Stuck in the Muck? The Role of Mindsets in Self-Regulation When Stymied During the Job Search

Peter A. Heslin; Lauren A. Keating

doi:10.1002/joec.12040

Trait gratitude and job search: the mediating role of perceived employability

Career Development International ◽

10.1108/cdi-08-2019-0206 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Jennifer A. Harrison ◽

Marie-Hélène Budworth ◽

Michael Halinski

Keyword(s):

Job Search ◽

Self Regulation ◽

Job Seekers ◽

Search Behaviour ◽

Content Type ◽

Personal Resource ◽

Mediating Role ◽

Perceived Employability ◽

Trait Gratitude

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of trait gratitude on job search behaviour (preparatory and active) for job seekers approaching graduation. The mediating role of perceived employability is examined.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from job seekers (n = 143) in their final month of study in two waves with a one-month time lag between first and second data collection.FindingsStructural equation modelling analyses revealed that trait gratitude was significantly and positively associated with perceived employability. Perceived employability mediated the relationship between trait gratitude and preparatory job search, but not active job search.Research limitations/implicationsThis study extends research on job search by highlighting the applicability of trait gratitude to the job search process.Practical implicationsCareer counsellors should consider trait gratitude as relevant for program development to address the self-regulation of personal resources during job search.Originality/valueThis study is the first step towards connecting trait gratitude to the job search literature. The study identifies trait gratitude as a distal personal resource important for self-regulation of a proximal personal resource (i.e. perceived employability) and subsequent job search behaviour.

Download Full-text

Are affect and perceived stress detrimental or beneficial to job seekers? The role of learning goal orientation in job search self-regulation

Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes ◽

10.1016/j.obhdp.2014.09.007 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 125 (2) ◽

pp. 193-203 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Serge P. da Motta Veiga ◽

Daniel B. Turban

Keyword(s):

Goal Orientation ◽

Perceived Stress ◽

Job Search ◽

Self Regulation ◽

Job Seekers ◽

Learning Goal ◽

Learning Goal Orientation

Download Full-text

The toll of perceived injustice on job search self-efficacy and behavior

Career Development International ◽

10.1108/cdi-10-2015-0139 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 21 (3) ◽

pp. 279-298 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Simon Taggar ◽

Lisa K. J. Kuron

Keyword(s):

Job Search ◽

Social Cognitive ◽

Search Strategy ◽

Self Regulation ◽

Search Behavior ◽

Search Strategies ◽

Perceived Injustice ◽

Content Type ◽

Job Search Behavior

Purpose – Individuals normally make fairness judgements when experiencing negative outcomes on an important task, such as finding employment. Fairness is an affect-laden subjective experience. Perceptions of injustice can cause resource depletion in unemployed job seekers, potentially leading to reduced self-regulation. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of: first, justice perceptions during a job search and their impact on job search self-efficacy (JSSE); second, the mediating role of JSSE between justice perceptions and job search strategies; and third, associations between job search strategies and quantity and quality of job search behavior. Design/methodology/approach – Unemployed individuals (n=254) who were actively searching for a job reported on their past job search experiences with respect to justice, completed measures of JSSE, and reported recent job search behavior. Findings – Results reveal the potentially harmful impact of perceived injustice on job search strategies and the mediating role of JSSE, a self-regulatory construct and an important resource when looking for a job. Specifically, perceived injustice is negatively associated with JSSE. Reduced JSSE is associated with a haphazard job search strategy and less likelihood of exploratory and focussed strategies. A haphazard job search strategy is associated with making fewer job applications and poor decision making. Conversely, perceived justice is associated with higher JSSE and exploratory and focussed job search strategies. These two strategies are generally associated with higher quality job search behavior. Research limitations/implications – There are two major limitations. First, while grounded in social-cognitive theory of self-regulation and conservation of resources (COR) theory, a cross-sectional research design limits determination of causality in the model of JSSE as a central social-cognitive mechanism explaining how justice impacts job search strategies. Second, some results may be conservative because social desirability may have restricted the range of negative responses. Practical implications – This study provides insights to individuals who are supporting job seekers (e.g. career counselors, coaches, employers, and social networks). Specifically, interventions aimed at reducing perceptions of injustice, increasing JSSE, and improving job search strategies and behavior may ameliorate the damaging impact of perceived injustice. Originality/value – This study is the first to examine perceived justice in the job search process using social-cognitive theory of self-regulation and COR theory. Moreover, we provide further validation to a relatively new and under-researched job search strategy typology by linking the strategies to the quantity and quality of job search behaviors.

Download Full-text

Motivation and Self-Regulation in Job Search: A Theory of Planned Job Search Behavior

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199764921.013.010 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Edwin van Hooft

Keyword(s):

Job Search ◽

Self Regulation ◽

Search Behavior ◽

Empirical Support ◽

Future Research ◽

Complex Process ◽

Job Search Behavior ◽

Situational Predictors ◽

Moderating Role

Job search is a difficult and complex process that demands prolonged motivation and self-regulation. Integrating insights from generic motivation theories and the job search literature, a Theory of Planned Job Search Behavior (TPJSB) is introduced as a framework for organizing the motivational and self-regulatory predictors and mechanisms that are important in the job search process. The chapter specifically focuses on the motivation-related concepts in the TPJSB, distinguishing between global-level, contextual, and situational predictors of job search intentions and job search behavior. After describing the theoretical underpinnings, empirical support for the associations in the model is presented and reviewed, and recommendations for future research are provided. Last, the moderating role of broader context factors on the TPJSB relations is discussed.

Download Full-text