Abstract
The purpose of this study was to develop the Career Orientation, Meta-Competencies and Career Outcomes (COMCO) model to address a number of challenges that are currently prevalent. These challenges include the conceptualisation and operationalisation of the protean and boundaryless career orientations, as well as the associated meta-competencies, as limited empirical research has focused on this area. In addition, this study considered both objective and subjective career success outcomes as this area is also not well researched. No previous studies have used a longitudinal research design to concurrently examine the relationships among the protean and boundaryless career orientations, their associated meta-competencies and both objective and subjective career success.
The COMCO model consists of two predictors (protean and boundaryless career orientations), three meta-competencies (knowing why, knowing how and knowing whom), three subjective career success outcomes (employability, marketability and work-engagement) and three objective career success outcomes (job grades, performance measures and performance on a formal work-based qualification). The specific relationships examined included the relations between the protean career orientation and both objective and subjective career success potentially mediated by meta-competencies (knowing why, knowing how and knowing whom). The examined relationships also included the relationships between the boundaryless career orientation and both objective and subjective career success potentially mediated by meta-competencies (knowing why, knowing how and knowing whom). Lastly, the relationship between the protean and boundaryless career orientation was examined in order to determine whether the two career orientations are truly separate entities or whether they constitute a single entity.
The aforementioned relationships were examined using a longitudinal study that aimed at gathering data from respondents that were employed in the South African Financial Sector. In total, 319 respondents provided data during the first wave of the study, 200 of these respondents participated during the second wave, and 117 respondents completed all three waves. The relationships were examined in cross-sectional and longitudinal formats by first examining the relations found in the first wave and then examining the information obtained across all three waves.
The analysis of the relationships obtained in the cross-sectional study indicated that neither the protean nor the boundaryless career orientations are related to objective career success,..
D.Phil. (Industrial Psychology)