the relation between career anchors, occupational types and job satisfaction of midcareer ...

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THE RELATION BETWEEN CAREER
ANCHORS, OCCUPATIONAL TYPES AND JOB
SATISFACTION OF MIDCAREER EMPLOYEES
BY
J. A. ELLISON
THE RELATION BETWEEN CAREER ANCHORS, OCCUPATIONAL TYPES AND JOB
SATISFACTION OF MIDCAREER EMPLOYEES
by
JENNIFER ANNE ELLISON
submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of
MASTER OF COMMERCE
in the subject
INDUSTRIAL PSYCHOLOGY
at the
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA
SUPERVISOR: PROFESSOR A.M.G. SCHREUDER
JUNE 1997
*********************
Student number 416 813 5
I declare that
THE RELATION BETWEEN CAREER ANCHORS, OCCUPATIONAL TYPES AND JOB
SATISFACTION OF MIDCAREER EMPLOYEES
is my own work and that all the sources that I have used or quoted have been indicated and
acknowledged by means of complete references.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank the following people for their contribution to this research study:
* My supervisor, Professor AM. G. Schreuder, for his consistent guidance on every aspect
of the study.
* The members of the Human Resources Departments of all the organisations that
participated in the study, who willingly gave of their time to distribute and collect the
required questionnaires.
* The respondents who filled in the questionnaires - often with enthusiasm and interest in
the study.
* Merle Werbelofffor her guidance on the empirical aspects of the study, i.e. the processing
and interpretation of the statistical data.
* Mary Hazelton for her editing of the final drafts of the thesis.
* Michelle Chavkin for her assistance in streamlining the final layout of the thesis.
* My husband Elmer, my children Jessica, Joshua and Tarryn, my parents and brother for
their constant and whole hearted support, interest and encouragement throughout the
study.
THE RELATION BETWEEN CAREER ANCHORS, OCCUPATIONAL TYPE AND
JOB SATISFACTION OF MIDCAREER EMPLOYEES
by
J A ELLISON
DEGREE MASTER OF COMMERCE
SUBJECT INDUSTRIAL PSYCHOLOGY
SUPERVISOR PROFESSOR AM G SCHREUDER
KEYWORDS
contemporary careers, person-environment fit, midcareer, managers, non-managers, career
anchor, occupational perception, occupational type, general job satisfaction, intrinsic job
satisfaction, extrinsic job satisfaction.
SUMMARY
The study was designed to provide further empirical data on the career anchor construct. An
individual in todays times is likely to make more than one career choice. If the career anchor
construct can be used to accurately predict a person environment fit, the construct could prove
useful as a diagnostic tool for midcareer individuals.
In the study, 300 midcareer employees (managerial and non-managerial) completed questionnaires
~etermining their dominant career anchor, domi.nant perception of occupational type and levels
of general, intrinsic and extrinsic job satisfaction. Specific aims of the study were, firstly, to
determine whether in midcareer there is a relation between career anchor and occupational type
(For the purposes of the study, occupational type was measured in terms of the individuals
perception of the main aspect that dominates his occupation) and secondly, to determine whether
there is a difference in general, intrinsic and extrinsic job satisfaction between midcareer
employees with a fit between career anchor and occupational type and midcareer employees with
no such fit.
2
Results of the study indicated a significant relation between career anchor and occupational type
for the total sample as well as for the managerial and the non-managerial groups, for almost all
of the eight career anchors. A significantly higher level of general and intrinsic job satisfaction
was found for the fit group than for the non-fit group, however no such difference was found in
extrinsic job satisfaction. No significant differences were found between the managerial and non
managerial groups.
On the basis of the results the conclusion can be made that the career anchor construct can be
used effectively to assist midcareer managers and non-managers to make career choices. Career
choices based on a fit between career anchor and occupational type are likely to yield a higher
level of aeneral and intrinsic job satisfaction.
1 BACKGROUND TO AND OVERVIEW OF THE RESEARCH . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.1 INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT ......................................... 6
1.3 AIMS OF THE RESEARCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
1.4 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
1.4.1 Phase One; Literature Survey ....................................... 13
1.4.2 Phase Two: Empirical Investigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
1.5 CHAPTER DIVISION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
1.6 CHAPTER SUMMARY ........................................... 14
2 CAREER CHOICE AND STAGE~ ................................. 15
2.1 INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
2.2 CAREER CHOICE THEORIES ..................................... 16
2.2.1 Interests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
2.2.2 Self-concept . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
2.2.3 ·Personality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
11
2.2.3.1 Personality Types ................................................ 20
2.2.3.2 Needs ......................................................... 24
2.2.3 Values ........................................................ 26
2.2.4 Social Background ............................................... 29
2.3 LIFE I CAREER ST AGES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
2.3.1 Traditional Theories ofLife/career Stages .............................. 31
2.3.1.1 Early Adulthood I Establishment ..................................... 31
2.3.1.2 Middle Adulthood/ Maintenance ..................................... 32
2.3.1.3 Late Adulthood I Decline .......................................... 32
2.3.2 New Trends in Life/career Stage Theory and Their Implication for Career Choice and
Development Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 3
2.4· MIDLIFE I MIDCAREER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
2.4.1 Traditional Approach to Midlife I Midcareer ........................... 34
2.4.2 Traditional Theories of Midlife I Midcareer ............................. 36
2.4.2.1 Levinson (1978) ................................................. 37
2.4.2.2 Sheehy (1976) .................................................. 38
ll1
2.4 .3 Career Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 9
2.4.4 New Midlife I Midcareer Trends and the Implication for Midcareer Employees .. 40
2.5 CHAPTER SUMMARY ........................................... 45
3 CAREER ANCHORS ........................................... 47
3.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................... 47
3.2 DEFINITION AND ORIGIN OF THE CONCEPT OF CAREER ANCHOR ... 48
3.3 THE DEVELOPMENT OF CAREER ANCHORS ....................... 50
3 .4 TYPES OF CAREER ANCHORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
3.4.1 Technical/ Functional Competence ................................... 54
3.4.2 General Managerial Competence ..................................... 55
3.4.3 Autonomy /Independence ......... : ................................ 57
3.4.4 Security I Stability ................................................ 58
3.4.5 Entrepreneurial Creativity .......................................... 59
3.4.6 Sense of Service, Dedication to A Cause ............................... 60
3.4.7 Pure Challenge .................................................. 60
IV
3.4.8 Lifestyle ....................................................... 61
3.5 GENERAL TRENDS IN CAREER ANCHOR RESEARCH AND THE
IMPLICATIONS FOR CURRENT CAREER CHOICE AND DEVELOPMENT
PRACTICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
3.6 CHAPTER SUMMARY ........................................... 65
4 CAREER ANCHORS AND RELATED RESEARCH .................. 66
4.1 INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
4.2 CAREER ANCHORS AND THE MIDCAREER STAGE ................. 67
4.3 CAREER ANCHORS AND OTHER RELATED CONSTRUCTS ........... 69
4.3.1 Relation.Between Career Anchors and Occupational Types ................. 69
4.3.2 Relation Between Career Anchors and Different Hierarchical Levels .......... 72
4.3.3 Relation Between Career Anchor and Personality, Needs, Values and Self-concept 73
4.4 JOB SATISFACTION ............................................ 76
4.4.1 Introduction .................................................... 76
4.4.2 Definitions of Job Satisfaction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
4.4.3 The Relation Between Person-environment Fit and Job Satisfaction . . . . . . . . . . 79
4.4.4 Relation Between Career Anchors and Job Satisfaction ................... 82