Exploring the reciprocal correspondence among workplace relationships, career goal instrumentality, career satisfaction, and organisational commitment

Abstract

Individuals’ satisfaction with their career development remains an important research theme. Little is known about the extent to which individuals’ cognitive evaluations of organisational context conditions are simultaneously influenced by their affective responses to, and mindsets about such conditions. The study explored the reciprocal correspondence among workers’ (1) cognitive evaluations of organisational career development support conditions (i.e., functions of workplace relationships and organisational career goal instrumentality) and (2) their affective responses (i.e., career satisfaction) and mindsets (i.e., affective, continuance, and normative commitment) that are embedded in experiencing such conditions. Drawing from the recent living systems theory of vocational behaviour and development, these constructs represent simultaneously occurring evaluative thought processes, mindsets, and affective responses that pertain to experiencing context conditions as either supporting or thwarting individuals’ career development. A sample of (N = 606) professional people (mean age = 37 years; SD = 11.08) employed in cross-boundary service industry settings across the globe participated in the study. The multivariate statistical procedure canonical correlation analysis was performed. Three core synthetic common psychological themes emerged from studying the corresponding associations among the two variable sets. Overall, the feelings of career satisfaction and mindsets of affective/normative commitment were positively intertwined with context-condition evaluations of the organisation being instrumental to career goal achievement and coworkers providing active support in career advancement and personal growth. The study findings contribute new insights to contemporary career development theory.