Career Satisfaction of Professional Women: The Interplay between Career Adaptability and Psychosocial Career Preoccupations

Abstract

Women’s career development is seen to be complex, and more research is needed to gain more knowledge about the psychosocial factors that influence the career satisfaction of professional women. The current research explored the interplay between career adaptability and psychosocial career preoccupations to explain the variance in levels of career satisfaction. Data were collected from a random sample (N = 576) of professional women in scarce skills fields in the South African organisational context. Hierarchical moderated regression analysis indicated that individuals with high career adaptability and low career establishment and work/life adjustment preoccupations exhibited relatively higher levels of career satisfaction than those with high preoccupations. The study concluded that individuals’ career preoccupations negatively moderated the positive link between their career adaptability resources and career satisfaction. Career discussions should address the career development concerns of professional women in order to enhance their career satisfaction.