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Journals / Uludağ Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi / 2025 / Cilt: 38 Sayı: 3

Proactive Career Behaviors in the Context of Psychological Needs and Career Adapt-Abilities: A Structural Equation Model

Psikolojik İhtiyaçlar ve Kariyer Uyum Yetenekleri Bağlamında Proaktif Kariyer Davranışları: Yapısal Bir Eşitlik Modeli

Hacı Arif Doğanülkü(ÇUKUROVA ÜNİVERSİTESİ)0000-0003-2055-7511
Hazel Duru(ULUDAG UNIVERSITY, FACULTY OF EDUCATION)0000-0002-1669-6407
Pages
532–553
Publication Date
2025-12-27
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

The results indicated that proactive career behaviors were significantly related to career adapt-abilities and all three psychological needs: autonomy need, relatedness need, competence.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

🎯
Objective & Hypothesis:Proactive career behaviors are recognized as key antecedents in the successful transition from the student role to the workforce.
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Key Findings & Data:A total of 383 students, including 242 females (63.2%) and 141 males (36.8%), participated in the research.
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Conclusion & Impact:The results indicated that proactive career behaviors were significantly related to career adapt-abilities and all three psychological needs: autonomy need, relatedness need, competence.
🔬Design:Modeling & Simulation
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Proaktif kariyer davranışları · Psikolojik ihtiyaçlar · Kariyer uyum yetenekleri

Abstract

Proactive career behaviors are recognized as key antecedents in the successful transition from the student role to the workforce. In this context, there is a growing need for studies to identify variables that influence the development of proactive career behaviors. This study aims to investigate the mediating role of career adaptability in the relationship between university students' proactive career behaviors and psychological needs. A total of 383 students, including 242 females (63.2%) and 141 males (36.8%), participated in the research. Data were collected using the Balanced Measure of Psychological Needs Scale, the Career Adapt-abilities Scale-Short Form, and the Career Engagement Scale. Structural equation modeling was employed to test whether career adaptability mediates the relationship between psychological needs and proactive career behaviors. The results indicated that proactive career behaviors were significantly related to career adapt-abilities and all three psychological needs: autonomy need, relatedness need, competence. Moreover, career adapt-abilities was found to fully mediate the relationship between proactive career behaviors and psychological needs. By contributing to the literature on proactive career behaviors, this study offers theoretical insights and practical implications that could have positive effects on university students’ successful transition to work life and their career development processes.

Özet

Proaktif kariyer davranışları, öğrenci rolünden çalışma rolüne başarılı geçişin önemli öncüllerinden biri olarak öne çıkmaktadır. Bu bağlamda proaktif kariyer davranışları üzerinde etkili olabilecek değişkenlerin belirlenmesine yönelik çalışmalara ihtiyaç bulunmaktadır. Bu ihtiyacı karşılamak amacıyla gerçekleştirilen bu çalışma, üniversite öğrencilerinin proaktif kariyer davranışları ile psikolojik ihtiyaçları arasındaki ilişkide kariyer uyum yeteneklerinin aracılık rolünü araştırmayı amaçlamaktadır. Araştırmaya 242'si kadın (%63,2) ve 141'i erkek (%36,8) olmak üzere toplam 383 öğrenci katılmıştır. Veri toplama araçları olarak Psikolojik İhtiyaç Doyumunda Denge Ölçeği, Kariyer Uyum Yetenekleri Ölçeği-Kısa Form ve Kariyer Adanmışlık Ölçeği kullanılmıştır. Değişkeler arasındaki ilişkiler Pearson korelasyon analizi ile incelenmiştir. Psikolojik ihtiyaçlar ile proaktif kariyer davranışları arasındaki ilişkide kariyer uyum yeteneklerinin aracılık rolünün olup olmadığı yapısal eşitlik modelleme yöntemi kullanılarak analiz edilmiştir. Analiz sonuçları proaktif kariyer davranışlarının kariyer uyum yetenekleri ve tüm psikolojik ihtiyaçlarla (özerklik ihtiyacı, ilişkili olma ihtiyacı, yeterlilik ihtiyacı) ilişkili olduğunu göstermiştir. Ayrıca proaktif kariyer davranışları ile psikolojik ihtiyaçlar arasındaki ilişkide kariyer uyum yeteneklerinin tam aracılık rolüne sahip olduğu bulunmuştur. Bu çalışma, proaktif davranışlar literatürünü geliştirerek, üniversite öğrencilerinin başarılı bir şekilde iş hayatına geçiş ve kariyer gelişim süreçlerine olumlu etki yaratabilecek teorik ve pratik uygulamalara yönelik yol gösterici sonuçlar sunmaktadır.

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Cite This Article

Doğanülkü, H. A., Duru, H. (2025). Proactive Career Behaviors in the Context of Psychological Needs and Career Adapt-Abilities: A Structural Equation Model. Uludağ Üniversitesi Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, Cilt: 38 Sayı: 3, 532–553. https://doi.org/10.19171/uefad.1551822

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