How believing in your own career competencies helps to be succesfull, and how it can be fostered

What is it about?

Trusting the own competence to accomplish goals, also known as self-efficacy beliefs is of paramount importance for our motivation, and ultimately success. In this study we looked at the relationships between career-related self-efficacy and career success on the one hand, and theoretically derived predictors of career-related self-efficacy on the other hand. Career-related self-efficacy turned out to boost career satisfaction though not self-rated success. However there was a effect from self-rated success to self-efficacy. In addition, we found exceeding demands and emotional strain negatively affecting career-related self-efficacy, whereas leadership showed only an impact when simultaneously analyzed with the other sources; and contradicting to our theorizing transformational leadership behavior diminished self-efficacy experiences.

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Photo by Jeroen Bosch on Unsplash

Photo by Jeroen Bosch on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Self-efficacy is well known to be an important motivational motor. However, less is known about contextual predictors of self-efficacy. Drawing upon the sources of self-efficacy, as proposed by Bandura, we could show that excessive demands, as well as emotional strain negatively predict career self-efficacy. Perceived career succes showed to have an effect on later career self-efficacy, as well as career self-efficacy was able to predict later career satisfaction. Hence it seems crucial to provide sufficient resources along with demands. As it is a central task of leaders to design the work of their subordinates, and hence to offer challenging tasks promoting self-efficacy perceptions, organizations should invest in leadership development. In particular leaders should be made aware of their impact on subordinates as role models.