Exploring the reciprocal correspondence among workplace relationships, career goal instrumentality, career satisfaction, and organisational commitment

Abstract

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.

Validity of the career embeddedness scale as predictor of affective commitment

“…The second contribution of this study was exploring the association between career embeddedness and affective (Allen & Meyer, 1990;Coetzee & Bester, 2021;Meyer & Allen, 1991, 1997.…”

“…In times when organisations can no longer offer long-term job security and employment (Restubog et al, 2020;Zhu et al, 2021), the question now arises to what extent does individuals' restored need for taking control for the fulfilment of career needs influence their affective commitment towards the organisation? In times of rapid change, organisations have a dire need for workers who remain psychologically attached and committed to their work for optimal sustainable organisational performance and survival (Coetzee & Bester, 2021;Sungu, Weng, & Kitule, 2019).…”

“…Job and career satisfaction and a sense of career embeddedness generally result from a strong compatibility (P-E fit) between an individual and the work environment (Darrow & Behrend, 2017;Ferreira & Coetzee, 2020). The embedded or disembedded nature of an individual's career is closely dependent on the presence (or absence) of a system of supportive practices and relations that facilitate (or thwart) the psychological fulfilment of career development needs and the expression of personal career values (Coetzee & Bester, 2021;Vondracek, Ford, & Porfeli, 2014).…”

“…links, fit, sacrifice) that influence individuals to become tied to the organisation (Holtom & Darabi, 2018;Mitchell, Holtom, Lee, Sablynski, & Erez, 2001), the construct of career embeddedness deepens understanding of the psychological career identity needs individuals seek to fulfil in their interaction with an organisation or social system; satisfaction of basic career needs in a work environment evokes a sense of situatedness in the P-E interaction process (Ferreira & Coetzee, 2020). Drawing from the work of Coetzee and Bester (2021) and Vondracek et al (2014), we argue that the psychological fulfilment of basic career development needs including the expression of career values in the P-E interaction facilitates individuals' sense of career embeddedness, and hence their affective commitment towards the organisation.…”

The Role of Pro-Innovative HR Practices and Psychological Contract in Shaping Employee Commitment and Satisfaction: A Case from the Energy Industry

“…It provides a measure of the strength of the employee's psychological identification with the job. The stronger the commitment, the more important work is to the person and the more difficult it is to separate self-esteem from the work itself [21]. It is generally accepted that people who are strongly committed to work put more effort into it and perform better.…”