The Mediating Influence of Fit Perceptions in the Relationship Between Career Adaptability and Job Content and Hierarchical Plateaus

Abstract

Very little research has examined how career constructs are related to career plateaus. Given the dysfunctional consequences of plateauing, it is important to understand how career constructs, such as career adaptability, influence plateauing. Drawing on career construction theory and the theory of work adjustment, we propose that fit perceptions will mediate the career adaptability and plateauing relationship. Using data collected from 294 banking employees from the Punjab Province of Pakistan, we used the PROCESS macro to test for mediation. Results indicate that career adaptability reduces the likelihood of experiencing job content and hierarchical plateaus. Perceptions of fit related negatively to perceptions of plateauing, with one exception—demands–ability fit perceptions were unrelated to hierarchical plateaus. Mediation analysis indicated that needs–supply fit perceptions mediate the influence of career adaptability on both job content and hierarchical plateaus, whereas demands–ability fit perceptions mediate the influence of career adaptability on job content plateau but not hierarchical plateau. Implications of results for theory and practice are discussed.