Employees’ expirience of career shock: circumstances, dynamics, resources and outcomes

Ova disertacija se bavi doživljajem karijernog šoka zaposlenih u Srbiji analizirajući okolnosti koje dovode do karijernog šoka i dinamiku doživljaja karijernog šoka, kao i ulogu koju karijerni resursi i karijerni ishohodi imaju u doživljaju karijernog šoka. Problem je razmatran u svetlu Krumbolcove teorije učenja, Hobfolove Teorije očuvanja resursa, Hiršijevog Modela karijernih resursa, kao i konceptualizacije karijernog šoka koju predlažu Akermans i saradnici. S obzirom na obuhvatnost problema, istraživanje u okviru disertacije realizovno je kroz tri posebne istraživačke studije koje su se bavile delovima problema. U okviru prve studije koja je bila kvalitativna smo ispitali i analizirali okolnosti pod kojima zaposleni određeni događaj doživljavaju kao karijerni šok. U okviru druge studije, koja je takođe bila kvalitativna, ispitali samo kako zaposleni koji su zbog delatnosti svoje radne organizacije podložniji karijernim šokovima, doživljavaju karijerni šok koji je usledio kao posledica organizacione promene. Treća studija je bila kvantitativna, i u okviru nje smo se bavili ulogom koju karijerni resursi i karijerni ishodi imaju u doživljaju karijernog šoka zaposlenih. Dobijeni rezultati ukazuju da ispitanici u većoj meri navode događaje koji su za njih predstavljali pozitivni karijerni šok i događaje koji su u direktnoj vezi sa poslom. Rezultati takođe ukazuju da organizacione promene mogu predstavljati karijerni šok za zaposlene, ali isto tako, mogu biti doživljene samo kao stresni događaj odnosno da karijerni resursi ne doprinose doživljaju karijenog šoka, kao i da doživljaj karijernog šoka ne utiče na karijerne ishode. Daljom analizom došli smo do važnih uvida kada je konceptualizacija ovog fenomena u pitanju, a koji do sada nisu bili razmatrani. Intenzitet karijernog šoka nije presudan za određenje karijernog šoka, odnosno karijerni šokovi mogu biti niskog intenziteta, a valenca karijernog šoka može biti neutralna, što se razlikuje od konceptualizacije od koje smo pošli u istraživanju. Negativni karijerni šokovi mogu dovesti do pozitivnih ishoda, a u određenim situacijama karijerni šok se može posmatrati kao specifična vrsta stresora. Zapošljivost predstavlja najznačajniji karijerni resurs zaposlenih, a profesionalna samoefikasnost je medijator odnosa između karijerne angažovanosti i zadvoljstva karijerom kao karijernih ishoda i održive karijere. Dobijeni rezultati potvrđuju postulate teorija od kojih se pošlo u istraživanju, a rezultate bi trebalo posmatrati u kontekstu epidemije KOVID–19.Teorijski doprinos disertacije se ogleda u tome što je je ovo jedna od prvih studija istraživanja karijernih šokova u Srbiji i jedina koja se bavila doživljajem karijernog šoka zaposlenih.This dissertation deals with the experience of career shock of employees in Serbia, analyzing the circumstances that lead to career shock and the dynamics of the experience of career shock, as well as the role that career resources and career outcomes play in the experience of career shock. The problem was discussed in the light of Krumboltz's learning theory, Hobfoll's Conservation of Resources Theory, Hirschi's Model of Career Resources, as well as the conceptualization of career shock proposed by Akkermans et al. Considering the comprehensiveness of the problem, the research within the dissertation is realized through three separate research studies that dealt with parts of the problem. In the framework of the first study, which was qualitative, we examined and analyzed the circumstances under which employees perceive a certain event as a career shock. In the second study, which was also qualitative, we examined how employees who are more susceptible to career shocks due to the activities of their work organization, experience the career shock that followed as a consequence of the organizational change. The third study was quantitative, and within it we dealt with the role that career resources and career outcomes have in employees' experience of career shock. The obtained results indicate that participants to a greater extent mention events that were a positive career shock for them and events that are directly related to work. The results also indicate that organizational changes can represent a career shock for employees, but they can also be experienced only as a stressful event, that is, that career resources do not contribute to the experience of career shock, and that the experience of career shock does not affect career outcomes. Through further analysis, we have come to important insights when it comes to the conceptualization of this phenomenon, which have not been considered until now. The intensity of a career shock is not decisive for determining a career shock, that is, career shocks can be of low intensity, and the valence of a career shock can be neutral, which differs from the conceptualization from which we started in the research. Negative career shocks can lead to positive outcomes, and in certain situations career shock can be seen as a specific type of stressor. Employability represents the most important career resource of employees, and professional self-efficacy is a mediator of the relationship between career engagement and career satisfaction as a career outcomes and sustainable career. The obtained results confirm the postulates of the theories from which the research was started, and the results should be viewed in the context of the epidemic with the virus COVID–19. The theoretical contribution of the dissertation is reflected in the fact that this is one of the first studies of career shock research in Serbia and the only one that dealt with experiencing a career shock for employees

Employees’ expirience of career shock: circumstances, dynamics, resources and outcomes

Ova disertacija se bavi doživljajem karijernog šoka zaposlenih u Srbiji analizirajući okolnosti koje dovode do karijernog šoka i dinamiku doživljaja karijernog šoka, kao i ulogu koju karijerni resursi i karijerni ishohodi imaju u doživljaju karijernog šoka. Problem je razmatran u svetlu Krumbolcove teorije učenja, Hobfolove Teorije očuvanja resursa, Hiršijevog Modela karijernih resursa, kao i konceptualizacije karijernog šoka koju predlažu Akermans i saradnici. S obzirom na obuhvatnost problema, istraživanje u okviru disertacije realizovno je kroz tri posebne istraživačke studije koje su se bavile delovima problema. U okviru prve studije koja je bila kvalitativna smo ispitali i analizirali okolnosti pod kojima zaposleni određeni događaj doživljavaju kao karijerni šok. U okviru druge studije, koja je takođe bila kvalitativna, ispitali samo kako zaposleni koji su zbog delatnosti svoje radne organizacije podložniji karijernim šokovima, doživljavaju karijerni šok koji je usledio kao posledica organizacione promene. Treća studija je bila kvantitativna, i u okviru nje smo se bavili ulogom koju karijerni resursi i karijerni ishodi imaju u doživljaju karijernog šoka zaposlenih. Dobijeni rezultati ukazuju da ispitanici u većoj meri navode događaje koji su za njih predstavljali pozitivni karijerni šok i događaje koji su u direktnoj vezi sa poslom. Rezultati takođe ukazuju da organizacione promene mogu predstavljati karijerni šok za zaposlene, ali isto tako, mogu biti doživljene samo kao stresni događaj odnosno da karijerni resursi ne doprinose doživljaju karijenog šoka, kao i da doživljaj karijernog šoka ne utiče na karijerne ishode. Daljom analizom došli smo do važnih uvida kada je konceptualizacija ovog fenomena u pitanju, a koji do sada nisu bili razmatrani. Intenzitet karijernog šoka nije presudan za određenje karijernog šoka, odnosno karijerni šokovi mogu biti niskog intenziteta, a valenca karijernog šoka može biti neutralna, što se razlikuje od konceptualizacije od koje smo pošli u istraživanju. Negativni karijerni šokovi mogu dovesti do pozitivnih ishoda, a u određenim situacijama karijerni šok se može posmatrati kao specifična vrsta stresora. Zapošljivost predstavlja najznačajniji karijerni resurs zaposlenih, a profesionalna samoefikasnost je medijator odnosa između karijerne angažovanosti i zadvoljstva karijerom kao karijernih ishoda i održive karijere. Dobijeni rezultati potvrđuju postulate teorija od kojih se pošlo u istraživanju, a rezultate bi trebalo posmatrati u kontekstu epidemije KOVID–19.Teorijski doprinos disertacije se ogleda u tome što je je ovo jedna od prvih studija istraživanja karijernih šokova u Srbiji i jedina koja se bavila doživljajem karijernog šoka zaposlenih.This dissertation deals with the experience of career shock of employees in Serbia, analyzing the circumstances that lead to career shock and the dynamics of the experience of career shock, as well as the role that career resources and career outcomes play in the experience of career shock. The problem was discussed in the light of Krumboltz's learning theory, Hobfoll's Conservation of Resources Theory, Hirschi's Model of Career Resources, as well as the conceptualization of career shock proposed by Akkermans et al. Considering the comprehensiveness of the problem, the research within the dissertation is realized through three separate research studies that dealt with parts of the problem. In the framework of the first study, which was qualitative, we examined and analyzed the circumstances under which employees perceive a certain event as a career shock. In the second study, which was also qualitative, we examined how employees who are more susceptible to career shocks due to the activities of their work organization, experience the career shock that followed as a consequence of the organizational change. The third study was quantitative, and within it we dealt with the role that career resources and career outcomes have in employees' experience of career shock. The obtained results indicate that participants to a greater extent mention events that were a positive career shock for them and events that are directly related to work. The results also indicate that organizational changes can represent a career shock for employees, but they can also be experienced only as a stressful event, that is, that career resources do not contribute to the experience of career shock, and that the experience of career shock does not affect career outcomes. Through further analysis, we have come to important insights when it comes to the conceptualization of this phenomenon, which have not been considered until now. The intensity of a career shock is not decisive for determining a career shock, that is, career shocks can be of low intensity, and the valence of a career shock can be neutral, which differs from the conceptualization from which we started in the research. Negative career shocks can lead to positive outcomes, and in certain situations career shock can be seen as a specific type of stressor. Employability represents the most important career resource of employees, and professional self-efficacy is a mediator of the relationship between career engagement and career satisfaction as a career outcomes and sustainable career. The obtained results confirm the postulates of the theories from which the research was started, and the results should be viewed in the context of the epidemic with the virus COVID–19. The theoretical contribution of the dissertation is reflected in the fact that this is one of the first studies of career shock research in Serbia and the only one that dealt with experiencing a career shock for employees

Career Ambition as a Way of Understanding the Relation Between Locus of Control and Self-Perceived Employability Among Psychology Students

Employability is one of the core concepts for the future career. Students’ self-perceived employability is the concept that connects students’ present context of education with their future professional engagement. Students’ self-perceived employability is defined as the capacity to gain and keep employment in line with their future qualification level. Locus of control is a concept that explains where the person situates the causation of various life events. It is found that internal locus of control was related to different aspects of career success. Career ambition is regarded as a proxy for students’ future career success. Both internal locus of control and ambition lead to proactive behaviors that are relevant for employability and consequently result in securing a sustainable job. The aim of this mixed-method study was to investigate the relations among locus of control, ambition and students’ self-perceived employability. Firstly, we tested mediating role of career ambition in relation of internal locus of control and students’ self-perceived employability, then we turned to qualitative analysis of students’ career self-SWOT analyses in order to deepen and enrich quantitative findings. The sample consisted of 124 undergraduate psychology students that filled out Levenson’s Internality subscale from IPC locus of control scale, Rothwell et al. (2008) Ambition subscale, and three items extracted from the Self-perceived employability subscale. Majority of the survey participants (N = 100) filled out personal career SWOT analysis. The mediation analysis showed that career ambition had a mediating role in the relation between the locus of control and employability. Students perceived personal capabilities and ambition as internal strengths and lack of ambition as a major internal weakness. As external opportunities students perceived various chances for developing professional skills, whereas as external threats they perceived limited opportunities in job market. In order to support university students to develop employability and future career success, university curricula should support developing future work skills that, in addition to functional competences and personal resources, entail career ambition, ways of utilizing external opportunities and dealing with job market threats

Career Ambition as a Way of Understanding the Relation Between Locus of Control and Self-Perceived Employability Among Psychology Students

Employability is one of the core concepts for the future career. Students' self-perceived employability is the concept that connects students' present context of education with their future professional engagement. Students' self-perceived employability is defined as the capacity to gain and keep employment in line with their future qualification level. Locus of control is a concept that explains where the person situates the causation of various life events. It is found that internal locus of control was related to different aspects of career success. Career ambition is regarded as a proxy for students' future career success. Both internal locus of control and ambition lead to proactive behaviors that are relevant for employability and consequently result in securing a sustainable job. The aim of this mixed-method study was to investigate the relations among locus of control, ambition and students' self-perceived employability. Firstly, we tested mediating role of career ambition in relation of internal locus of control and students' self-perceived employability, then we turned to qualitative analysis of students' career self-SWOT analyses in order to deepen and enrich quantitative findings. The sample consisted of 124 undergraduate psychology students that filled out Levenson's Internality subscale from IPC locus of control scale, Rothwell et al.' s (2008) Ambition subscale, and three items extracted from the Self-perceived employability subscale. Majority of the survey participants (N = 100) filled out personal career SWOT analysis. The mediation analysis showed that career ambition had a mediating role in the relation between the locus of control and employability. Students perceived personal capabilities and ambition as internal strengths and lack of ambition as a major internal weakness. As external opportunities students perceived various chances for developing professional skills, whereas as external threats they perceived limited opportunities in job market. In order to support university students to develop employability and future career success, university curricula should support developing future work skills that, in addition to functional competences and personal resources, entail career ambition, ways of utilizing external opportunities and dealing with job market threats