Occupational Engagement and Academic Major Satisfaction: Vocational Identity's Mediating Role

• Published in: The Career development quarterly Vol. 64; no. 2; pp. 169 - 180
• Main Authors: Cox, Daniel W., Bjornsen, Abby L., Krieshok, Thomas S., Liu, Yan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Alexandria Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.06.2016; National Career Development Association
• Subjects: Academic achievement; Career counseling; Career Development; Career development planning; Careers; College students; Counseling; Decision making; Evaluation; Forecasts and trends; Grade Point Average; Hypotheses; Job satisfaction; Market trend/market analysis; occupational engagement; Social aspects; Studies; Undergraduate Students; vocational identity; Vocational interests; Netherlands
• ISSN: 0889-4019; 2161-0045
• DOI: 10.1002/cdq.12049

This study examined vocational identity as a mediator of the relationship between occupational engagement (i.e., participation in a breadth of activities and interactions) and academic major satisfaction. Furthermore, the authors evaluated whether satisfaction with academic major related to academic success (i.e., grade point average). The mediational model was tested in a sample of undergraduate students (N = 215). Results indicated that occupational engagement significantly predicted academic major satisfaction and that vocational identity fully mediated that relationship. These findings support occupational engagement as an important contributor to adaptive career decision making and encourage research on occupational engagement as an intervention point for career counselors.