Measuring the Impact of Career Development Programs on Employee Career Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

With the pace of business change, investment in career development programs is increasingly becoming a strategy for attracting, developing, and retaining talent. Nevertheless, the effectiveness of such programs remains relatively unexamined, particularly in terms of employee career satisfaction and organizational commitment outcome variables. To bridge this significant gap, this study aims to analyze both the direct and indirect impacts of career development programs and career mobility on employee career satisfaction and organizational commitment, while also providing insight into the moderating effect of employees' age on this relationship. Data of 301 employees across various sectors were collected using standardized survey tools with a quantitative cross-sectional design, and structural equation modeling was used to evaluate the effects. The analysis revealed that both career development programs and career mobility significantly enhanced career satisfaction, with career satisfaction partially mediating its effect on organizational commitment. Career mobility demonstrated a slightly stronger influence on satisfaction than development programs. Importantly, age did not moderate the relationship between career satisfaction and organizational commitment. The innovation of this study is underscored by the integrated model that constitutes career mobility and satisfaction as key mechanisms and rigorous validation through the deployment of hybrid statistical techniques. These results highlight the strategic importance of integrated career development and mobility systems in cultivating a happy and loyal workforce irrespective of age.