A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Psychology of Working Theory Among U.S. and Korean College Students

• Published in: Journal of counseling psychology 2020-10, Vol.67 (5), p.568-579
• Main Authors: Kim, Haram J, Kim, Shin Ye, Duffy, Ryan D, Nguyen, Nguyen P, Wang, Danni
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Career Mobility; College Students; Cross Cultural Differences; Cross cultural studies; Cross-Cultural Comparison; Cross-cultural psychology; Cultural differences; Economic resources; Economics; Female; Future; Human; Humans; Korean Cultural Groups; Male; Measurement; Occupational Choice; Occupations; Occupations - economics; Occupations - trends; Perceptions; Psychological Theories; Republic of Korea - ethnology; Students - psychology; Test Construction; Undergraduate students; United States - ethnology; Universities - economics; Universities - trends; Volition; Work; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0022-0167; 1939-2168
• DOI: 10.1037/cou0000408

The cross-cultural validity of a modified version of psychology of working theory (PWT; Duffy, Blustein, Diemer, & Autin, 2016) was tested in samples of United States (n = 346) and Korean (n = 319) undergraduates. Participants completed measures of economic resources, work volition, career adaptability, occupational engagement, and future decent work perceptions. The results illustrated measurement invariance between the two samples. Thus, the hypothesized models were tested separately in the two samples and the results were compared regarding parameter significance, direction, and magnitude. Overall, the modified model generally fit well with both samples. However, there were notable cross-cultural differences: economic resources significantly predicted work volition, occupational engagement, and future decent work perceptions only in the United States sample and the future decent work perceptions and occupational engagement were negatively associated in the Korean sample. Explanations about the cross-cultural differences and invariances were provided and practical and research implications were discussed. Public Significance Statement This study examined predictors of occupational engagement and future perceptions of decent work among undergraduate samples from the United States and Korea. Although psychological factors such as the perceived ability to freely make career choice and the resources to cope with various career tasks were important for both sample, notable differences existed concerning the links between economic resources to career-related behaviors and perceptions of future work.