Exploring intercultural career mobility attitudes of post-graduate students: A longitudinal study on arab world migrants

Abstract

The study investigates the factors developing intercultural protean career attitudes (freedom, self-direction and making career choices based on one’s values) among postgraduate students (who later migrated to Arab world countries) and the role of ability-based psychological mechanisms. Specifically, to study the effect of core self-evaluation (CSEs), perceived employability, and network capital on intercultural protean career attitude, and the role of career decision selfefficacy (CDSE) as a mediator in this relationship. Past studies have focused on the consequences of intercultural protean careers. However, none of them identified the antecedents of intercultural protean career mobility orientation of migrant workers. Our study aims to develop a process model for which individuals develop intercultural protean careers. Data was collected from 1,064 post-graduate management students in Kerala, India in two waves. The data was collected for the first wave immediately before the participants completed their graduation degree, and the second wave of data collection was done approximately six months into their employment and migrated to the Arab world countries. Hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to test the hypothesis and the size of the indirect effect using the SPSS PROCESS macro. Individuals with higher CSEs and perceived employability develop intercultural protean career attitudes, whereas socially embedded individuals are less likely to form a protean attitude. Further, for individuals having higher CSEs and perceived employability, the development of intercultural protean career orientation largely happens through the development of CDSE. Career counsellors who are dealing with problems arising out of dynamism in careers could focus on building elements of CSEs and developing career-specific self-efficacy. Organizations that prefer stable career orientations in their employees could look for socially embedded employees.