Jack W. Kostal and Brenton M. Wiernik
The protean and boundaryless career concepts have dominated recent career research. Demographic groups are posited to differ on these “new career orientations,” with implications…
Abstract
Purpose
The protean and boundaryless career concepts have dominated recent career research. Demographic groups are posited to differ on these “new career orientations,” with implications for career development and social equity. The purpose of this paper is to test these hypotheses by systematically reviewing research on demographic differences in new career orientations.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper meta-analyzes demographic differences in protean, boundaryless, and proactive career orientations using data from 29,605 individuals (74 samples).
Findings
Demographic differences in new career orientations are generally negligible to small, with organizational mobility preferences showing the largest differences across demographic characteristics. Age showed curvilinear relations with new career orientations. National economic development moderated new career orientation-educational level relations.
Research limitations/implications
Results support the construct validity of “proactive career orientation” as a unifying construct encompassing protean and psychological mobility boundaryless orientations (cf. Wiernik and Kostal, 2017). Future research should continue to explore career development in diverse economic/cultural contexts.
Practical implications
Small demographic differences suggest that potential benefits of new career orientations are not limited to members of particular groups. Age and education relations were large enough to indicate that large population segments may benefit from additional interventions to support career mobility and development.
Originality/value
This paper uses meta-analytic techniques to investigate demographic differences in career orientations with larger samples than possible in a single primary study. The meta-analytic design permitted investigation of a variety of methodological and cultural/economic moderators not previously considered in career orientation research.
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Brenton M. Wiernik, Deniz S. Ones and Stephan Dilchert
Research has shown that individuals of different ages hold different environmental attitudes and perform environmental behaviors of different kinds and to varying degrees. The…
Abstract
Purpose
Research has shown that individuals of different ages hold different environmental attitudes and perform environmental behaviors of different kinds and to varying degrees. The strength and direction of age-effects observed across studies has been inconsistent, however. This study aims to examine the relationship between age and a variety of environmental sustainability-related psychological variables using meta-analytic techniques.
Design/methodology/approach
Relationships between age and environmental concern, environmental values, attitudes toward environmental behaviors, environmental awareness, environmental knowledge, environmental motives, environmental intentions, and pro-environmental behaviors were examined. Data from relevant studies between 1970 and 2010 were meta-analyzed to determine the magnitudes of relationships between age and environmental variables, and to investigate whether effects generalize across studies.
Findings
Most relationships were negligibly small. Small but generalizable relationships indicated that older individuals appear to be more likely to engage with nature, avoid environmental harm, and conserve raw materials and natural resources.
Originality/value
Stereotypes about age-differences in environmental sustainability are commonly held in organizations. If work and organizational psychologists are to encourage and help individuals to be more environmentally responsible at work, understanding how age affects these efforts is imperative. By meta-analytically estimating age-differences in environmental sustainability variables, the present study helps to dispel erroneous stereotypes and guide organizations to implement effective environmental interventions.
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Benjamin K. Seltzer, Deniz S. Ones and Arkun Tatar
The relationships between the Big Five personality traits and life and job satisfaction have been examined extensively. Despite this attention, however, most existing theories…
Abstract
Purpose
The relationships between the Big Five personality traits and life and job satisfaction have been examined extensively. Despite this attention, however, most existing theories focus on a few global dimensions of the Big Five while relying primarily upon a selection of theoretically relevant but unmeasured facets to illuminate their factor-level explanations. The purpose of this paper is to examine personality–satisfaction relationships for job and life domains at the facet level to better identify and explain why certain global Big Five traits consistently relate to satisfaction, taking both factors and facets into account.
Design/methodology/approach
Data from over 20 specific occupational samples were pooled meta-analytically to examine personality facet of job/life satisfaction relationships and their generalizability. Bifactor latent variable modeling using meta-analytic input was used to examine independent contributions of general and unique personality facets.
Findings
The dominance facet of extraversion, low self-esteem facet of neuroticism, and responsibility facet of conscientiousness were most closely related to satisfaction variables. There were independent contributions of general and unique facet level personality–satisfaction relations for the neuroticism and conscientiousness domains, but not for the extraversion domain.
Research limitations/implications
Findings contribute to the literature on the bandwidth–fidelity dilemma in measuring personality and theories involving personality at work.
Originality/value
This study established the generalizability of Big Five traits–satisfaction relations and identified the empirically supported personality paths to understanding job and life satisfaction. This study also demonstrated how meta-analysis can be combined with bifactor models to understand substantive relations.