APPLICATION OF THE CAREER SELF MANAGEMENT MODEL TO WORKPLACE SELF ADVOCACY: THE ROLES OF ATTACHMENT, OUTCOME EXPECTATIONS, AND GENDER

Abstract

The literature applying attachment theory to career development has grown rapidly in recent years (Yip et al., 2018), reflecting the recognition of attachment dynamics as an important factor in career exploration and management. The social cognitive career self-management model (Lent & Brown, 2013) has recently been applied to the study of self-advocacy (Moturu & Lent, 2023), which was seen as one important way in which workers exercise agency in their career behavior. This study integrated attachment theory with workplace self-advocacy and the CSM model. It also included development of a new measure of self-assertive outcome expectations at work (SAOW). Participants were 687 full-time employees who completed an online survey. The sample was divided into distinct measurement development and theory testing phases. An initial exploratory factor analysis (N = 200) found that SAOW contained two separate but highly related factors, positive and negative outcome expectations. It also provided initial support for the factor structure, validity, and reliability of the SAOW scale. Compared to men, women were found to have higher negative expectations and lower self-efficacy when they advocate for themselves. Results of a structural path analysis indicated that secure base support, attachment anxiety, and attachment avoidance were predictive of self-assertive efficacy and outcome expectations, which in turn predicted advocacy behaviors (e.g., self-promotion) and career outcomes (e.g., career satisfaction). I describe the findings in detail, discuss the utility of the SAOW measure, and consider the study’s implications for theory, research, and practice with adult workers.