Unveiling the path to subjective career success: core self-evaluation, creative performance and intrinsic motivation among engineering professionals

Purpose Due to the dominant western environment focus in the literature and the need for a deeper understanding of self-managed careers in organizational life, this study seeks to contribute to the theoretical knowledge of the career success by examining the personality and motivational predictors of subjective career success, including core self-evaluation, intrinsic motivation and creative performance, in a complex model within a non-western cultural background in the context of engineering professionals in Türkiye. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 202 engineering professionals working in research and development departments in Ankara, Türkiye. A serial mediation model was evaluated to examine the intended relationship. Findings The findings show that core self-evaluation was positively related to subjective career success. Core self-evaluation exerted an indirect effect on subjective career success through intrinsic motivation, as well as on subjective career success through creative performance. The indirect effect of core self-evaluation on subjective career success was serially mediated by intrinsic motivation and creative performance. Practical implications Particularly for engineering professionals, managers need to be aware of the positive impact that core self-evaluation has on their subjective career success and should consider implementing policies and procedures that recognize core self-evaluation, intrinsic motivation and creative performance as essential components of their subjective career success. Furthermore, it is imperative that human resource practitioners create an organizational atmosphere that focuses on career development and provides professional development opportunities to retain engineering professionals, as well as enhancing their intrinsic motivation and enabling them to unleash their creative performance. Originality/value The findings advance the understanding of how engineering professionals’ core self-evaluation can impact their subjective career success through focusing on intrinsic motivation and creative performance. This research therefore contributes to the existing literature by underpinning the theoretical framework of self-determination theory and social cognitive theory, providing a more comprehensive understanding of the interrelationships between engineer professionals’ core self-evaluation and subjective career success within a non-western cultural context.