Career identity, career commitment, and self-efficacy: the role of gender and family characteristics

Abstract The career attitudes and decisions of both male and female employees depend not only on the situation at work but are also influenced by their family dynamics. This paper explores the differences in the relationship between career identity and career commitment and tested self-efficacy as a moderating variable for employees with different family dynamics. It also considered whether these relationships vary among male and female employees. The results show that in the female subsample the moderator was significant, while for males self-efficacy did not play a significant role. In terms of family characteristics, being married/cohabiting and being married/cohabiting with dependents in the household were found to be relevant differentiating factors among females when it comes to the significance of the moderating effect. In the male sample self-efficacy exhibited a significant effect only in the group of male employees with dependents.