The joint role of locus of control and perceived financial need in job search

Guided by economic rational choice theory and the behavioral coping literature, the present study examined contrasting perspectives of the role of job-search locus of control (J

Team Achievement Goals and Sports Team Performance

This study focuses on team achievement goals and performance outcomes in interdependent sports teams. Team achievement goals reflect shared motivational states that exist exclusively at the team level. In a survey among 310 members of 29 premier-league field-hockey teams, team-level performance-approach, performance-avoidance, mastery-approach, and mastery-avoidance achievement goals explained 69% of the overall variance in team performance and 16% after controlling for previous performance. Teams performed better to the extent they were more approach- and less avoidance oriented in terms of both mastery and performance, although mastery-approach goals related to early-season team performance rather than predicting later changes in team performance

If you want a job, don’t just search hard, search systematically: A field study with career starters

After finishing school, career starters face the challenge of finding a job. Job search is a difficult process because there is no clear pathway to obtaining employment. We identify job search systematicity, in addition to job search intensity, as an important dimension of job search behaviour that may predict the likelihood of obtaining a job. Job search systematicity is defined as the extent to which people have an adaptable and persistent rather than a volatile and fortuitous approach towards job seeking. We explored whether job search systematicity relates to increased chances of obtaining employment and explored potential antecedents of job search systematicity (i.e., job search clarity, employment commitment, anticipated financial need, and affect). The results of our field study among 217 job seeking career starters using a five-wave correlational design show that job search systematicity positively relates to job attainment, controlling for job search intensity. Moreover, job search clarity, employment commitment, and activating affect (both positive and negative) were positively associated with job search systematicity. These findings extend theory by broadening the conceptualization of job search, and inform job seeking career starters and employment and career counsellors about how to approach the job search process.</p