Career attitudes and subjective career success: tackling gender differences

Abstract

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effect of gender upon the relation between protean and boundaryless career attitudes and subjective career success, in today's dynamic and changing organizational context. Design/methodology/approach -Data were collected using a questionnaire conducted on 150 graduate and post-graduate distance learning students. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Findings -The analysis indicates that women's career success is positively related with self-direction and negatively related with their reliance on their own values. Furthermore, the authors found a negative relation between organizational mobility preference and men's subjective career success. Research limitations/implications -A potential limitation of this study is that all participants were distance-learning students, thus limiting the generalizability of the findings to other populations. Furthermore, cross-sectional designs do not permit drawing conclusions regarding the causal direction. Practical implications -Organizations should transform work structures and human resources policies and provide career models that allow women flexibility and more control over their work. Research results show that values-driven predisposition may lead to low levels of perceived career success. This indirectly suggests that individuals experience intrinsic career success when their values are consistent with organizational values, and therefore they should seek work opportunities in organizations whose aim, scope, and philosophy is consistent with their ideals. Originality/value -This is the first paper to shed light on gender's impact upon the relationship between protean and boundaryless career attitudes and subjective career success, in a context in which there have been calls in literature for more career research taking into account gender differences.

Protean Career Development: Exploring the Individuals, Organizational and Job-related Factors

“…Previous empirical studies have explored the relationship between protean career and career related outcomes such as career decision, career satisfaction and career advancement. Mixed results were found as the studies were conducted in different environmental contexts and sample population (Sullivan & Arthur, 2006;Enache, Sallan, Simo, & Fernandez, 2011). Moreover, the previous literatures have mainly focused on protean career as a predictor of career-related outcomes, whereas, there is lack of protean career literature studies that examines theoretically based variables to predict the protean career (Gubler, Arnold, & Coombs, 2013).…”

The Contemporary Career: A Work–Home Perspective

“…Ng et al's (2005) meta-analysis determined that four broad categories of antecedents (human capital investments, organizational sponsorship, stable individual differences, and demographic characteristics) are associated with objective and/or subjective career success. Subsequent research has generally confirmed the relevance of these antecedents while incorporating additional predictors beyond those examined in Ng et al's meta-analysis (Abele & Spurk 2009, De Vos et al 2011, Enache et al 2011. Moreover, observations that some antecedents more strongly predict objective success and others predict subjective success and that many relationships between antecedents and success are moderated by individual or contextual factors (Greenhaus & Callanan 2013, Ng et al 2005 highlight the complexity of the career success process.…”

The effect of perceived overqualification on job satisfaction and career satisfaction among immigrants: Does host national identity matter?

“…Career satisfaction was assessed at Time 1 and Time 2 with the five-item Career Satisfaction Scale (Greenhaus, Parasuraman, & Wormley, 1990; Italian version: Sarchielli & Toderi, 2005; Spanish version: Enache, Sallan, Simo, & Fernandez, 2011). Each item was measured on a scale from 1 ( strongly disagree ) to 5 ( strongly agree ; e.g., “I am satisfied with the success I have achieved in my career”).…”