The Effect of Future Work Self‐Salience on Proactive Career Behaviors: The Longitudinal Intermediation of Cognitive Adjustment at Work

ABSTRACT This study investigated whether cognitive adjustment at work (CAW) mediates the relationship between future work self‐salience and proactive career behaviors. Data were collected from 763 Chinese employees, aged between 22 and 58 years at the baseline time point, and a total of 548 participants provided data at the two subsequent time points (baseline, 3‐month follow‐up, and 6‐month follow‐up). Self‐report questionnaires assessed participants’ future work self‐salience, CAW, and proactive career behaviors. Mediation analysis using a fixed‐effect cross‐lagged panel model was conducted on the longitudinal data and showed that CAW mediated the relationship between future work self‐salience and proactive career behaviors. These findings contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms influencing the relationship between future work self‐salience and proactive career behaviors and have important implications for the promotion of employees’ proactive career behaviors and enhancing their career management skills.