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Original research
Relationship between perceived organisational support, self-efficacy, proactive personality and career self-management among nurses: a moderated mediation analysis
3Abstract
Objectives
Career self-management is believed to be a critical behaviour in the new career era. However, the underlying mechanisms that stimulate nurses’ career self-management are unclear. The aim of this study was to examine the mediating effect of self-efficacy and the moderating effect of proactive personality on the relationship between perceived organisational support and career self-management among nurses.
Design
This was a cross-sectional survey.
Setting and participants
A total of 1866 nurses from 15 hospitals across 15 cities in China were recruited for this study.
Primary and secondary outcome measures
The Perceived Organizational Support Scale, General Self-efficacy Scale, Proactive Personality Scale and Individual Career Management Questionnaire were used. Data were analysed using moderated mediation regressions with Hayes’ PROCESS macro in SPSS version 26.0.
Results
General self-efficacy mediated the relationship between perceived organisational support and career self-management. Proactive personality moderated the direct (B=0.043, p<0.001, 95% CI 0.026 to 0.060) and indirect relationship (B=0.098, p<0.001, 95% CI 0.074 to 0.123) between perceived organisational support and career self-management. Further, the positive effects of perceived organisational support on general self-efficacy and career self-management were stronger for nurses with a high level of proactive personality. The model explained 47.2% of the variance in career self-management.
Conclusion
The findings highlight the crucial benefits of self-efficacy and important conditional effects of perceived organisational support on nurses’ career self-management.
Introduction
Nurses’ roles and work content have expanded in recent decades due to the increasing demand for high-quality nursing care.1 Nurses are required to obtain up-to-date knowledge, advanced practice skills, innovation and flexibility to provide comprehensive care.2 A growing number of practitioners and scholars have recognised that relying solely on organisational career management is not enough to make nurses keep up with professional development and increased care demands.3 4 Nurses should increasingly take on responsibility for managing their careers.5 Philippou5 suggested that long-term career management responsibilities (eg, developing individual careers and future development plans) may lay more with employees than employers.
In recent years, career self-management, defined as a dynamic and self-directed process that contains a set of active behaviours related to career (eg, goal setting, career exploration and networking),3 has received considerable attention from practitioners and scholars, along with boundaryless careers and protean careers.3 Career self-management accommodates the new career era and can bring various benefits, such as work-related (eg, job performance), career-related (eg, career success) and well-being-related outcomes.3 Proactive career management by nurses could increase quality care provisions for patients and their own work satisfaction.6 However, nursing staff are under heavy workloads worldwide, and nurses are busy with daily work tasks. Consequently, although organisations have invested much effort in supporting employees’ career development (eg, training),6 nurses tend to delegate responsibility for career management to their employers,5 resulting in unsatisfactory career self-management behaviour among nurses not only in China but also in other countries.5–7 Existing evidence indicates that the majority of nurses have not demonstrated favourable career self-management7 and that they are less willing to invest enough energy and time in their careers.5 As such, how to promote nurses’ career self-management has captured wide attention worldwide.
Identifying potential predictors of career self-management is the first step to develop targeted strategies to promote career self-management. A review3 synthesised the influencing factors of career self-management into three categories: personal factors (eg, sociodemographics, career history and self-efficacy), environmental factors (eg, cultural context, organisational culture and supervisor support) and career interventions (eg, helping clients clarify career goals and develop and implement career strategies).8 Among these studied factors, environmental support or barriers have attracted much research attention. Existing evidence indicates that organisational training, support and advocacy could influence the degree of employee involvement in career self-management.9 10 For example, support provided by coaches could promote individuals’ career planning processes (one component of career self-management) and help them take actions to achieve plans.11 Yogalakshmi and Suganthi10 reported that perceived organisational support positively affected career self-management. Perceived organisational support is defined as employees’ view of the extent to which the organisation values their contributions and cares about their well-being.12 Employees who perceive sufficient support from their organisations (eg, training, promotion) are more likely to feel obliged to reciprocate positive behaviour, such as active career self-management.10 However, it is not difficult to find a situation where the nurses work in the same organisations and gain the same organisational support but exhibit different job performance or behaviour.13 This situation indicates a complex relationship between perceived organisational support and career self-management. Thus, it is necessary to explore the mechanism behind the link between perceived organisational support and career self-management. Identifying the underlying mechanism could guide nursing administrators to develop effective strategies to enhance the impact of perceived organisational support on career self-management. Nevertheless, how perceived organisational support affects career self-management is not well understood.
The Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) Model of Career Self-Management14 offers a relational framework for revealing how perceived organisational support affects career self-management. This model focuses on the process of career development and recognises the importance of self-efficacy. The SCCT Model of Career Self-Management proposes that self-efficacy serves as a proximal antecedent of career-related behaviours (eg, searching for a job). Nurses’ involvement in career self-management is instigated by motivation, and self-efficacy is an important motivational variable.6 Thus, self-efficacy needs to be considered to reveal the underlying mechanism of how perceived organisational support influences career self-management.
Self-efficacy refers to one’s beliefs about their capabilities to perform a particular activity.15 Some studies have shown that self-efficacy is related to career self-management.16 17 A survey revealed positive relationships between individuals’ self-efficacy and subdimensions of career self-management.16 Similarly, a longitudinal study conducted by Pérez-López et al 17 demonstrated that self-efficacy was positively related to various career self-management behaviours (ie, exploratory behaviours and coping behaviours). Individuals with high self-efficacy feel more confident about their professional skills and abilities, and thus, they are more likely to proactively reach out to participate in career management behaviours,18 such as setting career goals, searching for career opportunities and performing continuous learning. According to the SCCT Model of Career Self-Management, self-efficacy can be acquired through learning experiences, and learning experiences are further influenced by contextual factors. At work, organisational support, such as training and concerns, is the main contextual factor among nurses. A supportive work context can help nurses acquire sufficient knowledge, skills and abilities, contributing to high self-efficacy.18 Previous empirical studies have suggested that perceived organisational support is a predictor of self-efficacy.19 A study of medical staff revealed that those who perceived favourable support from organisations were more likely to report a high level of self-efficacy.19 Although the bilateral connections among perceived organisational support, self-efficacy and career self-management have been well established, the trilateral relationships among these variables have seldom been tested.
A proactive personality refers to a relatively stable tendency to take active actions to influence an individual’s environment, which is an important construct related to career development.20 Past research has shown that personality traits may influence career self-management. Hirschi and Koen3 reported that proactive personality tended to be positively related to career self-management. A survey by Valls et al 21 revealed a significant positive association between proactive personality and career planning (one domain of career self-management). Moreover, several studies have shown that the proactive personality has a positive impact on self-efficacy.22 While some studies on proactive personality have explored its relationship with self-efficacy and career-related behaviour, its interaction with perceived organisational support can provide new insights into its benefits in promoting self-efficacy and career self-management. People with proactive personalities are more likely to seek opportunities and take action to reach their goals irrespective of situational forces.23 This characteristic is particularly important for translating support from their organisation into actual behaviour, such as career self-management. In other words, individuals who possess a proactive personality may react to organisational support more favourably than individuals with less proactive personality.24 Further, proactive individuals take the initiative to learn knowledge, practice skills and improve ability. Consequently, proactive individuals may have greater self-efficacy beliefs than inactive individuals.25 Thus, the boundary conditions need to be considered to gain a deeper understanding of the link between perceived organisational support and career self-management. Nonetheless, the moderating role of proactive personality in explaining the complex relationships among perceived organisational support, self-efficacy and career self-management has been underexplored.
Until now, it is still unclear why perceived organisational support influences career self-management in the nursing context. It is of great significance to uncover the relationships among perceived organisational support, self-efficacy, proactive personality and career self-management because these relationships could be helpful for developing effective strategies to maximise the benefits of organisational support and ultimately improve career self-management behaviour and quality of care. Based on the SCCT Model of Career Self-Management and empirical research, a hypothetical model (figure 1) is proposed to identify the mediating effect of self-efficacy and the moderating effect of proactive personality on the relationship between perceived organisational support and career self-management among nurses. Consequently, the following hypotheses are proposed:
Hypothesis 1: Perceived organisational support is positively related to career self-management.
Hypothesis 2: Self-efficacy mediates the relationship between perceived organisational support and career self-management.
Hypothesis 3: Proactive personality moderates the direct relationship between perceived organisational support and career self-management.
Hypothesis 4: Proactive personality moderates the indirect relationship between perceived organisational support and career self-management via self-efficacy.
Methods
Design, setting and participants
A multicentre, online cross-sectional survey was conducted to examine the mediating effect of self-efficacy and the moderating effect of proactive personality on the relationship between perceived organisational support and career self-management among nurses.
Nurses from 15 general hospitals were involved in the study. The inclusion criteria for the participants were as follows: (1) registered nurses, (2) had more than 6 months of work experience in the current hospital and (3) voluntary participation in the study. Those who were on holiday, sick or maternity leave were excluded. Following Fritz’s26 recommendation for the small–small–zero condition (α=0.14, β=0.14, τ′=0), the sample size in our study should be more than 462. Considering a possible non-response rate of 20%, the final sample size was at least 578.
This study was conducted in Sichuan province, which is located in the southwest region of China. Stratified cluster sampling was performed in three stages to recruit participants. In the first stage, stratified sampling was used to select cities. Sichuan province was stratified into five areas according to geographical region and economic development level (ie, the central, southern, northeastern, western and northwestern regions), and each area contained two to eight cities. 2–4 cities were selected from each area by drawing lots; ultimately, a total of 15 cities were selected. For the second stage, each city selected one hospital according to the number of secondary (100–500 beds) and tertiary hospitals (>500 beds). Consequently, 15 hospitals (8 tertiary hospitals and 7 secondary hospitals) were selected. For the third stage, the departments of each sample hospital were selected to cover different professional fields (eg, internal, external, obstetric, paediatric, intensive care unit, emergency department, operating room). Then, cluster sampling was used to recruit all nurses in each selected department. A total of 2057 questionnaires were distributed, and 1904 were returned; 38 questionnaires were invalid, resulting in 1866 valid questionnaires (valid response rate=90.7%).
Measurement
Perceived organisational support was measured by the Chinese version27 of the Perceived Organizational Support Scale.12 This scale consists of 9 items that are rated on a 7-point Likert-type scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). A higher score indicates a higher level of perceived organisational support. The Cronbach’s alpha was 0.91 in Wayne et al.’s study28 and 0.95 in the present study.
Self-efficacy was assessed using the Chinese version29 of the General Self-efficacy Scale.30 This scale consists of 10 items that are scored on a 4-point Likert-type scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree). A higher score indicates greater perceived general self-efficacy. The Cronbach’s alpha was 0.91 in Zhang and Schwarzer’s study29 and 0.94 in the present study.
Proactive personality was measured by the Chinese version31 of the Proactive Personality Scale.32 This scale consists of 11 items that are scored on a 7-point Likert-type scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). A higher score indicates a higher level of proactive personality. The Cronbach’s alpha was 0.86 in Shang and Gan’s study31 and 0.93 in the present study.
Career self-management was assessed using the Individual Career Management Questionnaire (ICMQ) developed by Long et al.33 The ICMQ consists of 18 items that measure 5 components of career self-management: career exploration (4 items), career goals (4 items), continuous learning (4 items), self-presentation (3 items) and emphasis on relationships (3 items). Each item was rated on a 4-point scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree). A higher score indicates better career self-management career self-management. Shang et al 34 used this tool to measure career self-management among nurses and found that the content validity for the whole scale was 0.86, and the Cronbach’s alpha was 0.91. Long33 reported good construct validity and concurrent validity of this tool. In this study, the Cronbach’s alpha for the ICMQ was 0.90.
Data collection
Data were collected via an online survey between 6 and 20 January 2021 due to COVID-19-related health restrictions. The online questionnaire was established on the Questionnaire Star platform (www.wjx.cn), and a link to the survey was generated. Prior to data collection, the research team contacted the nursing directors of each selected hospital via phone and explained the study aims and procedures. After obtaining permission from the nursing directors, we sent the survey link to the nursing directors via WeChat, who subsequently sent this link to potential participants via social media (ie, WeChat and Tencent QQ) and email. An information sheet outlining the study purpose and use of data was presented on the first page, and the participants were required to confirm (click a box) if they were willing to proceed before they entered the online survey. Participants can access the link to the survey through their computers or mobile phones. The completed questionnaires were directly sent to the online platform and saved in the Questionnaire Star repository. Only researchers who performed the data collection and analysis were eligible to access the Questionnaire Star drive and download the data. The survey link was open for a 2-week period based on the funding body’s timeline. To avoid poor response rates and improve survey quality, the survey was anonymous.
Data analysis
Data were analysed using SPSS (V.26.0) and Hayes’ PROCESS (V.4.0). Descriptive statistics were used to describe the sample characteristics and the four major variables (ie, perceived organisational support, general self-efficacy, proactive personality and career self-management). The associations between variables were examined using Pearson correlation. The model was built from simpler to more complex in this study. According to Hayes’s recommendation,35 model 4 was first used to examine the mediating role of general self-efficacy in the relationship between perceived organisational support and career self-management. Once the simple mediation model was identified, the moderated mediation model was created using model 8. This model examines whether proactive personality moderates the relationships among perceived organisational support, general self-efficacy and career self-management. Bootstrapping with 5000 bootstrap resamples and a 95% CI was used to test the moderated mediation model. If the values of the lower and upper limits of the 95% CI do not include ‘zero’, the moderated mediation effects are significant. Moreover, to further understand the moderating effect of proactive personality, a simple slope analysis was performed with focal points at 1 SD below the mean and 1 SD above the mean. The participants’ demographic characteristics (ie, age, sex, years of work experience, education level) were included as covariates.
Since our data were self-reported, common method variance bias was tested following Podsakoff et al’s suggestions.36 First, Harman’s single factor test was conducted where all the self-reported variables were entered into an exploratory factor analysis by using principal component analysis. The results showed that eight factors had eigenvalues higher than one, and the first factor explained 29.7% of the total variance. Second, we compared the model fit indices of the hypothesised model (four-factor model) with the added common-method factor (single factor) using confirmatory factor analysis. The results showed that the fit indices of the single-factor model were worse than those of the four-factor model (Δχ2=18 076.956, p<0.001). Therefore, these results suggested that common method bias was not a major concern in this study. We further calculated the tolerance and variance inflation factor (VIF) to determine whether there was collinearity between independent variables. The tolerance value was more than 0.2, and the VIF value was smaller than 2.5, which indicated that collinearity was not a threat37 in our study.
Patient and public involvement statement
Patients and/or the public were not involved in the design or development of the hypotheses in this study.
Results
Sample characteristics
A total of 1866 nurses from 15 hospitals across 15 cities participated in this study. The sample consisted of 84 men (4.5%) and 1782 women (95.5%), with an average age of 31.14 years (SD=6.87) and 9.46 years (SD=7.31) of nursing experience. The majority of participants were married (1253 participants; 67.1%), had a bachelor’s degree (1214 participants; 65.1%) and worked in tertiary hospitals (1356 participants; 72.7%).
Descriptive statistics and correlations of research variables
The means, SD and correlations between the four research variables are shown in table 1. The four variables were significantly positively correlated with each other.
Table 1
Descriptive statistics and intercorrelations between variables
| Variable | M | SD | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Perceived organisational support | 5.41 | 1.14 | 1 | |||
| Self-efficacy | 2.86 | 0.62 | 0.419* | 1 | ||
| Proactive personality | 5.79 | 0.79 | 0.625* | 0.579* | 1 | |
| Career self-management | 2.87 | 0.46 | 0.421* | 0.639* | 0.558* | 1 |
*P<0.01.
M, mean.
Moderated mediation models
Table 2 shows the main results of the moderated mediation model, and figure 2 presents the final model. In terms of the mediator and dependent variable model, perceived organisational support positively predicted general self-efficacy (B=0.040, p=0.002, 95% CI 0.014 to 0.066), general self-efficacy positively predicted career self-management (B=0.331, p<0.001, 95% CI 0.301 to 0.362) and perceived organisational support positively predicted career self-management (B=0.026, p=0.003, 95% CI 0.009 to 0.043). These results suggested a significant mediating effect of general self-efficacy on the relationship between perceived organisational support and career self-management. Moreover, the interaction of perceived organisational support and proactive personality had a significant effect on career self-management (B=0.043, p<0.001, 95% CI 0.026 to 0.060), and the interaction of perceived organisational support and proactive personality had a significant effect on general self-efficacy (B=0.098, p<0.001, 95% CI 0.074 to 0.123). These results indicated that both the relationship between perceived organisational support and career self-management and the relationship between perceived organisational support and general self-efficacy were moderated by proactive personality. The R2 for the model was 0.472, indicating that the model explained 47.2% of the variance in career self-management.
Table 2
Conditional process analysis
| Model | B | SE | T-test | P value | 95% CI |
| Mediator variable model | |||||
| Constant | 2.804 | 0.014 | 206.836 | <0.001 | 2.777 to 2.830 |
| Perceived organisational support (X) → self-efficacy | 0.040 | 0.013 | 3.061 | 0.002 | 0.014 to 0.066 |
| Proactive personality (W) → self-efficacy | 0.438 | 0.019 | 22.993 | <0.001 | 0.401 to 0.475 |
| X×W → self-efficacy | 0.098 | 0.013 | 7.806 | <0.001 | 0.074 to 0.123 |
| R2=0.362 | F=351.414, p<0.001 | ||||
| Dependent variable model | |||||
| Constant | 1.897 | 0.045 | 42.615 | <0.001 | 1.809 to 1.984 |
| Perceived organisational support (X) → Career self-management | 0.026 | 0.009 | 2.970 | 0.003 | 0.009 to 0.043 |
| Self-efficacy (M) → Career self-management | 0.331 | 0.016 | 21.316 | <0.001 | 0.301 to 0.362 |
| Proactive personality (W) → Career self-management | 0.157 | 0.015 | 10.839 | <0.001 | 0.129 to 0.185 |
| X×W → Career self-management | 0.043 | 0.009 | 5.007 | <0.001 | 0.026 to 0.060 |
| R2=0.472 | F=415.005, p<0.001 | ||||
CI, confidence interval; M, mediator; W, moderator; X, independent variable; Y, dependent variable.
The results of the simple slope test (table 3 and figure 3A) further suggested that when the level of proactive personality was low, perceived organisational support was not associated with career self-management (Effect=−0.008, p=0.502). However, for nurses with a high level of proactive personality, perceived organisational support was positively associated with career self-management (effect=0.060, p<0.001).
Proactive personality as a moderator in the relationship between perceived organisational support and (A) career self-management and (B) self-efficacy.
Table 3
The impact of perceived organisational support on Career Self-management and self-management at different levels of proactive personality
| The impact of perceived organisational support on at different levels of proactive personality | |||||
| Proactive personality (W) | Effect | SE | T-test | P value | 95% CI |
| M−1SD | −0.008 | 0.012 | −0.672 | 0.502 | −0.031 to 0.015 |
| M | 0.026 | 0.009 | 2.970 | 0.003 | 0.009 to 0.043 |
| M+1SD | 0.060 | 0.011 | 5.665 | <0.001 | 0.039 to 0.081 |
| The impact of perceived organisational support on self-efficacy at different levels of proactive personality | |||
| Proactive personality (W) | Effect | Boot SE | Boot 95% CI |
| M−1SD | −0.012 | 0.007 | −0.025 to 0.0004 |
| M | 0.013 | 0.005 | 0.004 to 0.023 |
| M+1SD | 0.039 | 0.006 | 0.027 to 0.051 |
| Index of moderated mediation | 0.033 | 0.005 | 0.023 to 0.042 |
M, mean.
The results of the simple slope test (table 3 and figure 3B) further suggested that when the level of proactive personality was low, perceived organisational support was not associated with self-efficacy (effect=−0.012, 95% CI −0.025 to 0.0004). However, for nurses with a high level of proactive personality, perceived organisational support was positively associated with self-efficacy (effect=0.039, 95% CI 0.027 to 0.051). These simple slope tests indicated that the effect of perceived organisational support on career self-management and the indirect effect of perceived organisational support on career self-management through general self-efficacy were observed when proactive personality was moderate to high but not when proactive personality was low.
Discussion
Career self-management is believed to be a critical behaviour in the context of protean careers in which a career is taken control of by employees themselves instead of the organisation. However, few empirical studies have revealed the possible mediators and moderators that promote nurses’ engagement in career self-management behaviours. To address these issues, this study first examined the mediating effect of general self-efficacy and the moderating effect of proactive personality on the relationship between perceived organisational support and career self-management in one model. The results support the proposed hypotheses and provide insights into how to promote nurses to perform career self-management, helping managers make informed decisions on management strategies.
The level of career self-management in the present study was higher than that in other regions of China,38 but lower than that in a Western study.39 These differences may be explained by the different levels of nursing shortages. The nurse-to-patient ratio in Sichuan province is higher than the national average in China,40 but lower than that in Western countries.41 Nurses under heavy workload conditions are less willing to invest personal time and energy in career management,5 resulting in a low level of career self-management.
Our results demonstrated that perceived organisational support directly affected and was positively correlated with career self-management, confirming hypothesis 1. Specifically, an increase in perceived organisational support may predict a higher level of career self-management behaviour. This result is consistent with previous research11 showing that support (eg, help, encouragement and guidance) from coaches could help individuals learn to develop career plans (one component of career self-management). Yogalakshmi and Suganthi10 also found that a higher level of perceived organisational support resulted in better career self-management among IT employees. According to the norm of reciprocity, when organisations provide support in any form (ie, formal or informal support) for employees, employees may feel obliged to reciprocate this support.42 In the current career era, being proactive about promoting one’s own career, namely, career self-management, acts as a form of reciprocation,11 whereby employees make efforts to strike a career deal with their employers.9 Therefore, perceived organisational support encourages employees to engage in job-related efforts and eventually stimulates their career self-management behaviour.
The results of our study indicated that self-efficacy mediated the relationship between perceived organisational support and career self-management (see table 2), confirming hypothesis 2. These findings are in line with previous studies showing the impacts of perceived organisational support on self-efficacy43 44 and the impacts of self-efficacy on career self-management.17 We go one step further to uncover the mediating effect of self-efficacy on the relationship between perceived organisational support and career self-management. These findings can be explained by the SCCT Model of Career Self-Management,45 which suggests that contextual factors (eg, organisational support) affect individuals’ self-efficacy, which in turn influences career self-management behaviour. Supports provided by organisations, for instance, verbal persuasion, may encourage employees to make use of their strengths, which could trigger positive self-efficacy.46 Moreover, individuals with higher self-efficacy may set more difficult goals and persist longer in the case of obstacles to reaching their goals47 based on the SCCT Model of Career Self-Management,45 which eventually boosts successful career self-management. Thus, to promote career self-management, nurse managers need to consider not only perceived organisational support but also self-efficacy.
An important finding in our study is that proactive personality moderated the direct and indirect effects of perceived organisational support on career self-management (see table 2), supporting hypotheses 3 and 4. Further, the positive effects of perceived organisational support on general self-efficacy and career self-management were stronger for nurses with a high level of proactive personality. In other words, the effect of perceived organisational support on career self-management strengthened as the level of proactive personality increased for both direct and indirect relationships. Similar results were found in previous studies,23 48 which demonstrated that proactive personality is one of the most important personality traits that improves employees’ positive attitudes and behaviours related to their work (eg, work engagement, entrepreneurial behaviour). Maan et al 24 found that proactive personality acted as a boundary condition for the association between perceived organisational support and desired career outcomes. Our findings further confirmed that perceived organisational support would not necessarily lead to an equal level of career self-management, and nurses with certain personal traits, such as proactive personality, could increase the positive effect of perceived organisational support. According to proactive personality theory,49 individuals who possess a proactive personality tend to have a great sense of self-determination and take personal initiative to change their circumstances instead of passively adapting to a given situation. According to the SCCT Model of Career Self-Management,45 proactive individuals are more likely to make an effort to establish their careers and translate their intentions to action; thus, they are more likely to achieve their career goals. Further, positive individuals may actively acquire and apply support from their organisations48; therefore, proactive personalities may make full use of organisational support and interact with perceived organisational support, helping to boost self-efficacy and career self-management.
Overall, this study contributes significantly to the literature by revealing the mechanism of how perceived organisational support influences career self-management. In addition, the study had a large sample size (>1000) and covered diverse respondents, which helped to obtain a picture of career self-management.50
Impact
Our study provides evidence for the formulation of effective strategies for fostering nurses’ career self-management. In addition to providing sufficient support for nurses, organisations and managers could pay more attention to triggering nurses’ motivation (eg, self-efficacy) and then translate it into career self-management behaviour. Strategies that promote nurses’ self-efficacy can be used to boost career self-management, such as verbal persuasion from managers, promoting the accumulation of nurses’ professional experience, maintaining a positive physiological state and establishing positive feedback from others.15 Moreover, the moderating effect of proactive personality indicated that when nurses have a proactive personality, the positive impact of perceived organisational support on career self-management is greater. Thus, personality traits need to be considered a means to account for heterogeneity in the relationship between perceived organisational support and career self-management. Although it is difficult to change an individual’s personality traits, organisations and managers may take a developmental view of a proactive personality and develop educational programmes to train nurses in proactive thinking and behavior,49 which in turn maximises the benefits of perceived organisational support for career self-management.
Limitations
This study has several limitations. First, this study was a cross-sectional design, and thus, causality cannot be confirmed. Future researchers could consider using longitudinal designs to examine the causal implications of this study. Second, participants were recruited from one province in China; therefore, the findings of this study cannot be generalised to other nurses in other settings. Additional research is needed to test the present model in more diverse populations and contexts. Additionally, we viewed career self-management as a whole variable, and we did not subdivide different components (eg, career exploration behaviour, career goal setting); thus, which component of career self-management may benefit more from perceived organisational support cannot be identified. Future studies may distinguish different components of career self-management behaviours and explore whether the mediating effect of self-efficacy and the moderating effect of proactive personality vary as the components of career self-management change. Finally, all variables were measured by self-reported scales; therefore, potential self-reporting bias may exist.
Conclusions
This study revealed that perceived organisational support was positively associated with career self-management, and this association was mediated by self-efficacy. Further, both the direct and indirect effects of perceived organisational support on career self-management could be strengthened by proactive personality. These findings help to explain why perceived organisational support influences career self-management in the nursing context. Nurse managers can improve career self-management by providing sufficient support and enhancing self-efficacy. In addition, it is important for nurse managers to take into account proactive personality while promoting the career self-management of nurses.
Supplementary Material
Acknowledgments
The authors acknowledge the cooperation of the hospitals and the participation of all nurses.
Footnotes
YN and LL contributed equally.
Contributors: YN and L-jL: Conceptualisation, investigator, methodology, formal analysis, writing, reviewing and editing drafts of the manuscript. YB: Investigator, formal analysis, writing, reviewing and editing drafts of the manuscript. GY and JL: Conceptualisation, project principal investigator, methodology, project administration, reviewing and editing drafts of the manuscript. JL: Responsible for the overall content as the guarantor.
Funding: This study was supported by the West China Nursing Discipline Development Special Fund Project, Sichuan University (No. HXHL19009).
Competing interests: None declared.
Patient and public involvement: Patients and/or the public were not involved in the design, or conduct, or reporting, or dissemination plans of this research.
Provenance and peer review: Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.
Data availability statement
Data are available on reasonable request. The data are available from the corresponding author on request.
Ethics statements
Patient consent for publication
Not applicable.
Ethics approval
This study involves human participants and was approved by institutional review board of West China Hospital of Sichuan University (No. 2019[949]). Participants gave informed consent to participate in the study before taking part.