This qualitative study explores the career development experiences of high school students affected by the 2023 Kahramanmara & scedil; earthquakes in T & uuml;rkiye. Semi-structured interviews were analyzed inductively using thematic analysis, yielding four themes: perceived impact on career choice, role models and inspiration, career-related anxiety, and changes in study behaviors and motivation. The emergent themes were subsequently interpreted through Career Construction Theory to provide a theoretically informed understanding of participants' experiences. Findings indicate that the earthquake temporarily disrupted career concern and control, while also fostering curiosity and confidence through meaning-making, prosocial goals, and renewed academic engagement. Role models and lived disaster experiences contributed to the reconstruction of career narratives. Overall, the findings highlight the dynamic and context-dependent nature of adolescent career development following disasters and underscore the importance of trauma-informed approaches in career counseling while preserving the inductive foundations of qualitative inquiry.
Occupational change has become increasingly common in recent decades. However, we know little about how contextual factors shape the voluntary occupational change process. By integrating the Careers in Context Framework (Mayrhofer et al. 2007) and the Transtheoretical Model of Career Change (Barclay et al. 2011), this study examines how contextual factors shape the voluntary occupational change process across different stages. Using the framework analysis based on the qualitative data collected from 22 occupational changers from Turkey, findings showed that context of origin, particularly family, perceived judgments, and social relationships, was influential in the precontemplation/contemplation and preparation/action stages; context of work (work characteristics, fit to work) was influential in precontemplation/contemplation, preparation/action, and maintenance stages; and context of society and culture emerged only in the maintenance stage. Combining the contextual and process theories of careers, this study sheds light on how various levels of context play a role in each stage of the occupational change process.
ABSTRACT This study investigates the psychological pathway through which perceived career growth (PCG) fosters organizational embeddedness (OE). Uniquely employing the psychology of working theory (PWT) as a theoretical framework, we argue that this relationship unfolds through a humanistic need‐satisfaction process. We propose and test a sequential mediation model where the effect of PCG on OE is fully mediated, first by psychological contract fulfillment (PCF) and subsequently by psychological ownership (PO). Data were collected from 300 employees in Pakistan's power sector in a four‐wave, time‐lagged study with 2‐month intervals. The findings provide strong support for our model, confirming that the influence of PCG on OE is fully and sequentially transmitted through PCF and PO, with the direct path being nonsignificant. The primary value of this study lies in demonstrating the utility of PWT as a novel explanatory framework for workplace attachment, offering a need‐based alternative to traditional transactional models. For practitioners, the results provide a clear roadmap: Career growth must be delivered as a fulfilled promise to build trust, which in turn enables the cultivation of PO—the ultimate driver of retention.
ABSTRACT Unemployment rates are upward of 60% for youth in foster care transitioning out of the foster care system, with the average individual making less than enough to cover basic needs at around $25,000/year. Individuals from foster homes are more likely to experience homelessness, substance abuse, incarceration, and mental health disorders, directly related to their inability to find work. According to a national, multistate study, unemployment rates for former foster youth are significantly higher for Black males, compared to both their White fostered and non‐fostered counterparts. Given the critical need to address unemployment barriers for Black male youth in foster care, we analyze qualitative data to highlight and further understand Black male experiences ( n = 9) in Project P.A.T.H. 2.0 , a job search psychoeducational group intervention. Participants engaged in three psychoeducational workshops utilizing real‐life simulated scenarios, including (a) emotional regulation and conflict resolution to address high‐stress situations related to work, (b) goal setting and job search within the current job market, and (c) live mock interviews with personalized feedback. Identified themes of this research inform interventions and practices for professionals working in foster and community agencies, school counselors, and other career specialists who provide career services to Black males transitioning from the foster care system.
This study examines the predictors of STEM career expectation among Black boys in ninth grade using nationally representative data from the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009. Guided by social cognitive career theory, we analyze associations between math and science self-efficacy, career exploration activities, and STEM career expectation in early adolescence. Binary logistic regression results indicate that math and science self-efficacy is a significant correlate of STEM career expectation for all but Asian boys, whereas commonly emphasized career exploration activities show a positive relationship with STEM career expectation for all but Black boys. These findings suggest that mechanisms frequently targeted in STEM career development initiatives may not operate uniformly across racial/ethnic groups. By centering Black boys and focusing on early adolescence, this study underscores the importance of contextual and structural influences in supporting more equitable STEM career pathways.
