Category of Work

Article

Publication Title

The College Student Journal

Abstract

Over the last several decades, there have been numerous studies of both workers and college students who have a calling to a particular line of work. Many positive outcomes have been associated with the presence of a calling, but still much is unknown about both predictors and antecedents of having a calling. This pair of studies explored the extent to which college students' work orientation and parental influence (parents' work orientation and parental pressure) relates to students' presence of a calling, and how, in turn, all of these factors play a role in students' autonomous motivation, satisfaction, and commitment to their major/career path. Two separate samples of undergraduate students (n = 178; n=84) completed online surveys measuring the variables of interest to this study. The most notable results of these studies suggest that students' work orientation is associated with the presence of a calling, and that both presence of a calling and student calling orientation are associated with higher levels of autonomous motivation, and satisfaction and commitment to their major/career path. We found some evidence that perceived influence of parental pressure relates negatively to presence of a calling, autonomous motivation, and satisfaction. This research has implications for universities in supporting student development of a calling orientation and discernment of a calling. It also has implications for parents in how they can best support their children in pursuing a particular major and/or career path.

First Page

382

Last Page

410

Publication Date

2022

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