Original Research

Career adaptability and employee engagement of adults employed in an insurance company: An exploratory study

Rebecca Tladinyane, Marna van der Merwe
SA Journal of Human Resource Management | Vol 14, No 1 | a752 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/sajhrm.v14i1.752 | © 2016 Rebecca Tladinyane, Marna van der Merwe | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 25 August 2015 | Published: 16 May 2016

About the author(s)

Rebecca Tladinyane, Department of Industrial and Organisational Psychology, University of South Africa, South Africa
Marna van der Merwe, Department of Industrial and Organisational Psychology, University of South Africa, South Africa

Abstract

Orientation: As a resiliency resource, career adaptability relates to an individual’s ability to adapt to new work demands and is seen to impact various occupational outcomes such as engagement.

Research purpose: The aim of the study was to determine the relationship dynamics between career adaptability (measured by Career Adapt-Abilities Scale) and employee engagement (measured by Utrecht Work Engagement Scale).

Motivation for the study: As a personal resource, career adaptability enables employees to deal with job demands, facilitating employee engagement. Limited research exists on the impact of career adaptability variables on employee engagement, bearing significant relevance in the current workforce.

Research design, approach and method: A quantitative survey was conducted with a convenience sample (N = 131) of employees in an insurance company within South Africa.

Main findings/results: Significant positive relationships were found between career adaptability and employee engagement. The results suggest that participants who have experienced higher employee engagement have better developed career adaptability skills.

Practical implications: Managers and human resource practitioners need to recognise how people’s career adaptability influences their level of engagement in the organisation.

Contribution: This research is the first to investigate the construct of career adaptability in an insurance company and the findings add to the existing career literature and provide valuable information that can be used to inform career development and engagement strategies.

Keywords: career adaptability; career development; employee engagement; vocational guidance.

 


Keywords

career adaptability; career development; employee engagement; vocational guidance

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Crossref Citations

1. The association between occupational ethics and job engagement with the mediating role of career adaptability among employees of Ardabil University of Medical Sciences, Iran (2017-2018)
Esmaeil Sadri Damirchi, Ghaffar Karimianpour, Arefe Kiani
Journal of Occupational Health and Epidemiology  vol: 7  issue: 3  first page: 160  year: 2018  
doi: 10.29252/johe.7.3.160