Structural Relationships of Korean Counselors' Perceptions of Decent Work: Gender Differences

Objectives This study examined the mediating effects of work volition and career adaptability in the relationship between economic constraints and decent work among counselors. Methods To this end, a survey was conducted with 234 counselors in South Korea. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS Statistics 26 and Process Macro 4.2, through frequency analysis, descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, multiple regression analysis, and bootstrap-based mediation analysis. Results The study revealed that work volition mediates the relationship between economic constraints and decent work. Furthermore, both work volition and career adaptability were found to play a dual mediating role in the relationship between economic constraints and decent work. Additionally, for male participants, age and marital status significantly influenced perceptions of decent work, while economic constraints had a greater impact on female participants compared to their male counterparts. Conclusions This study applied the Psychology of Working Theory (PWT) to counselors and proposed intervention strategies to help them attain decent work. It is significant in that it identifies the barriers preventing male and female counselors from perceiving their work as decent and helps understand the practical conditions needed for counselors to recognize their work as decent.