Job demands and psychological well-being: Moderating role of occupational self-efficacy and job social support among mid-career academics

The study investigated the moderating role of occupational self-efficacy and job social support on the relationship between job demands and psychological well-being among mid-career academics. Participants were 203 academics at three public Nigerian universities (female = 37.93%; mean years of service = 8.58 years, SD = 2.20). The academics completed measures of job demands, occupational self-efficacy, job social support, and psychological well-being. Moderated regression analysis of the data suggested only occupational self-efficacy to moderate the relationship between work demands and psychological well-being. Findings underpin the buffering effects of work self-efficacy in employee psychological well-being with high job demands.     

Predicting occupational interests and choice aspirations in Portuguese high school students: A test of social cognitive career theory

The predictive utility of social cognitive career theory’s (SCCT) interest and choice models was examined in a sample of 600 Portuguese high school students. Participants completed measures of occupational self-efficacy, outcome expectations, interests, social supports and barriers, and choice consideration across the six Holland (1997) RIASEC types. The integrated interest-choice model fit the data well across Holland types and generally supported the hypotheses that self-efficacy and outcome expectations jointly predict interests, and that interests mediate the relations of self-efficacy and outcome expectations to choice consideration. Contrary to SCCT, however, social supports and barriers related to choice consideration indirectly, through self-efficacy, rather than directly. The implications of these findings for further research on the cross-cultural validity of SCCT are considered.     

The Role of Occupational Self-Efficacy in Mediating the Effect of Job Insecurity on Work Engagement,Satisfaction and General Health

This study explores the associations among job insecurity, occupational self-efficacy, work engagement, job satisfaction and health and the mediation role of occupational self-efficacy. Two hundred and forty-one workers, were asked to fill in the Occupational Self-Efficacy Scale, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, the Satisfaction Scale of Occupational Stress Inventory and the General Health Questionnaire. Mediation analysis was performed using the boot-strapping method. Job insecurity was negatively related to work engagement, job satisfaction and general health. Occupational self-efficacy mediated the relationship between job insecurity, work engagement, job satisfaction and health on employees in the private and public sectors. The originality of this work is that it shows the effect of job insecurity on engagement, satisfaction and health, and the mediational role of occupational self-efficacy. In a time of economic crisis, when it is not possible to guarantee permanent contracts, Human Resource managers might consider occupational self-efficacy as a resource when planning interventions.     

New job market entrants' future work self,career adaptability and job search outcomes: Examining mediating and moderating models

Based on career construction theory and the model of proactive motivation, the current research examined the mediating and moderating models for the relations among future work self, career adaptability, job search self-efficacy and employment status. A survey study was conducted among Chinese university graduates (N = 270). The results showed that future work self (measured at wave 1) had positive effect on employment status (measured at wave 3), with this relationship partially mediated by career adaptability (measured at wave 1) and job search self-efficacy (measured at wave 2). In addition, the results further revealed that the positive effect of future work self on job search self-efficacy was stronger among the graduates who had a higher level of career adaptability. In support of the hypothesized moderated mediation model, for individuals with a higher level of career adaptability, the indirect effect of future work self on employment status through job search self-efficacy was stronger. These findings carry implications for research on job search behavior, career education and career counseling.     

Career specialty choice: A combined research-intervention project

This research describes and evaluates a workshop aimed at promoting career specialty choice and examines relationships between measured career specialty interests, work values, and personality type. Three consecutive classes of second-year medical students (N = 161) participated in a two-session specialty choice workshop. All participants in the study rated the usefulness of the workshop and reported their level of specialty choice certainty and satisfaction. They also responded to measures of medical specialty preference, work values, and personality type. Results indicated two distinct student subgroups of career-specialty-decided and -undecided students. The former subgroup evidenced more stability and certainty of specialty choice as well satisfaction with their choice. Both groups of students reported having benefited from the workshop. Significant gender differences in the relationships between scores on a measure of medical specialty preference and scores on measures of work values and personality emerged. Implications are discussed in terms of the differential career counseling needs of students either decided or undecided about their career specialty choices.     

Job performance ratings: The relative importance of mental ability,conscientiousness, and career adaptability

According to career construction theory, continuous adaptation to the work environment is crucial to achieve work and career success. In this study, we examined the relative importance of career adaptability for job performance ratings using an experimental policy-capturing design. Employees (N = 135) from different vocational backgrounds rated the overall job performance of fictitious employees in 40 scenarios based on information about their career adaptability, mental ability, conscientiousness, and job complexity. We used multilevel modeling to investigate the relative importance of each factor. Consistent with expectations, career adaptability positively predicted job performance ratings, and this effect was relatively smaller than the effects of conscientiousness and mental ability. Job complexity did not moderate the effect of career adaptability on job performance ratings, suggesting that career adaptability predicts job performance ratings in high-, medium-, and low-complexity jobs. Consistent with previous research, the effect of mental ability on job performance ratings was stronger in high- compared to low-complexity jobs. Overall, our findings provide initial evidence for the predictive validity of employees' career adaptability with regard to other people's ratings of job performance.     

Longitudinal test of the social cognitive model of choice in engineering students at historically Black universities

We tested the social cognitive model of choice (Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1994) using a longitudinal design. Participants were 116 students taking beginning engineering courses at two historically Black universities. They completed measures of self-efficacy, outcome expectations, interests, goals, and environmental supports and barriers near the end of two consecutive semesters. Path analyses indicated overall support for the choice model and, in particular, suggested that self-efficacy served as a temporal precursor of outcome expectations, interests, goals, and supports. Interests and self-efficacy were found to be reciprocally related but, contrary to expectations, supports and barriers did not account for unique variance in self-efficacy. Implications for future research on the choice model are discussed.     

Longitudinal relations of self-efficacy to outcome expectations, interests, and major choice goals in engineering students

We examined the nature of the temporal relations among the core person variables in the social cognitive model of academic and career choice [Lent, R. W., Brown, S. D., & Hackett, G. (1994). Toward a unifying social cognitive theory of career and academic interest, choice, and performance [Monograph]. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 45, 79-122.]. Participants were 209 students taking beginning level engineering courses at either a predominantly White or a historically Black university. They completed measures of self-efficacy, outcome expectations, interests, and goals near the end of two consecutive semesters. Path analyses indicated support for a model in which self-efficacy served as a temporal precursor of outcome expectations, interests, and goals. There was less support for a model in which the latter variables produced reciprocal paths to self-efficacy. Implications for future longitudinal research on SCCT’s (social cognitive career theory’s) choice hypotheses are discussed.     

Synchronous and time-lagged effects between occupational self-efficacy and objective and subjective career success: Findings from a four-wave and 9-year longitudinal study

We integrated research on the dimensionality of career success into social-cognitive career theory and explored the positive feedback loop between occupational self-efficacy and objective and subjective career success over time (self-efficacy → objective success → subjective success → self-efficacy). Furthermore, we theoretically accounted for synchronous and time-lagged effects, as well as indirect reciprocity between the variables. We tested the proposed model by means of longitudinal structural equation modeling in a 9-year four-wave panel design, by applying a model comparison approach and indirect effect analyses (N = 608 professionals). The findings supported the proposed positive feedback loop between occupational self-efficacy and career success. Supporting our time-based reasoning, the findings showed that unfolding effects between occupational self-efficacy and objective career success take more time (i.e., time-lagged or over time) than unfolding effects between objective and subjective career success, as well as between subjective career success and occupational self-efficacy (i.e., synchronous or concurrently). Indirect effects of past on future occupational self-efficacy via objective and subjective career success were significant, providing support for an indirect reciprocity model. Results are discussed with respect to extensions of social-cognitive career theory and occupational self-efficacy development over time.     

Winning at work: Trait competitiveness,personality types,and occupational interests

This study examined the relationship between trait competitiveness and occupational interests of under-graduates prior to entering the work force. The findings indicate that competitiveness is related to Investigative and Realistic types within Holland’s model of vocational choice and that competitive individuals are attracted to jobs involving competition and competitive pressure based on O*NET job characteristic ratings. Implications for future research are discussed.     

Reinforcers,values, and vocational maturity in adults

The purpose of the present study was to test the notion that job reinforcers and occupational values are related to vocational maturity. The importance of 21 reinforcers and 11 values were rated by 207 vocational rehabilitation clients nad 59 graduate students. The dependent measure was the Adult Vocational Maturity Index. Older subjects with more education were more vocationally mature. Those subjects who considered-(a) getting a feeling of accomplishment, (b) doing work without feeling it is morally wrong, (c) having steady employment, (d) independence, (e) opportunity to use special talents, (f) challenge, and (g) self-satisfaction-important, were high in vocational maturity. Subjects who considered such things as-(a) telling other workers what to do, (b) having the position of “somebody” in the community, and (c) prestige-important, were lower in vocational maturity. The data indicated that choice of occupational reinforcers and preferences for specified values are reflected in the individual's “vocational maturity”.     

The perceived attractiveness and traits of the Dark Triad: Narcissists are perceived as hot,Machiavellians and psychopaths not

The current work investigated how a fictitious opposite-sex narcissist, Machiavellian, and psychopath are perceived in an experimental between subjects-design with three groups (total N = 184). Participants rated personality traits (Big Five and Agency/Communion) and different domains of interpersonal attraction (likeability, attractiveness, friend value, short-term mate value, long-term mate value) of the target persons. While all three target persons were not perceived particularly favorably by participants, the narcissist was consistently perceived more favorably than the Machiavellian and the psychopath who were perceived quite similarly to each other. It is discussed why narcissists may be judged more favorably and Machiavellians and psychopaths converge in people’s lay perceptions.     

Matching Abilities to Careers for Others and Self: Do Gender Stereotypes Matter to Students in Advanced Math and Science Classes?

Interest in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) careers falls off more quickly for young women than for young men over adolescence, and gender stereotypes may be partially to blame. Adolescents typically become more stereotypical in their career interests over time, yet they seem to become more flexible in applying stereotypes to others. Models of career interest propose that career decisions result from the alignment of self-perceived abilities with occupation-required skills and that gender stereotypes may influence this process. To investigate the discrepancy between applying stereotypes to self and others, we examined if these models can be applied to perceptions of others. Focusing on students from fifth grade through college enrolled in advanced STEM courses, we investigated how STEM occupational stereotypes, abilities, and efficacy affect expectations for others’ and own career interests. U.S. participants (n = 526) read vignettes describing a hypothetical male or female student who was talented in math/science or language arts/social studies and then rated the student’s interest in occupations requiring some of those academic skills. Participants’ self-efficacy, interest, and stereotypes for STEM occupations were also assessed. Findings suggest that ability beliefs, whether for oneself or another, are powerful predictors of occupational interest, and gender stereotypes play a secondary role. College students were more stereotypical in their ratings of others, but they did not manifest gender differences in their own STEM self-efficacy and occupational interests. Experiences in specialized STEM courses may explain why stereotypes are applied differentially to the self and others.     

Testing social cognitive interest and choice hypotheses across Holland types in Italian high school students

Several hypotheses emanating from social cognitive career theory (SCCT) were tested. Participants (796 Italian high school students) completed measures of self-efficacy, outcome expectations, interests, social supports and barriers, and choice consideration related to occupations representing Holland’s (1997) six RIASEC types. Findings indicated general support, across Holland types, for the hypotheses that self-efficacy and outcome expectations jointly predict interests, and that interests mediate the relations of self-efficacy and outcome expectations to choice consideration. However, the specific nature of the mediation effect (i.e., full versus partial) varied somewhat across the RIASEC types. In addition, contrary to SCCT’s predictions, social supports and barriers related to choice consideration mostly indirectly (through self-efficacy) rather than directly. We consider the implications of these findings for further research on SCCT’s choice and environmental hypotheses.     

Evaluating the impact of a third-year careers education programme

The occupational interests, values, and knowledge of third-year pupils undertaking a careers education programme were compared to those of a matched sample of pupils not receiving the programme. Despite the fact that the programme was designed to increase occupational knowledge, broaden interests, and discourage sex-role stereotyping, its main impact was an increase in occupational knowledge. Occupational interests remained stable, with the girls showing a greater preference for traditional female work roles. The pupils were more willing to discuss their ideas with their parents, and were more able to specify a job preference or job expectation for the future.     

Self-efficacy,motivation, and performance

Abstract

This article discusses the relation of self-efficacy to motivation and performance in cognitive and sport domains. Self-efficacy refers to one's beliefs about accomplishing a task and can influence choice of activities. effort, persistence. and achievement. People enter activities with varying levels of self-efficacy derived from prior experience, personal qualities, and social support. As they work on tasks they acquire information about how well they are doing. This information influences their self-efficacy for continued learning and performance. Research is described in which interventions involving models, goal setting, and feedback, were employed to affect self-efficacy. Regardless of domain, research shows that self-efficacy helps to predict motivation and performance. and studies testing causal models highlight the important role played by self-efficacy. Suggestions for future research are given, along with implications of theory and research for education and training.     

employment or economic success: the experience of individuals with disabilities in transition from school to work

This research explores the mediating effects of severity of disability on the employment outcomes of participants with disabilities, taking into account their perception of interest‐job match. Participants were 115 high school students with disabilities who took part in an intensive school‐to‐work transition program that explored occupational interests in relation‐to‐work opportunities. Results of a 1‐way analysis of covariance indicated that severity of disability had a significant effect on the employment outcomes of participants despite interest‐job matching. Although participants experienced positive employment outcomes in terms of job entry, these outcomes may not necessarily translate into higher earnings.     

Job-occupation misfit as an occupational stressor

Drawing from theory on met expectations, person–environment fit, and social information processing, misfit between the pressure and autonomy experienced by workers and that which would be expected given their occupational roles was examined as a predictor of job satisfaction, perceived support, and depression. Results from a nationally (U.S.) representative sample using response surface methods indicate that job pressure had much stronger effects on job satisfaction, perceived support, and depression when it exceeded the pressure that would be expected given the occupational role's norms for time pressure and critical decision-making demands. When pressure fell short of occupational norms, effects were much weaker and in some cases reversed. Satisfaction was also highest and depression lowest when the autonomy was at or slightly above the norms for autonomy for one's occupational role. These results have implications for job design, realistic job previews, and the use of normative occupational information in developing work roles that fit worker abilities and interests.     

社会自我效能感与工作幸福感和工作绩效的关系：职场排斥的中介作用

从资源保存理论出发,分析社会自我效能感与工作幸福感及工作绩效之间的关系,并检验职场排斥的中介作用。对188名员工及其上司进行问卷调查,结果显示员工的社会自我效能感与其感受到的职场排斥有显著负向关系;职场排斥与工作幸福感和工作绩效有显著负向关系;职场排斥在社会自我效能感与工作幸福感和工作绩效之间发挥中介作用。这表明高社会自我效能感的员工能够削弱受到的职场排斥,进而体验到更高的工作幸福感,并获得更好的工作表现。