This research focuses on the relationship between self-esteem, graduateness skills and attributes and career adaptability among young adults in the school-to-work transition phase to assist them in dealing with the transitions they are faced with during the school-to-work transition phase in the hopes of making them more career adaptable and employable. A cross-sectional quantitative research approach was followed, and a non-probability convenience sample (N = 332) of undergraduate black (98.5%) and female (62%) young emerging adults (18 to 29 years) at a Further Education and Training (FET) college in South Africa participated in the study. A canonical correlation analysis indicated a significant overall relationship between the graduateness/self-esteem canonical variate and the career adaptability canonical variate. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that the relationship between graduateness skills and attributes and career adaptability was moderated by self-esteem. Tests for mean differences revealed that males and females differed significantly regarding their personal self-esteem and lie items. Recommendations are suggested for use by human resource professionals in terms of career development practices. / Human Resource Management / M. Com. (Human Resource Management)

The context of this research is the coping and wellness of call centre agents in a characteristically high-stress work environment. The purpose of the study was to construct a psychological coping profile by investigating the relationship between individuals‘ wellness-related dispositional attributes and their resiliency-related behavioural capacities which has been under researched in a call centre work environment. A quantitative cross-sectional survey approach was followed. The population comprised predominantly of a non –probability sample of (N=409) predominantly early career permanently employed black females employed in call centres in Africa. Correlation and multivariate statistics highlighted cognitive (cynicism and hardy-control), affective (managing own emotions) and conative (hardy-commitment) behavioural elements that should be considered in the psychological coping profile of call centre agents. Age and gender were also shown to be significant moderators of the relationship between the wellness-related attributes and the resiliency-related capacities. The main findings are reported and interpreted in terms of an empirically derived psychological coping profile. The findings may provide valuable pointers for the design of wellness intervention practices which add to the body of knowledge concerned with employee wellness in call centres / Industrial & Organisational Psychology / D.Litt. et Phil. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

The context of this research is the coping and wellness of call centre agents in a characteristically high-stress work environment. The purpose of the study was to construct a psychological coping profile by investigating the relationship between individuals‘ wellness-related dispositional attributes and their resiliency-related behavioural capacities which has been under researched in a call centre work environment. A quantitative cross-sectional survey approach was followed. The population comprised predominantly of a non –probability sample of (N=409) predominantly early career permanently employed black females employed in call centres in Africa. Correlation and multivariate statistics highlighted cognitive (cynicism and hardy-control), affective (managing own emotions) and conative (hardy-commitment) behavioural elements that should be considered in the psychological coping profile of call centre agents. Age and gender were also shown to be significant moderators of the relationship between the wellness-related attributes and the resiliency-related capacities. The main findings are reported and interpreted in terms of an empirically derived psychological coping profile. The findings may provide valuable pointers for the design of wellness intervention practices which add to the body of knowledge concerned with employee wellness in call centres / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / D.Litt. et Phil. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

L’objectif de ce travail est d’étudier les ressources psychologiques qui favorisent l’épanouissement pour une insertion professionnelle rapide. Nous avons mené une démarche comparative entre deux moments : en amont et en aval de la transition université-emploi. L’objectif étant de voir comment ces ressources se développent-elles tout au long de la transition. La recherche s’est déroulée en Tunisie. La population étudiée concerne les jeunes diplômés de l’enseignement supérieur qui se caractérisent par un faible taux d’employabilité et un fort taux de chômage. Ces étudiants poursuivent des études en Sciences Humaines et Sociales, en Lettres, en Sciences Economiques et en Droit. Deux groupes sont considérés dans cette population : un groupe d’étudiants en fin de parcours universitaire (en amont de la transition) et un groupe de diplômés en insertion professionnelle (en aval de la transition). Nous avons procédé à une méthodologie mixte articulant une étude qualitative exploratoire basée sur l’analyse de discours, et une étude quantitative. Nous avons procédé à la validation des outils de mesure psychométriques dans le contexte tunisien, tels que l’échelle d’épanouissement (Diener, 2010), l’échelle d’adaptabilité de carrière, version courte (CAAS-SF) (Maggiori, Rossier, & Savickas, 2017), l’échelle de « connaissance de ses forces » (Govindji & Linley, 2007) et l’Inventaire des forces de caractère (VIA-72). Des analyses de corrélation, de régression linéaire et hiérarchique et une modélisation par équation structurelle par la méthode PLS ont été conduites. Les résultats des deux études révèlent que l’épanouissement joue un rôle considérable dans le développement de l’adaptabilité de carrière et dans une insertion professionnelle rapide. Les ressources psychologiques sont mobilisées différemment en amont et en aval de la transition. Les forces de l’optimisme agissent positivement en amont de la transition. Les forces de la sagesse, les forces de la tempérance et le comportement proactif favorisent une insertion professionnelle rapide. En prenant appui à la fois sur ces résultats et sur la revue de la littérature, nous proposons des actions à mener au niveau institutionnel pour promouvoir l’épanouissement et le comportement proactif au sein des structures universitaires. Nous discutons l’élaboration de dispositifs d’appui à la transition université-emploi dans le cadre d’une collaboration régionale méditerranéenne transculturelle et multidisciplinaire. / The purpose of this work is to study the psychological resources that promote the development for fast reemployment. We applied a comparative approach between two phases: the before and after of University to Work Transition (STWT). The goal is to see how these resources develop throughout the transition. The research took place in Tunisia. Our study focuses on young gradudates of higher education suffering from low employability and high unemployment rate that complicates their reemployment. These students pursue studies in Humanities and Social Sciences, Literature, Economics, and Law. Two groups are considered: A group of students at the end of their university studies (before the transition) and a group of graduates in a reemployment period (after the transition). We made use of a mixed methodology articulating an exploratory qualitative study based on discourse analysis, and a quantitative empirical study. We have validated psychometric scales in the Tunisian context, such as the scale of Flourishing (Diener, 2010), the scale of Career Adpatability Short Version (CAAS-SF) (Maggiori, Rossier, & Savickas, 2017), the "Strenghts Knowledge" scale (Govindji & Linley, 2007) and the Character Strengths Inventory (VIA-72). Correlation, linear and hierarchical regression analyses and structural equation modeling using the PLS method were conducted. The results of both studies reveal that flourishing plays a significant role in developing career adaptability and rapid reemployment. Psychological resources are mobilized differently before and after the transition. The strengths of optimism contribute positively before the transition. The strenghts of wisdom, the temperance and proactive behavior promote rapid reemployment. Based on both results and the literature review, we propose a set of actions to be taken at the institutional level to promote the development and proactive behavior within academic structures. We discuss the development of support schemes for university-employment transition as part of a cross-cultural and multidisciplinary Mediterranean regional collaboration.

The objectives of the study were (1) to determine the relationship between career adaptability (measured by the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale) and employee engagement (measured by the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale), and (2) to determine whether age, race, gender and tenure groups differ significantly regarding career adaptability and employee engagement. A quantitative survey was conducted on a convenience sample (N = 131) of employees within a business unit of a large insurance company in South Africa. Correlational and inferential statistical analyses revealed significant relationships between career adaptability and employee engagement as well as significant differences between age and race groups on some dimensions of the constructs. These findings contribute valuable insight and knowledge to the field of Organisational Psychology and Career Psychology that can be applied in engagement strategies as well as in career guidance and counselling. The study concluded with recommendations for future research and practice. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

Esta tese teve como objetivo compreender impactos e processos de mudança relacionados com o aconselhamento de carreira a estudantes universitários. Desenvolveu-se um modelo de atendimento construtivista narrativo, fundamentado no Paradigma Life-Design, com duração média de dez sessões individuais em periodicidade semanal. O primeiro estudo investigou se a intervenção seria capaz de promover impactos em adaptabilidade de carreira, sentido de vida e nas narrativas autobiográficas dos clientes (em reflexão autobiográfica e em valência afetiva das narrativas), valendo-se de um delineamento quase-experimental. O segundo e o terceiro estudos buscaram compreender a relação entre os impactos do atendimento com os processos de mudança narrativa, avaliados com o Modelo dos Momentos de Inovação nas sessões, em dois estudos de caso com características diferenciadas. Os resultados do primeiro estudo indicaram que a intervenção foi efetiva na promoção de recursos de adaptabilidade de preocupação, controle, curiosidade e confiança, bem como em dimensões de desenvolvimento de carreira com aproximação conceitual à adaptabilidade, como identidade profissional, decisão de carreira, planejamento de carreira e autoeficácia profissional. Ainda, os participantes da intervenção demonstraram aumento significativo na dimensão de presença de sentido de vida e diminuição na saliência afetiva negativa na forma como narravam as suas histórias de vida. Nenhuma mudança significativa foi constatada em relação ao grupo de comparação, formado por estudantes que não participaram de qualquer atendimento no mesmo período. Os estudos de caso possibilitaram compreender os impactos de forma integrada aos processos de mudança, evidenciando que desfechos positivos do aconselhamento de carreira estiveram associados a padrões de momentos de inovação de complexificação crescente ao longo do processo, e pela presença de momentos de inovação de reflexão sobre a mudança e de reconceitualização. Esses dois tipos de inovação se apresentaram de forma diferenciada em cada um dos casos, que também se diferenciaram quanto aos impactos do processo em reflexão autobiográfica. Abordam-se as conexões entre o processo de reflexão autobiográfica e esses tipos de momentos de inovação. Além disso, estabelecem-se relações entre as diferentes características dos clientes quanto às suas demandas e etapas de desenvolvimento psicossocial com os impactos e processos de mudança no atendimento. Por fim, são traçadas implicações para a teoria, a pesquisa e a prática do aconselhamento de carreira. / This dissertation aimed to understand outcomes and change processes associated with a career counseling intervention targeted at university students. A constructivist narrative model of career counseling, based on Life-Design Paradigm, was developed and delivered individually, in approximately 10 sessions, once a week. The first study investigated the outcomes of the intervention in career adaptability, meaning in life and clients’ autobiographical narratives (in autobiographical reasoning and emotional valence), using a quasi-experimental design. The second and the third studies aimed to understand the relation between the outcomes of the intervention and narrative change processes, assessed through the innovative moments model in the sessions. These studies were conducted with two clients with different characteristics. Results from the first study showed that the intervention was effective in promoting career adaptability resources of concern, control, curiosity and confidence, as well as career development dimensions that have conceptual proximity to adaptability, as professional identity, career decision, career planning and professional self-efficacy. Participants also demonstrated a significant increase in the dimension of presence of meaning in life, and a significant decrease in negative emotional salience used to narrate their life stories. No significant change was observed in the comparison group, constituted by students that were not participating in interventions at the same period. The case studies contributed to an integrated understanding of outcomes and processes of change, showing that positive outcomes in career counseling are associated with a pattern of progressive complexification of innovative moments during the process, and with the presence of reflection about change and reconceptualization innovative moments. These types of innovation differed from one case to the other, and different outcomes related to autobiographical reasoning were also observed. Connections between the process of autobiographical reasoning and these types of innovative moments are addressed. In addition, relations between client’s demands and psychosocial developmental characteristics with the outcomes and processes of change during career counseling are delineated. Finally, implications for theory, research and intervention are outlined.

Esta dissertação objetivou compreender percepções de estudantes universitários sobre a transição entre os papéis de estudante a trabalhador / profissional, investigando a influência dos processos de adaptabilidade de carreira e das experiências acadêmicas, especialmente o estágio, para a transição de identidade. O Estudo 1 consistiu em um levantamento quantitativo, mapeando percepções sobre a formação e avaliando aspectos do desenvolvimento de carreira. Participaram 62 alunos de Engenharia Civil que estavam cursando o último ou penúltimo semestre. O Estudo 2, qualitativo, aprofundou a partir de entrevistas semi-estruturadas o tema investigado. Participaram 6 estudantes selecionados da amostra do Estudo 1. Os principais resultados sugeriram que as experiências de estágio influenciam o desenvolvimento de dimensões da adaptabilidade de carreira, bem como a adaptabilidade influencia o aproveitamento das vivências de estágio. Tais experiências mostraram-se fundamentais no processo de transição do papel de estudante para o papel profissional. Conclui-se com implicações para a prática e a pesquisa. / This dissertation aimed to understand university student’s perceptions of the transition from the role of student to worker and professional, investigating the influence of career adaptability processes and academic experiences, especially internships, to identity transition. Study 1 used a quantitative and exploratory method in order to identify perceptions about the graduation experiences and assess career development variables. The sample was constituted of 62 Civil Engineering students in the last or penultimate semester. Study 2 used a qualitative design to produce deeper understandings about this theme through semi-structured interviews. Six students selected from Study 1 took part on Study 2. The main results suggested that internship experiences influence career adaptability development, as well as adaptability influences how the students benefit from internship experiences. Those experiences were found to be essential in the process of transition from student to professional role. Conclusions set directions for future research and practice.

Partant du constat que les compétences créatives ont été peu étudiées dans le champ de l’orientation, alors même que les conduites d’orientation dans le contexte sociétal moderne font très largement appel aux compétences individuelles d’ouverture, de flexibilité, d’originalité, d’adaptation, voire même d’innovation, la thèse présentée examine la place et le rôle de la créativité comme composante des compétences à s’orienter.Après avoir exploré différentes associations possibles entre créativité et différentes compétences à s’orienter, nous nous focalisons d’une part sur les relations entre la créativité et l’adaptabilité de carrière telles que définies et opérationnalisées par Savickas (Savickas & Porfeli, 2012), et d’autre part entre la créativité et l’adaptabilité individuelle telle que définie et opérationnalisée par Ployart et Bliese (2006). Une étude portant sur un échantillon d’étudiants de premier cycle universitaire en France (n = 500) a été conduite et les résultats obtenus indiquent des corrélations significatives et positives entre le potentiel créatif et certaines des dimensions de l’adaptabilité individuelle et de carrière et invitent à accorder une place plus importante à la créativité dans les modèles d’orientation tout au long de la vie. / Two major approaches have emerged in the discipline of career counseling to determine the key factors in career development: the relationship between creative potential and adaptability, and between creative potential and the individual characteristics of personality, motivation, and logical reasoning. This research attempts to integrate these two approaches by evaluating the impact of each of these factors on adaptability. 500 undergraduate volunteers filled out self-assessment questionnaires and performed timed graphic efficiency tests. The results were subjected to statistical analysis. The findings indicate that the individual characteristics of personality and motivation have higher correlation with adaptability than creativity and logical reasoning. Future research should involve different populations and employ non-graphic tests of creativity to confirm these results. If confirmed it would then be necessary to further explore the role of creativity in career development.

The research focuses on investigating the relationship between individuals’ career adaptability, employability attributes and retention factors within the context of talent retention in the 21st century workplace. A quantitative research approach was followed, and a probability sample of (N = 337) of single (42.7%), African (53.4%), female (65.9%), individuals between the ages of 26-40 years (57.4%), who are part time employees (50.7%), mostly at staff level (54.0%) were utilised. Correlational analysis indicated differences between the variables of CAI, EAS and RFMS. Inferential statistics showed a strong relationship between the variables of career adaptability, employability attributes and retention factors. Stepwise hierarchical regression analysis showed that age, gender, race, marital status and job level, their career adaptability and employability attributes significantly and positively predict retention factors. Test for mean differences revealed that males and females differed significantly in terms of their career adaptability, employability attributes and retention factors. Recommendations are suggested for use by human resource professionals in terms of retention practices. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business management)

Esta tese teve como objetivo compreender impactos e processos de mudança relacionados com o aconselhamento de carreira a estudantes universitários. Desenvolveu-se um modelo de atendimento construtivista narrativo, fundamentado no Paradigma Life-Design, com duração média de dez sessões individuais em periodicidade semanal. O primeiro estudo investigou se a intervenção seria capaz de promover impactos em adaptabilidade de carreira, sentido de vida e nas narrativas autobiográficas dos clientes (em reflexão autobiográfica e em valência afetiva das narrativas), valendo-se de um delineamento quase-experimental. O segundo e o terceiro estudos buscaram compreender a relação entre os impactos do atendimento com os processos de mudança narrativa, avaliados com o Modelo dos Momentos de Inovação nas sessões, em dois estudos de caso com características diferenciadas. Os resultados do primeiro estudo indicaram que a intervenção foi efetiva na promoção de recursos de adaptabilidade de preocupação, controle, curiosidade e confiança, bem como em dimensões de desenvolvimento de carreira com aproximação conceitual à adaptabilidade, como identidade profissional, decisão de carreira, planejamento de carreira e autoeficácia profissional. Ainda, os participantes da intervenção demonstraram aumento significativo na dimensão de presença de sentido de vida e diminuição na saliência afetiva negativa na forma como narravam as suas histórias de vida. Nenhuma mudança significativa foi constatada em relação ao grupo de comparação, formado por estudantes que não participaram de qualquer atendimento no mesmo período. Os estudos de caso possibilitaram compreender os impactos de forma integrada aos processos de mudança, evidenciando que desfechos positivos do aconselhamento de carreira estiveram associados a padrões de momentos de inovação de complexificação crescente ao longo do processo, e pela presença de momentos de inovação de reflexão sobre a mudança e de reconceitualização. Esses dois tipos de inovação se apresentaram de forma diferenciada em cada um dos casos, que também se diferenciaram quanto aos impactos do processo em reflexão autobiográfica. Abordam-se as conexões entre o processo de reflexão autobiográfica e esses tipos de momentos de inovação. Além disso, estabelecem-se relações entre as diferentes características dos clientes quanto às suas demandas e etapas de desenvolvimento psicossocial com os impactos e processos de mudança no atendimento. Por fim, são traçadas implicações para a teoria, a pesquisa e a prática do aconselhamento de carreira. / This dissertation aimed to understand outcomes and change processes associated with a career counseling intervention targeted at university students. A constructivist narrative model of career counseling, based on Life-Design Paradigm, was developed and delivered individually, in approximately 10 sessions, once a week. The first study investigated the outcomes of the intervention in career adaptability, meaning in life and clients’ autobiographical narratives (in autobiographical reasoning and emotional valence), using a quasi-experimental design. The second and the third studies aimed to understand the relation between the outcomes of the intervention and narrative change processes, assessed through the innovative moments model in the sessions. These studies were conducted with two clients with different characteristics. Results from the first study showed that the intervention was effective in promoting career adaptability resources of concern, control, curiosity and confidence, as well as career development dimensions that have conceptual proximity to adaptability, as professional identity, career decision, career planning and professional self-efficacy. Participants also demonstrated a significant increase in the dimension of presence of meaning in life, and a significant decrease in negative emotional salience used to narrate their life stories. No significant change was observed in the comparison group, constituted by students that were not participating in interventions at the same period. The case studies contributed to an integrated understanding of outcomes and processes of change, showing that positive outcomes in career counseling are associated with a pattern of progressive complexification of innovative moments during the process, and with the presence of reflection about change and reconceptualization innovative moments. These types of innovation differed from one case to the other, and different outcomes related to autobiographical reasoning were also observed. Connections between the process of autobiographical reasoning and these types of innovative moments are addressed. In addition, relations between client’s demands and psychosocial developmental characteristics with the outcomes and processes of change during career counseling are delineated. Finally, implications for theory, research and intervention are outlined.