Applying the social cognitive model of career self-management to the entrepreneurial career decision: The role of exploratory and coping adaptive behaviours

• Published in: Journal of vocational behavior 2019-06, Vol.112, p.255-269
• Main Authors: Pérez-López, María Carmen, González-López, María José, Rodríguez-Ariza, Lázaro
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adaptive behaviours; Career decidedness; Career development planning; Career self-management model; Careers; Cognitive ability; Cognitive models; Coping; Entrepreneurial career; Entrepreneurs; Self-efficacy; Social cognitive career theory; Social networks; University students
• ISSN: 0001-8791; 1095-9084
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jvb.2019.03.005

In this study, the social cognitive model of career self-management (Lent & Brown, 2013) was applied to study the degree of decidedness of university students for an entrepreneurial career, including adaptive behaviours of individuals in their career management. The participants were 376 final-year students of business-oriented degree courses at the University of Granada (Spain). Based on longitudinal survey data, the model was tested with structural equation models. Empirical analysis corroborated the hypothesised relationships between the core cognitive-person variables of social cognitive career theory (self-efficacy, outcome expectations and intention) and the mediating role of adaptive exploratory and coping behaviours in the relation between goals and the level of decidedness for an entrepreneurial career. These findings fill a perceived research gap by showing empirical evidence of the applicability of the career self-management model to the entrepreneurial field. Implications both for future research and for policies and practices of career counselling and entrepreneurship education are discussed. •The career self-management model is useful in the entrepreneurial career decision- making process.•Self-efficacy and exploratory actions are positively related to entrepreneurial career decidedness.•Adaptive behaviours can play a fundamental role in the pursuit of entrepreneurial career goals.•Outcome expectations are linked to adaptive career behaviours only indirectly, via intention.