To what extent do career agility and psychological capital activate employees’ career adaptability and foster their career resilience and career satisfaction?

Abstract

The present study drew from the career construction theory of career adaptation and assessed the extent to which career agility and psychological capital (as psychological states of adaptive readiness) activated employees’ career adaptability resources and fostered their career resilience and career satisfaction (as modes of career adaptedness). A sample of (N = 412; mean age = 38.79 years) Black African employees in the public services participated in the study. Correlational statistics showed positive associations between the study variables. Mediation effects highlighted technological adaptivity, agile learning, optimism, and hope as activators of career concern, career control, and career curiosity, which in turn boosted self-reliance, personal resilience, and work resilience. Psychological states of career agility and psychological capital had also direct effects on the career adaptedness modes of career resilience and career satisfaction. The findings enriched career adaptation theory and have utility for organisational career development practice in the public services.