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Advancing in the career decision-making process: the role of coping strategies and career decision-making profiles

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Abstract

We tested the associations among the career decision-making difficulties, the career decision status, and either (a) the career decision-making profiles of 575 young adults, or (b) the coping strategies of 379 young adults. As hypothesized, a more advanced decision status was negatively associated with both career decision-making difficulties (η2 = .24) and the use of non-productive coping strategies (η2 = .10), and positively associated with an adaptive career decision-making profile (η2 = .05) and the use of support-seeking coping strategies (η2 = .06). Productive coping strategies were not found to be associated with decision status (η2 = .01). The results and their implications are discussed.

Résumé

L’avancement dans le processus de décision de carrière : Le rôle des stratégies de coping et des profils de décision de carrière. Nous avons testé les associations entre les difficultés au choix professionnel, le statut du choix professionnel et, d’une part, (a) les profils de décision de carrière de 575 jeunes adultes, et, d’autre part, (b) les stratégies de coping de 379 jeunes adultes. Comme notre hypothèse l’indiquait, un statut de choix plus avancé était associé négativement aux difficultés liées aux choix de carrière (η2 = .24) ainsi qu’à l’utilisation non-productive de stratégies de coping (η2 = .10). Celui-ci était cependant associé positivement avec un profil de décision de carrière adaptatif (η2 = .05) et l’utilisation de stratégies de coping efficaces (η2 = .06). Les stratégies de coping efficaces n’étaient pas associées avec le statut du choix (η2 = .01). Les résultats et leurs implications sont discutés.

Zusammenfassung

Im Karriere-Entscheidungsprozess vorankommen: Die Rolle von Bewältigungsstrategien und Karriere-Entscheidungsprofilen. Wir haben die Beziehung zwischen Karriere-Entscheidungsschwierigkeiten, dem Karriere-Entscheidungsstatus und entweder (a) den Karriere-Entscheidungsprofilen von 575 jungen Erwachsenen, oder (b) den Bewältigungsstrategien von 379 jungen Erwachsenen untersucht. Wie erwartet, hing ein fortgeschrittener Karriere-Entscheidungsstatus negativ mit Karriere- Entscheidungsschwierigkeiten (η2 = .24) und dem Gebrauch von nicht-produktiven Bewältigungsstrategien (η2 = .10) und positiv mit adaptiven Karriere-Entscheidungsprofilen (η2 = .05) und dem Gebrauch von Unterstützung-suchenden Bewältigungsstrategien (η2 = .06) zusammen. Produktive Bewältigungsstrategien hingen nicht mit dem Entscheidungsstatus zusammen (η2 = .01). Die Resultate und deren Implikationen werden diskutiert.

Resumen

Avanzando en el proceso de toma de decisiones para la carrera: El papel de las estrategias de copia y los perfiles en la toma de decisiones para la carrera. Se testaron las relaciones entre las dificultades en la toma de decisiones para la carrera, con el posicionamiento en la carrera, y ambas (a) con los perfiles en la toma de decisiones para la carrera en una muestra de 575 adultos jóvenes, o (b) con las estrategias de copia en una muestra de 379 adultos jóvenes. Se lanzan las siguientes hipótesis, un prematuro posicionamiento en la carrera correlaciona negativamente tanto con las dificultades en la toma de decisiones para la carrera (η2 = .24), como con las estrategias de copia no productivas (η2 = .10), y positivamente con un perfil de toma de decisiones adaptativo para la elección de carrera (η2 = .05), como con el uso de estrategias de copia basadas en la búsqueda (η2 = .06). No se encontraron relaciones entre las estrategias de copia productivas y los posicionamientos en la carrera. Finalmente se discuten los resultados y sus implicaciones.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Ella Anghel, Naomi Goldblum, Shahar Hechtlinger, Nimrod Levin, Yuliya Lipshits-Braziler, Zehava Masuri, Dana Vertsberger, Davida Vogel, and Tirza Willner, for their comments on previous versions of this paper. This research was supported in part by the Gruss Foundation and by the Samuel and Esther Melton Chair of the second author.

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  1. Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91905, Israel

    Maya Perez & Itamar Gati

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  1. Maya Perez
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Correspondence to Itamar Gati.

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Perez, M., Gati, I. Advancing in the career decision-making process: the role of coping strategies and career decision-making profiles. Int J Educ Vocat Guidance 17, 285–309 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10775-016-9334-x

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