Motivation for reemployment: The role of self-efficacy and identity.
Item
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Title
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Motivation for reemployment: The role of self-efficacy and identity.
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Identifier
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AAI9707067
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identifier
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9707067
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Creator
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Battista, Mariangela.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Donna E. Thompson
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Date
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1996
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Psychology, Industrial | Psychology, Personality | Psychology, Social
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Abstract
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Millions of jobs are lost each year because of plant shutdowns, layoffs, and eliminations of positions. Although a relatively large body of job loss research exists, it has tended to be descriptive, outlining the effect of unemployment on society and individuals, and not theory-driven research. In addition, unemployment research has ignored individual difference variables that distinguish between individuals who succesfully find reemployment and those who do not. The present study was designed to address the issue of motivation for reemployment following a job loss and investigate the potential roles of self-efficacy and identity in job-seeking behavior.;Using self-efficacy and identity theories as a framework to study motivation for reemployment is advantageous because both theories are dynamic constructs. They recognize individuals as active agents and not as a passive point of contact as implied by prior unemployment research. Thus, these two theories provide a potential explanation for what distinguishes active versus non-active job seekers.;Two-hundred fifty unemployed individuals, recruited through outplacement centers, completed a questionnaire assessing career self-efficacy, career identity, identity valence, identity salience, threat to identity, and job search behaviors. Results suggest that career self-efficacy and career identity are useful predictors of job search behaviors. Identity valence, or the value one places upon an identity, also appears to play a role in determining the strength of an individual's career identity and the intensity of job search. Correlations show moderate to strong relationships among the variables under study. Significant main effects indicate that career self-efficacy and identity valence account for significant variance in career identity. Further, career identity and identity valence account for significant variance in job search behaviors. Theoretical and practical implications of research findings are discussed as are directions for future research.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
