Attached to success: the impact of attachment styles on career resources and satisfaction

Purpose This study aims to examine the role of secure attachment style in shaping employees’ career resources and, in turn, their career success. Drawing on conservation of resources theory, the study proposes and tests a multi-path model in which secure attachment influences career success through the sequential mediating roles of career resources, career adaptability and career satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected in multiple phases from a sample of 336 employees across diverse industries. Partial least squares structural equation modelling was used to assess the research model. Findings The results indicate that a secure attachment style is positively related to career resources, career adaptability, career satisfaction and career success. Employees who possess greater career resources report higher levels of career satisfaction, which subsequently contributes to enhanced career success. The findings provide empirical support for the sequential mediating effects of career resources, career adaptability and career satisfaction. Practical implications Organisations can benefit from recognising individual differences in attachment styles when designing human resource management practices. Developing clear career pathways and competency frameworks can enhance employees’ career resources by increasing transparency, direction and access to growth opportunities. Originality/value This research offers an integrated perspective on how early psychological resources, rooted in attachment styles, can influence long-term career outcomes. It contributes to the literature by demonstrating the sequential interplay of multiple career-related resources in explaining career success.