. As expected, students with high gratification delay and frustration tolerance were judged as more likely to start and complete a PhD than students described low in these volitional traits. In Study 3, we contrasted Study 2’s findings by asking employees of the private sector (N3 = 150) to rate the same students’ intention to join a company instead. None of the factors influenced participants’ judgments when it comes to a non-academic career track.

Career insecurity is a central topic in career research because many career paths are characterized by high levels of uncertainty. In academia, individuals face not only high levels of insecurity in the early career phase but also the responsibility of managing their careers by themselves. Building on the motivational theory of life-span development and the social cognitive theory of self-regulation, this longitudinal study investigates the relationship between perceived career insecurity, work-related self-management, and occupational self-efficacy beliefs based on a sample of 3,118 PhD students and PhD holders. We employed the random intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM) to separate between-person effects from within-person effects across eight measurement points (6-month time intervals). At the between-person level, career insecurity was negatively correlated with self-management and self-efficacy. At the within-person level, (a) increases in self-management and self-efficacy predicted decreases in subsequent career insecurity, and (b) increases in career insecurity predicted decreases in subsequent self-management and self-efficacy. Mediation analyses showed self-management to reduce career insecurity via increases in self-efficacy.

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