[Communication with weak ties and its effect on career reflection]

This study examined the hypothesis that communicating with the weak ties promotes professional self-efficacy and work engagement, which mediates reflection of one’s past career. As a preliminary survey, semi-structured interviews were conducted with incumbent employees and analyzed regarding career reflection arising from communication with weak ties. As part of this survey, Japanese employees (n = 340) were asked to respond to questionnaires that measured communication between weak ties, career reflection, professional self-efficacy, and work engagement. Factor analysis of the scores for career reflection extracted four factors: re-evaluation of own work styles, rebuilding of non-work activities, improvement of work autonomy, and evocation of work crisis awareness. Covariance structure analysis indicated that communication about work-related contents and expectations of the future with weak ties promoted the re-evaluation of the employees’ own work styles, which was shown to promote professional self-efficacy and work engagement. These results support the original hypothesis and suggest that communicating with weak ties is an important resource for promoting positive change in employees’ sense of work.