Proactive Career Behaviors in the Context of Psychological Needs and Career Adapt-Abilities: A Structural Equation Model

Proactive career behaviors are recognized as key antecedents in the successful transition from the student role to the workforce. In this context, there is a growing need for studies to identify variables that influence the development of proactive career behaviors. This study aims to investigate the mediating role of career adaptability in the relationship between university students' proactive career behaviors and psychological needs. A total of 383 students, including 242 females (63.2%) and 141 males (36.8%), participated in the research. Data were collected using the Balanced Measure of Psychological Needs Scale, the Career Adapt-abilities Scale-Short Form, and the Career Engagement Scale. Structural equation modeling was employed to test whether career adaptability mediates the relationship between psychological needs and proactive career behaviors. The results indicated that proactive career behaviors were significantly related to career adapt-abilities and all three psychological needs: autonomy need, relatedness need, competence. Moreover, career adapt-abilities was found to fully mediate the relationship between proactive career behaviors and psychological needs. By contributing to the literature on proactive career behaviors, this study offers theoretical insights and practical implications that could have positive effects on university students’ successful transition to work life and their career development processes.