توسعه سازگاری شغلی در نوجوانی: عوامل پیش بینی کننده های متعدد و تاثیرات بر حس قدرت و رضایت از زندگی

This longitudinal panel study investigated predictors of career adaptability development and its effect on development of sense of power and experience of life satisfaction among 330 Swiss eighth graders. A multivariate measure of career adaptability consisting of career choice readiness, planning, exploration, and confidence was applied. Based on Motivational Systems Theory four groups of predictors were assessed: positive emotional disposition, goal decidedness, capability beliefs and social context beliefs. Influence of gender, age, immigration background, parental educational level, and college-bound or vocational education plans were also assessed. Perceived social support and positive emotional disposition, non-immigration background, and continuing to vocational education were single significant predictors of more career adaptability development over the school year. Supporting the connection of career adaptability and positive youth development, increase in career adaptability over time predicted increase in sense of power and experience of life satisfaction.

Preparing for one’s vocational future is generally considered one of the core developmental tasks in adolescence (Erikson, 1968 and Super, 1990) and countries throughout the world have recognized the importance of assisting adolescents in successful career preparation (OECD/European Communities, 2004). A central construct in adolescent career preparation and development is career adaptability which can be defined as “…the readiness to cope with the predictable tasks of preparing for and participating in the work role and with the unpredictable adjustments prompted by the changes in work and work conditions” (Savickas, 1997, p. 254). A number of prospective longitudinal studies showed that adolescents higher in career adaptability in terms of decision making, planning, exploration, or confidence beliefs are more successful in mastering vocational transitions (Creed et al., 2003, Germeijs and Verschueren, 2007, Neuenschwander and Garrett, 2008 and Patton et al., 2002). Recently, there has been an interest in linking adolescent career development with positive youth development, the emerging interdisciplinary study of antecedents and consequences of well-being and thriving. Existing research has indicated that career adaptability is a sign of thriving in adolescence which directly relates to positive youth development. Specifically, in studies with US high-school students (Gore et al., 2003, Skorikov, 2007b and Skorikov and Vondracek, 2007), positive career orientation and better career preparation was shown to prevent problem behavior and promoted well-being and decreased distress (see Skorikov, 2007a, for a review).