Career-related self-efficacy, its antecedents and relationship to subjective career success in a cross-lagged panel study

Abstract

In a cross-lagged study using two-wave data of N = 581 employees from Germany, we explored the role of career-related self-efficacy beliefs as a main cause of subjective career success – reflected by the two indicators of self-rated success, and career satisfaction. Moreover, we aimed at shedding light on those antecedents (exceeding demands, transformational leadership, emotional strain) that, according to Bandura’s four sources of self-efficacy (performance accomplishments, vicarious experience, verbal persuasion, physiological states), could be shaped to foster career-related self-efficacy. Results of SEM were mostly in line with our theoretical assumptions. Career-related self-efficacy turned out to boost career satisfaction though not self-rated success. However there was a lagged effect from self-rated success to self-efficacy. In addition, we found exceeding demands and emotional strain negatively affecting career-related self-efficacy, whereas leadership showed only an impact when simultaneously analyzed with the other sources; and contradicting to our theorizing transformational leadership behavior diminished self-efficacy experiences.

Keywords:

• Self-efficacy
• subjective career success
• demands
• strain
• leadership