Document Type
Article
Publication Date
5-1-2007
Abstract
This quantitative study explores constructive career transition among mid-career individuals. The study's primary focus is the exploration of the intrinsic individual attributes of dispositional optimism, cognitive behavioral hope, the cognitive reappraisal dimension of emotion regulation and their predictive relationships to career satisfaction as an outcome variable. Secondarily, the study posits a mediation effect of the more contextual variable of social resources utilized for instrumental reasons in the achievement of career satisfaction. Primary findings of this research include support for the predictive relationships of dispositional optimism and cognitive behavioral hope to achieving career satisfaction in the career transition respondents sampled. The study found a statistically significant partial mediation of instrumental social resources between dispositional optimism and career satisfaction. This research suggests that differences in the career satisfaction outcome of individuals who have expressed an intent to career transition is reliant on both their dispositional tendency toward optimism as well as the strength of their cognitive processes related to hope. Prior studies have indicated three aspects to cognitive behavioral hope which include goal pursuits, agency and pathways thinking. Our previous qualitative study found that when major life events are viewed as turning points and opportunities for growth, thus stimulating intentional change efforts toward positive images of the ideal self, consistent with intentional change theory, the result is a transformative process rather than a transition process. This research implies that both an individual's dispositional tendency toward optimism and cognitive processes related to hope promote these intentional change efforts and have a predictive relationship to career satisfaction as an outcome to career transition.
Keywords
career changes--United States, career, transition, optimism, hope, social resources, career satisfaction, adult development.
Rights
© The Author(s). Kelvin Smith Library provides access for non-commercial, personal, or research use only. All other use, including but not limited to commercial or scholarly reproductions, redistribution, publication or transmission, whether by electronic means or otherwise, without prior written permission is strictly prohibited.
Department/Center
Design & Innovation
Recommended Citation
Kaminsky, Kathryn V., "Exploring Constructive Career Transition: The Roles of Dispositional Optimism, Cognitive Behavioral Hope, Emotion Regulation and Social Resources" (2007). Student Scholarship. 209.
https://commons.case.edu/studentworks/209