Parental and Nonparental Career-Related Support Among Young Adults: Antecedents and Psychosocial Correlates
Abstract
The present study examined the prevalence and role of career-related support in 100 Israeli emerging adults who were followed from ages 22 to 29. At the age of 29, participants were asked to name any significant persons who had impacted their career history. Both parents and nonfamily other adults were most frequently cited to provide career-related support. While both parents provided both emotional and professional career-related support, other adults tended to provide mainly professional support. Availability of career-related support was associated with greater occupational adequacy and higher psychosocial functioning. Parental career-related support was mainly predicted by parental support 7 years earlier. The likelihood of citing a nonparental career-related supportive relationship was predicted by increased personal efficacy and maternal support 7 years earlier. Findings of this study shed light on the role of parental and nonparental career-related support in navigating successfully the transition to adulthood.
Get full access to this article
View all access and purchase options for this article.
References
Allen T. D., Eby L. T., Poteet M. L., Lentz E., Lima L. (2004). Career benefits associated with mentoring for protégés: A meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 89, 127–136. doi:10.1037/ 0021-9010.89.1.127
Arlozorov M. (2012, 12 29). The good luck of young people in Israel. The Marker. Retrieved from http://www.themarker.com/career/1.1852170
Arnett J. J. (2004). Emerging adulthood: The winding road from the late teens through the twenties. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Blatt S. J. (2008). Polarities of experience, relatedness and self-definition in personality development, psychopathology, and the therapeutic process. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. doi:10.1037/11749-000
Blatt S. J., D’Afflitti J. P., Quinlan D. M. (1976). Experiences of depression in normal young adults. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 85, 383–389. doi:10.1037/0021-843X.85.4.383
Blustein D. L. (2001). Extending the reach of vocational psychology: Toward an inclusive and integrated psychology of working. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 59, 171–182. doi:10.1006/jvbe.2001.1823
Blustein D. L. (2011). A relational theory of working. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 79, 1–17. doi:10.1016/j.jvb.2010.10.004
Blustein D. L., Prezioso M. S., Schultheiss D. P. (1995). Attachment theory and career development: Current status and future directions. The Counseling Psychologist, 23, 416–432. doi:10.1177/0011000095233002
Camino L. A. (2000). Youth–adult partnerships: Entering new territory in community work and research. Applied Developmental Science, 4, 11–20. doi:10.1207/S1532480XADS04Suppl_1
Caspi A. (2002). Social selection, social causation, and developmental pathways: Empirical strategies for better understanding how individuals and environments are linked across the life-course. In Pulkkinen L., Caspi A. (Eds.), Paths to successful development: Personality in the life course (pp. 281–301). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
Chandler D. E., Hall D. T., Kram K. E. (2010). A developmental network and relational savvy approach to talent development. Organizational Dynamics, 39, 48–56. doi:10.1016/j.orgdyn.2009.10.001
Chen C., Greenberger E., Farruggia S., Bush K., Dong Q. (2003). Beyond parents and peers: The role of important non-parental adults (VIPs) in adolescent development in China and the United States. Psychology in the Schools, 40, 35–50. doi:10.1002/pits.10068
Cohen P., Kasen S., Chen H., Hartmark C., Gordon K. (2003). Variations in patterns of developmental transmissions in the emerging adulthood period. Developmental Psychology, 39, 657–669. doi:10.1037/0012-1649.39.4.657
Deci E. L., Ryan R. M. (1985). Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior. New York, NY: Plenum.
Derogatis L. R., Melisaratos N. (1983). The brief symptom inventory: An introductory report. Psychological Medicine, 13, 595–605. doi:10.1017/S0033291700048017
Dietrich J., Parker P., Salmela-Aro K. (2012). Phase-adequate engagement at the post-school transition. Developmental Psychology, 48, 1575–1593. doi:10.1037/a0030188
Dietrich J., Shulman S., Nurmi J.-E. (2013). Goal pursuit in young adulthood: The role of personality and motivation for goal appraisal trajectories across 6 years. Journal of Research in Personality, 47, 728–737. doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2013.06.004
Dobrow S. R., Chandler D. E., Murphy W. M., Kram K. E. (2012). A review of developmental networks: Incorporating a mutuality perspective. Journal of Management, 38, 210–242. doi:10.1177/0149206311415858
Dougherty T. W., Cheung Y. H., Florea L. (2008). The role of personality in employee developmental networks. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 23, 653–669. doi:10.1108/02683940810894738
DuBois D. L., Silverthorn N. (2005). Natural mentoring relationships and adolescent health: Evidence from a national study. American Journal of Public Health, 95, 518–524. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2003.031476
Erickson L. D., McDonald S., Elder G. H. (2009). Informal mentors and education: Complementary or compensatory resources? Sociology of Education, 82, 344–367. doi:10.1177/003804070908200403
European Group for Integrated Social Research. (2001). Misleading trajectories: Transition dilemmas of young adults in Europe. Journal of Youth Studies, 4, 101–118. doi:10.1080/13676260120028574
Fruiht V. M., Wray-Lake L. (2013). The role of mentor type and timing in predicting educational attainment. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 42, 1459–1472. doi:10.1007/s10964-012-9817-0
Furlong A., Cartmel F. (2007). Young people and social change: Individualization and risk in late modernity (2nd ed.). Buckingham, England: Open University Press.
Furman W., Buhrmester D. (1985). Children’s perceptions of the personal relationships in their social networks. Developmental Psychology, 21, 1016–1024. doi:10.1037/0012-1649.21.6.1016
Hargrove B. K., Creagh M. G., Burgess B. L. (2002). Family interaction patterns as predictors of vocational identity and career decision-making self-efficacy. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 61, 185–201. doi:10.1006/jvbe.2001.1848
Heckhausen J., Wrosch C., Schulz R. (2010). A motivational theory of life-span development. Psychological Review, 117, 32–60. doi:10.1037/a0017668
Higgins M. C., Kram K. E. (2001). Reconceptualizing mentoring at work: A developmental network perspective. Academy of Management Review, 26, 264–288. doi:10.5465/AMR.2001.4378023
Hu L., Bentler P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling, 6, 1–55. doi:10.1080/10705519909540118
Juntunen C. L., Barraclough D. J., Broneck C. L., Seibel G. A., Winrow S. A., Morin P. M. (2001). American Indian perspectives on the career journey. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 48, 274–285. doi:10.1037/0022-0167.48.3.274
Kidd J. M., Hirsh W., Jackson C. (2004). Straight talking: The nature of effective career discussion at work. Journal of Career Development, 30, 231–245. doi:10.1177/089484530403000401
Laursen B., Williams V. A. (1997). Perceptions of interdependence and closeness in family and peer relationships among adolescents with and without romantic partners. In Shulman S., Collins W. A. (Eds.), Romantic relationships in adolescence: Developmental perspective (pp. 3–20). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Lent R. W., Brown S. D., Hackett G. (2002). Social cognitive career theory. In Brown D., Career choice and development (4th ed., pp. 255–311). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass
Liang B., Rhodes J. (2007). Guest editorial: Cultivating the vital element of youth mentoring. Applied Developmental Science, 11, 104–107. doi:10.1080/10888690701384970
Little B. R. (1983). Personal projects: A rationale and method for investigation. Environment and Behavior, 15, 273–309. doi:10.1177/0013916583153002
Little R. J. A. (1988). A test of missing completely at random for multivariate data with missing values. Journal of the American Statistical Association, 83, 1198–1202. doi:10.2307/2290157
Mayseless O., Scharf M. (2003). What does it mean to be an adult? The Israeli experience. New Directions in Child Development, 100, 5–20. doi:10.1002/cd.71
McDonald S., Erickson L. D., Johnson M., Elder G. H. (2007). Informal mentoring and young adult employment. Social Science Research, 36, 1328–1347. doi:10.1016/j.ssresearch.2007.01.008
Murphy S. E., Ensher E. A. (2001). The role of mentoring support and self-management strategies on reported career outcomes. Journal of Career Development, 27, 229–246. doi:10.1177/089484530102700401
Muthen L. K., Muthen B. O. (1998–2014). Mplus user’s guide (7th ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Muthen & Muthen.
Nurmi J. E. (2004). Socialization and self-development: Channeling, selection, adjustment, and reflection. In Lerner R. M., Steinberg L. (Eds.), Handbook of adolescent psychology (pp. 85–124). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons.
Pelletier L. G., Tuson K. M., Haddad N. K. (1985). Client motivation for therapy scale: A measure of intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and amotivation for therapy. Journal of Personality Assessment, 68, 414–435.
Phillips S. D., Christopher-Sisk E. K., Gravino K. L. (2001). Making career decisions in a relational context. The Counseling Psychologist, 29, 193–213. doi:10.1177/0011000001292002
Raque-Bogdan T. L., Klingaman E. A., Martin H. M., Lucas M. S. (2013). Career-related parent support and career barriers: An investigation of contextual variables. The Career Development Quarterly, 61, 339–353. doi:10.1002/j.2161-0045.2013.00060.x
Rosenthal G. (1993). Reconstruction of life stories: Principles of selection in generating stories for narrative biographical interviews. In Josselson R., Lieblich A. (Eds.), The narrative study of lives (pp. 59–91). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Ryan R. M., Deci E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivations, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55, 68–78. doi:10.1037//0003-066X.55.1.68
Schoon I., Ross A., Martin P. (2009). Sequences, patterns, and variations in the assumption of work and family-related roles: Evidence from two British birth cohorts. In Schoon I., Silbereisen R. K. (Eds.), Transitions from school to work: Globalization, individualization, and patterns of diversity, The Jacobs foundation series on adolescence (pp. 219–242). New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/CBO9780511605369.010
Schwartz S. H. (1994). Cultural dimensions of values: Towards an understanding of national differences. In Kim U., Triandis H. C., Kagitcibasi C., Choi S. C., Yoon G. (Eds.), Individualism and collectivism: Theory, method and applications (pp. 85–119). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Seiffge-Krenke I. (2009). Leaving-home patterns in emerging adults: The impact of earlier parental support and developmental task progression. European Psychologist, 14, 238–248. doi:10.1027/1016-9040.14.3.238
Settersten R. A. Jr, Ray B. (2010). What’s going on with young people today? The long and twisting path to adulthood. The Future of Children, 20, 19–41. doi:10.1353/foc.0.0044
Shulman S., Collins W. A. (1995). Epilogue: Close relationships over time—Coherence and development, change, and adaptation. In Shulman S. (Ed.), Human development, Vol. 7: Close relationships and socioemotional development (pp. 219–228). Norwood, NJ: Ablex.
Shulman S., Pesach-Shavit T., Walsh W., Almog Z., Even R., Doron A., Fennig S. (2009). Self-regulatory processes and psychological symptoms among emerging adults. Journal of Youth Studies, 12, 111–120. doi:10.1080/13676260802558862
Shulman S., Seiffge-Krenke I. (1997). Father-adolescent relationships: Developmental and clinical perspectives. London, England: Routledge.
Snarey J. R. (1993). How fathers care for the next generation: A four-decade study. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Sroufe L. A. (2005). Attachment and development: A prospective, longitudinal study from birth to adulthood. Attachment & Human Development, 7, 349–367.
Turner S. L., Alliman-Brissett A., Lapan R. T., Udipi S., Ergun D. (2003). The career-related parent support scale. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 36, 83–94.
Vettese L. C., Mongrain M. (2000). Communication about the self and partner in the relationships of dependents and self-critics. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 24, 609–626. doi:10.1023/A:1005587009681
Werner E. E., Smith R. S. (1982). Vulnerable, but invincible: A longitudinal study of resilient children and youth. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Whiston S. C., Keller B. K. (2004). The influences of the family of origin on career development: A review and analysis. The Counseling Psychologist, 32, 493–568. doi:10.1177/0011000004265660
Biographies
Yossi Michaeli is a doctoral student of psychology at Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel, and an intern in school psychology. His major research interests include the role of personality and close relationship during the transition to adulthood and adjustment. He enjoys reading modern literature, theater, and sport activities.
Daniel J. Dickson is a doctoral student of psychology at Florida Atlantic University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL. His major research interests include parent–child relationships, peer socialization, and successful navigation into early adulthood. He enjoys recreational reading, nature walks, and attending music concerts.
Shmuel Shulman is a professor of clinical and developmental psychology at the Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel. His major research interests include the study of adolescent and young adult development focusing on romantic relationships and career development and adjustment. He enjoys gardening and hiking.
Cite article
Cite article
Cite article
OR
Download to reference manager
If you have citation software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice
Information, rights and permissions
Information
Published In
Article first published online: September 30, 2016
Issue published: April 2018
Keywords
Authors
Metrics and citations
Metrics
Journals metrics
This article was published in Journal of Career Development.
VIEW ALL JOURNAL METRICSArticle usage*
Total views and downloads: 690
*Article usage tracking started in December 2016
Altmetric
See the impact this article is making through the number of times it’s been read, and the Altmetric Score.
Learn more about the Altmetric Scores
Articles citing this one
Receive email alerts when this article is cited
Web of Science: 9 view articles Opens in new tab
Crossref: 8
- Investigating career-related teacher support for Chinese secondary sch...
- How do you know if this is for you? Exploration and awareness of techn...
- Development and Validation of the Teacher Career-Related Support Self-...
- Shared and nonshared agency for occupational goals with mothers, fathe...
- The impact of influential others on student teachers’ dropout intentio...
- Career-related teacher support: A review of roles that teachers play i...
- A Study of the Influence of Career Counseling Perception on the Employ...
- The influence of the job challenge and growth opportunity on adaptive ...
Figures and tables
Figures & Media
Tables
View Options
Get access
Access options
If you have access to journal content via a personal subscription, university, library, employer or society, select from the options below:
loading institutional access options
Alternatively, view purchase options below:
Purchase 24 hour online access to view and download content.
Access journal content via a DeepDyve subscription or find out more about this option.
