Making a Commitment to Your Future: Investigating the Effect of Career Exploration and Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy on the Relationship between Career Concern and Career Commitment

Career commitment refers to individuals' dedication to their career; in the field of vocational psychology, career commitment is considered a vital factor for promoting a sustainable career. The current study examined a mediation model of career concern related to career commitment with career exploration and Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy (CDMSE) as two mediators. The participants were 1105 high school students (males = 594, females = 511) recruited from three main cities in Jiangsu Province, China. Results indicated that the hypotheses were all confirmed: the direct effect of career concern on career commitment was significant (beta = 0.598, p < 0.001); the indirect effect of career concern on career commitment through career exploration and CDMSE was also significant (beta = 0.255, p < 0.001); and career exploration and CDMSE mediated the relation from career concern to career commitment. Finally, the authors discussed the implications of the findings which could be applied to improve a high school student's career commitment and the sustainability of career development. The limitations of the study and the future research needed to complement the current work are also discussed.

Automated summary

Career commitment is essential for sustainable career development, and this study examined the impact of career concern on career commitment among 1105 high school students. Results indicated that career concern influenced career commitment through career exploration and Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy. These findings have important implications for enhancing high school students' career commitment and sustainability in career development.