The study aimed at qualitatively exploring working adult's perceptions of the implementation of robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and automation (RAIA) on their job security, job satisfaction, and employability. By means of a cross-sectional and exploratory design, the researchers conducted 21 semi-structured interviews with a diverse sample. The heterogeneous sample came from numerous industries for instance consulting, accounting and finance, and hospitality and varied seniority levels. The thematic analysis led to the emergence of five high-level themes and several sub-themes. The findings indicate that (a) "human touch" and "soft skills" remain irreplaceable and cannot be replicated by RAIA, (b) employees need to perceive RAIA as an opportunity and not a threat, (c) employees might experience a job satisfaction dilemma, and (d) organizations have to be well prepared pre-and post-industrial change. The findings could be used by industrial and organizational psychologists, human resource practitioners, and strategic information technology decision-makers when managing RAIA-related technological changes in organizations. Employees' suggestions and perceptions could be considered to mitigate the consequences of technological changes in organizations. Both employees and employers need to change their perspective toward RAIA technology, work with a flexible, open mind, and embrace the potential impact of RAIA advancements on job roles and responsibilities. Employees will have to follow a path of continuous learning and keep up with technology.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the association of harmonious work passion with career satisfaction, while probing the mediating role of employees’ psychological career resources and career preoccupations as important psychosocial career mechanisms in this association. Design/methodology/approach This paper is a cross-sectional quantitative study comprising a sample of (n = 550) employees in various South African organisations. Findings The current study found that individuals’ career preferences, career drivers, career harmonisers and career adaptation preoccupations are dynamic mechanisms that regulate the link between harmonious passion and career satisfaction. Research limitations/implications The study is located in South Africa and was cross-sectional in design. Generalisation to other occupational contexts and establishing cause-effect relations were not possible. Practical implications This paper demonstrates the usefulness of harmonious work passion as an additional positive psychological construct in understanding the psychosocial motivational career mechanisms that drive employees’ career satisfaction. The mediating role of certain psychological career resources (i.e. flexible career preferences, career drivers and career harmonisers) and career adaptation preoccupations in the link between employees’ harmonious passion and career satisfaction need to be considered in career management support practices. Social implications This paper demonstrates the growing need to better understand the psychosocial mechanisms that influence employees’ career satisfaction. Originality/value The study contributed new insights that extend theory and research on the harmonious work passion phenomenon in relation to important career constructs in the work-career context by means of self-determination theory.

Background: The fast-changing Industry 4.0 employment conditions require employees to be highly adaptable and resilient in their career self-management. More insight is needed regarding the manner in which facets of career agility (as indicators of adaptive readiness) explain the activation of career adaptability (as an indicator of self-regulated career management resources that help employees proactively respond to the demands of the modern-day technological-driven work context).Objectives: The study explored the career agility facets of technological adaptivity, agile learning, and career navigation as potential explanatory mechanisms of individuals’ career adaptability.Method: The study utilised a cross-sectional research design which involved a convenience sample (N = 177) of employees (mean age = 34 years; SD = 10.14) from various industries on managerial (39%), staff (38%), and professional consultant (23%) level positions across the globe. The sample was mostly represented by individuals employed in the South African organisational context (72%).Results: Multiple regression analyses revealed that technological adaptivity, agile learning and career navigation function as facets of adaptive readiness that explain higher levels of the career adaptability resources embedded in individuals’ career concern, career control, career curiosity, and career confidence.Conclusion: The findings contribute new insights into the construct of career agility and extends research on antecedents of career adaptability. Modern-day career counselling practice may find the results useful in helping clients be nimble in their adaptation to the changing career and job conditions of the digital era.

Individuals’ satisfaction with their career development remains an important research theme. Little is known about the extent to which individuals’ cognitive evaluations of organisational context conditions are simultaneously influenced by their affective responses to, and mindsets about such conditions. The study explored the reciprocal correspondence among workers’ (1) cognitive evaluations of organisational career development support conditions (i.e., functions of workplace relationships and organisational career goal instrumentality) and (2) their affective responses (i.e., career satisfaction) and mindsets (i.e., affective, continuance, and normative commitment) that are embedded in experiencing such conditions. Drawing from the recent living systems theory of vocational behaviour and development, these constructs represent simultaneously occurring evaluative thought processes, mindsets, and affective responses that pertain to experiencing context conditions as either supporting or thwarting individuals’ career development. A sample of ( N = 606) professional people (mean age = 37 years; SD = 11.08) employed in cross-boundary service industry settings across the globe participated in the study. The multivariate statistical procedure canonical correlation analysis was performed. Three core synthetic common psychological themes emerged from studying the corresponding associations among the two variable sets. Overall, the feelings of career satisfaction and mindsets of affective/normative commitment were positively intertwined with context-condition evaluations of the organisation being instrumental to career goal achievement and coworkers providing active support in career advancement and personal growth. The study findings contribute new insights to contemporary career development theory.

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