Holland’s constructs in relation to career persistence and career change: A study of Australian managerial and professional workers

Abstract

This study tested Holland’s propositions that career persisters are more congruent, have greater vocational identity, and more differentiated and consistent personalities than career changers. His proposition that people who change career move to more congruent occupations was also tested. The study examined if vocational identity, differentiation, consistency, age or gender moderate the congruence–career persistence/change relation. The sample comprised 285 managers/professionals (241 persisters; 44 changers) first assessed in groups over 5 years and followed up after 18 months to gauge their career persistence/change status. Results showed persisters were more congruent and had stronger vocational identity than changers, but their personalities were not more differentiated or consistent. Changers were found to move to careers more congruent than their previous careers. There was no evidence the proposed moderators interacted with congruence in predicting career persistence/change.