How and when does proactive personality predict career adaptability? A study of the moderated mediation model

Area of Science:

• Organizational Behavior
• Human Resource Management
• Psychology

Background:

• Proactive personality is crucial for navigating career development.
• Conservation of Resources (COR) theory provides a framework for understanding employee well-being and adaptation.
• Understanding the interplay between individual traits and contextual factors is vital for career success.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between proactive personality and career adaptability.
• To examine the mediating role of strengths use in this relationship.
• To explore the moderating effect of managerial coaching on the indirect path from proactive personality to career adaptability.

Main Methods:

• A time-lagged study with three data collection points.
• Involved 587 employees across 104 teams in China.
• Utilized a cross-level moderated mediation model based on COR theory.

Main Results:

• Proactive personality positively predicted strengths use.
• Strengths use, in turn, positively influenced career adaptability.
• Managerial coaching moderated the indirect effect of proactive personality on career adaptability.

Conclusions:

• Proactive personality drives employees to leverage strengths, boosting career adaptability, particularly when managerial coaching is less supportive.
• The findings highlight the importance of both individual initiative and supportive management in career development.
• Offers insights into fostering employee adaptability in dynamic work environments.