| Author: | Gonsamo, Dagim Dawit |
| Title: | Navigating uncertainty in the school-to-work transition : a mixed method study on career adaptability and well-being of emerging adults in Ethiopia |
| Advisors: | Lo, Herman (APSS) Chan, K. L. Edward (APSS) |
| Degree: | Ph.D. |
| Year: | 2024 |
| Subject: | School-to-work transition -- Ethiopia Career education -- Ethiopia Hong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertations |
| Department: | Department of Applied Social Sciences |
| Pages: | xi, 236 pages : color illustrations |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | In recent years, the school-to-work transition has become increasingly unpredictable and uncertain, necessitating the development of career adaptability as a crucial regulatory resource to enhance psychological well-being among emerging adults. However, existing research seldom examines the of individual and contextual factors on the career adaptability of emerging adults within the Ethiopian school-to-work transition context. Furthermore, how individual agency and contextual resources of emerging adults inform their readiness to navigate the uncertainties of future careers have not been adequately explored. This study aims to address these gaps through two interrelated inquiries, employing a concurrent mixed methods design. For Study 1, cross-sectional survey data were collected from 607 final-year undergraduates (Male = 385; Female = 222) aged 20–28 (M = 22.54; SD = 1.27) from six public universities in Ethiopia. Participants completed scales measuring proactive personality, perceived social support, career anxiety, career adaptability, life satisfaction and entrepreneurial intentions. The study assessed the effects of proactive personality and social support as exogenous variables while career adaptability, life satisfaction, and entrepreneurial intention as outcome variables. Structural equation modeling was applied using maximum likelihood estimation in the AMOS computer program to test the measurement validity, invariance, and the relationships between these constructs. Results indicate a significant positive effect of proactive personality on career adaptability (β = .178, p < 0.001), life satisfaction (β = .297, p < 0.001) and entrepreneurial intention (β = .268, p < p < 0.001) of emerging adults in Ethiopia. Similarly, the study identified positive and significant effects of social support on career adaptability (β = .472, p < 0.001), life satisfaction (β = .297, p < 0.001) and entrepreneurial intention (β = .438, p < 0.001). The study also tested the mediation effects of career adaptability in these relationships using bootstrapping with 5,000 samples and a 95% confidence interval and identified partial mediation effects of career adaptability in explaining how the proactive personality of emerging adults and social support contribute to life satisfaction during the challenging school-to-work transition, as well as intentions to pursue small business as alternative employment pathways. Considering the potential effects of gender on this relationship, a multi-group analysis in the present study found that the impact of proactive personality on career adaptability was higher among male participants than female participants. Additionally, the effect of social support on life satisfaction was stronger among females than males. However, the small ΔCFI indicated only a minor change in model fit, suggesting that the observed differences were marginally significant. On the other hand, the findings of Study 1 were further supported by those of Study 2. Using a photovoice method involving 42 participants (Male = 30, Female = 12). Informed with career construction theory and social cognitive theory, the photovoice study identified four key themes characterizing the participants’ experiences of uncertainty and strategies and resources for navigating the uncertainties during the transition period. These include: (1) worries and uncertainty, (2) individual resources, (3) contextual resources, and (4) adaptation outcomes. The study characterized participant’s adaptive response as their “situated agency” which implies the meaning-making, intentionality, and action of emerging adults toward uncertainty in STWT. The second theme (i.e., individual resources) emerged as a central theme, highlighting the significant role of the participant's resources and agency in navigating uncertainties during the school-to-work transition. These include flexibility and emergent aspirations, optimism and hopefulness, and readiness and sense of control. Furthermore, social support, neighborhood resources, and spirituality were also identified as contextual resources for enhancing career adaptability of emerging adults. By actively involving participants at different stages of the research process and fostering their critical reflectivity about personal and contextual resources, the photovoice offers a novel approach to exploring the contextualized career adaptability of emerging adults in the study context for the first time. The results from both studies were integrated by illustrating points of convergence, divergence, and complementarity to offer a nuanced understanding of the contextual career adaptability of emerging adults. This implies that both individual and contextual resources identified in the photovoice study further elucidate the quantitative findings on the positive and significant effects of proactive personality and social support on career adaptability and adaptivity outcomes. The study developed an analytical framework characterizing the “situated agency” of emerging adults as they navigate uncertainty and contextual constraints during the school-to-work transition period. In conclusion, the study highlights the complex interplay of personal and contextual factors that shape the career adaptability and adaptive outcomes among emerging adults in Ethiopia amid the uncertainties of the school-to-work transition. As a pioneering study exploring the career adaptability and well-being of emerging adults in the Ethiopian school-to-work transition (STWT) regime through a mixed-method design, this research has significant methodological, theoretical, and policy implications. |
| Rights: | All rights reserved |
| Access: | open access |
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