The relationship between career anchors and employability

135 Pages·2013·2.46 MB·English

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CAREER ANCHORS AND EMPLOYABILITY

by

FEZEKA NDZUBE

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of

MASTER OF ARTS

in the subject

INDUSTRIAL AND ORGANISATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY

at the

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA

SUPERVISOR: PROF R.M. OOSTHUIZEN
June 2013
Acknowledgements
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the following:
 My Lord and Saviour, who gave me the strength, pursue what I believe to be my
purpose.
 My supervisor, Professor Rudolf Oosthuizen, for his continued support, patience,
guidance and encouragement.
 My husband, Mendo Mntonintshi. Thank you for your support and encouragement
and for allowing me the time and space to complete this journey. Thank you for not
allowing me to quit.
 All members of the Ndzube family and my in-laws, the Mntonintshi’s, for allowing
me the time to follow my passion. Without your support, this would have been
difficult.
 All the respondents who participated in the study.
 Andries Masenge, for assisting me with the statistical analysis.

ii
Declaration
I, Fezeka Ndzube, hereby acknowledge that this dissertation, entitled “The relationship
between career anchors and employability”, is my own work, and that all the sources
that I have used and quoted have been indicated and acknowledged in the reference list.

__________________________
Fezeka Ndzube DATE: June 2013
Student Number: 36483508

iii
Summary
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CAREER ANCHORS AND EMPLOYABILITY
by
FEZEKA NDZUBE

SUPERVISOR: Prof R.M. Oosthuizen
DEPARTMENT: Industrial and Organisational Psychology
DEGREE: MA (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)
In the post-industrial society, career management has become vitally important for
assisting workers to be employable. This study aimed to investigate the relationship
between career anchors and employability. The effort of researching these concepts is
geared towards adding to the knowledge base in the field of Industrial and Organisational
Psychology, so that the current organisation from which the sample was chosen and other
organisations in South Africa can adopt a strong career management culture. A
quantitative survey using primary data was conducted on a convenience sample (N=108)
of full-time employees in a South African financial company. The Career Anchors Inventory
(COI) and the Employability Attribute Scale (EAS) were used to gather data. The study
found a statistically significant positive relationship between career anchors and
employability. In addition, there were significant correlations between the sub-constructs of
career anchors and employability, while significant differences in career anchor
preferences and employability perceptions between males and females emerged. The only
differences in career anchor preferences were detected between racial and age groups.
The results indicate a mutual and positive relationship between career anchors and
employability, which can be useful in career guidance in the 21st century.
Keywords: Careers, Career identity, Early-life career stage.

iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................................... ii
Declaration ........................................................................................................................................ iii
Summary ........................................................................................................................................... iv
List of tables ...................................................................................................................................... xi
List of figures ................................................................................................................................... xii
List of appendices ........................................................................................................................... xii
CHAPTER 1 SCIENTIFIC ORIENTATION TO THE RESEARCH .................................................. 1
1.1 BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION ................................................................. 1
1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT ....................................................................................... 5
1.2.1 General research question................................................................................... 7
1.2.2 Research questions relating to the literature review and the empirical study 7
1.3 AIMS ....................................................................................................................... 7
1.3.1 General aim of the research ................................................................................. 7
1.3.2 Specific aims of the research .............................................................................. 7
1.3.2.1 .. Theoretical aims ...................................................................................................8
1.3.2.2 .. Empirical study aims ........................................................................................8
1.4 PARADIGMIC AND DISCIPLINARY CONTEXT OF THE STUDY ........................ 8
1.4.1 Disciplinary context .............................................................................................. 9
1.4.1.1 .. Industrial and Organisational Psychology ........................................................9
1.4.1.2 .. Career Psychology ........................................................................................9
1.4.1.3 .. Personnel Psychology ......................................................................................10
1.4.1.4 .. Psychometrics .................................................................................................10
1.4.2 Paradigm perspective of the research .............................................................. 10
1.4.2.1 .. The psychodynamic paradigm ...........................................................................10
1.4.2.2 .. The humanistic-existential paradigm ................................................................11
v
1.4.2.3 .. Positivist research paradigm ...........................................................................11
1.4.3 Theoretical models ............................................................................................. 12
1.4.4 Conceptual descriptions .................................................................................... 12
1.4.4.1 .. Career ............................................................................................................12
1.4.4.2 .. Career anchors .................................................................................................13
1.4.4.3. Employability .................................................................................................13
1.4.5 The central hypothesis ....................................................................................... 13
1.5 RESEARCH DESIGN ........................................................................................... 13
1.6 RESEARCH METHOD ......................................................................................... 15
1.7 CHAPTER LAYOUT ............................................................................................. 17
1.8 CHAPTER SUMMARY ......................................................................................... 17
CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW: CAREER ANCHORS AND EMPLOYABILITY .............. 18
2.1. META-THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS .............................................................. 18
2.1.1. The evolving meaning of work and careers ..................................................... 18
2.1.1.1. The pre-industrial era ......................................................................................19
2.1.1.2. The industrial era .................................................................................................19
2.1.1.3. The post-industrial era ......................................................................................19
2.1.1.4. The knowledge economy (21st-century workplace) ...........................................20
2.2. CONCEPTUALISATION ...................................................................................... 21
2.2.1. Career anchors ................................................................................................... 21
2.2.1.1. Definition of career anchors ...........................................................................21
2.2.1.2. Basic assumptions of Schein’s career anchor theory .................................... 23
2.2.2. Employability ...................................................................................................... 24
2.2.2.1. Definition of employability ...........................................................................24
2.2.2.2. Factors influencing employability ................................................................25
2.2.3. Early-life career stage ........................................................................................ 27
2.2.3.1. Definition of early-life career stage ................................................................27
vi
2.2.3.2. Phases of the early-life career stage ................................................................27
2.2.4. Career identity ..................................................................................................... 29
2.2.4.1. Definition of career identity ...........................................................................29
2.2.5. Career success ................................................................................................... 29
2.2.5.1. Definition of career success ...........................................................................29
2.3. THEORETICAL MODELS: CAREER ANCHORS AND EMPLOYABILITY ......... 30
2.3.1. Models of career anchors .................................................................................. 30
2.3.1.1. Schein’s career anchor model ...........................................................................30
2.3.1.2. The octagonal model of career anchors ......................................................32
2.3.1.3. The circular value structure model ................................................................34
2.3.1.4. Link between motivational domains and career anchors ................................35
2.3.1.5. Integration of career anchor models ................................................................36
2.3.2. Models of employability ..................................................................................... 38
2.3.2.1. Dispositional approach to employability ......................................................38
2.3.2.2. Competence-based approach to employability ...........................................41
2.3.2.3. Self-regulatory model of employability ................................................................44
2.3.2.4. Bezuidenhout’s employability attributes framework ...........................................49
2.3.2.5. Integration of employability models ................................................................52
2.4. THEORETICAL INTEGRATION: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CAREER
ANCHORS AND EMPLOYABILITY .................................................................................. 55
2.5. VARIABLES INFLUENCING CAREER ANCHORS AND EMPLOYABILITY ...... 58
2.5.1. Gender ................................................................................................................. 58
2.5.2. Age ....................................................................................................................... 58
2.5.3. Racial groups ...................................................................................................... 59
2.6. IMPLICATIONS FOR EARLY-LIFE CAREER WORKERS IN TERMS OF
CAREER ANCHORS AND EMPLOYABILITY .................................................................. 60
2.7. CHAPTER SUMMARY ......................................................................................... 61
vii
CHAPTER 3 ARTICLE: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CAREER ANCHORS AND
EMPLOYABILITY ............................................................................................................................. 62
3.1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 63
3.1.1 Key focus of the study ....................................................................................... 63
3.1.2. Background to the study.................................................................................... 64
3.1.3. Trends from the research literature .................................................................. 64
3.1.3.1. Career anchors .................................................................................................64
3.1.3.2. Employability .................................................................................................66
3.1.3.3. Career ............................................................................................................67
3.1.3.4. Early-life career stage ......................................................................................67
3.1.3.5. Models of career anchors and employability ......................................................67
3.1.3.6 .. Theoretical integration: the relationship between career anchors and
employability.......................................................................................................................72
3.1.4. Research objectives ........................................................................................... 73
3.1.5. The potential value-add of the study ................................................................ 73
3.1.6. What will follow ................................................................................................... 74
3.2. RESEARCH DESIGN ........................................................................................... 74
3.2.1. Research approach ............................................................................................ 74
3.2.2 Research method ................................................................................................ 74
3.2.3. Determination and description of the sample .................................................. 74
3.2.3.1. Composition of the sample ...........................................................................75
3.2.4. Measuring instruments ...................................................................................... 76
3.2.4.1. Career Orientations Inventory (COI) ................................................................77
3.2.4.2. Employability Attribute Scale (EAS) ................................................................78
3.2.5. Data collection methods .................................................................................... 78
3.2.5.1 Ethical Considerations ......................................................................................79
3.2.6. Data analysis ....................................................................................................... 80
viii
3.2.7. Hypotheses ......................................................................................................... 81
3.3. RESULTS ............................................................................................................. 81
3.3.1. Descriptive statistics .......................................................................................... 81
3.3.1.1. Means and standard deviation ...........................................................................82
3.3.1.2. Reliability and validity of the measuring instruments ...........................................83
3.3.2. Correlations between career anchors and employability................................ 85
3.3.3. Multivariate Tests - One- way- Manova ............................................................. 88
3.3.3.1. Gender ............................................................................................................88
3.3.3.2. Age ......................................................................................................................88
3.3.3.3. Racial Groups .................................................................................................89
3.4. DISCUSSION ....................................................................................................... 91
3.4.1. The empirical relationship between career anchors and employability ........ 91
3.4.2. Relationship between the sub-constructs of career anchors and
employability .................................................................................................................... 95
3.4.3. Career anchor and employability perspectives between different gender, age
and racial groups ............................................................................................................. 98
3.4.3.1. Gender ............................................................................................................98
3.4.3.2. Age ....................................................................................................................99
3.4.3.3. Racial group ...............................................................................................100
3.5. CONCLUSIONS, LIMITATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ......................... 101
3.5.1. Conclusions ...................................................................................................... 101
3.5.2. Limitations ......................................................................................................... 102
3.5.3. Recommendations ............................................................................................ 102
3.6. CHAPTER SUMMARY ....................................................................................... 102
CHAPTER 4 CONCLUSIONS, LIMITATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ........................... 103
4.1. CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................. 103
4.1.1. Conclusions arising from the literature review .............................................. 103
ix
4.1.1.1. The first aim: to conceptualise career anchors and employability based on the
literature ..........................................................................................................................103
4.1.1.2. The second aim: to determine the relationship between career anchors and
employability from a theoretical perspective ..............................................................104
4.1.1.3. The third aim: to conceptualise the implications of the theoretical relationship
between career anchors and employability on career decision making in the 21st-century
workplace ..........................................................................................................................105
4.1.2. Conclusions of the empirical study ................................................................ 106
4.1.2.1. The first aim: to investigate the empirical relationship between career anchors and
employability as it manifests within early-life workers in a South Africa company ........106
4.1.2.2. The second aim: to empirically determine whether individuals from different
gender, age, and racial groups differ significantly regarding their perception of career
anchors and their level of employability, as manifested within a sample of early adult
workers in a South African organisation. .........................................................................107
4.1.2.3. Conclusions related to the central hypothesis: there is a statistically positive and
significant relationship between career anchors and employability. ..............................108
4.1.3. Conclusions regarding the contribution of this study to the field of Industrial
and Organisational Psychology ................................................................................... 109
4.2. LIMITATIONS ..................................................................................................... 110
4.3. RECOMMENDATIONS ...................................................................................... 111
4.3.1. Recommendations regarding career guidance and counselling .................. 111
4.3.2. Recommendations for further research ......................................................... 112
4.4. INTEGRATION OF THE RESEARCH ................................................................ 113
4.5. CHAPTER SUMMARY ....................................................................................... 114
REFERENCES ................................................................................................................................ 115

x