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The U.S. has a history of marginalizing Black people. Marginalization impedes Black Americans' ability to secure wealth, education, and meaningful work. The Psychology of Working Theory (PWT) uses a social justice lens to understand how contextual factors inform the labor market experiences of those who work and want to work. PWT highlights the ways economic constraints and marginalization predict access to decent work. We tested the PWT model with two measures of marginalization, general ethnic discrimination, and racial microaggressions, with a sample of 241 Black workers to add to the extant literature about the suitability of the PWT for racial minorities. Diverging from previous studies, we found that marginalization predicted career adaptability. Consistent with previous studies, marginalization and economic constraints predicted Black workers' work volition and perceived access to decent work. Work volition mediated the relationship between general ethnic discrimination and economic constraints with the perception of attaining decent work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the proportion of immigrant workers in the United States grows, understanding how contextual constraints restrict immigrant workers from securing decent work is critical. Therefore, drawing from psychology of working theory (PWT), this study examined relations from contextual barriers (economic constraints and acculturative stress) to psychological mechanisms (work volition and career adaptability) to decent work with a sample of immigrant workers in the United States. We also conducted multigroup analysis to explore whether the model varied depending on race. Diverging from previous PWT studies, we found that economic constraints directly predicted decent work and that career adaptability predicted both acculturative stress and decent work. Importantly, multigroup analysis found the relations from career adaptability and work volition to decent work were stronger for the white group than the POC group. Our findings encourage psychologists to advocate for working immigrants, including working immigrants of color, to reduce marginalization and economic constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study sought to apply an intersectional lens in predicting decent work (i.e., work that meets minimum standards for supporting worker dignity and livelihood). With a racially diverse sample of 302 women workers, we tested a moderated mediation model predicting decent work from economic constraints, experiences of sexism, experiences of racism, and the interaction of racism and sexism. Following psychology of working theory (PWT), we positioned work volition and career adaptability as mediators. Main effects were consistent with previous PWT theory and research, indicating that experiences of sexism and racism were important direct and indirect predictors of decent work. Interaction effects indicated that the interaction of sexism and racism predicted work volition and that the indirect effect of sexism on decent work was stronger at higher levels of racism. Results have implications for policymakers and practitioners seeking to support women across racial backgrounds in securing decent work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychology of Working Theory (PWT) has recently gained empirical support; however, its assumptions have yet to be tested for cultural responsiveness in Latinx communities, one of the fastest-growing worker populations in the U.S. The current study had two major aims: (a) to translate and validate instruments measuring PWT constructs from English into Spanish, and (b) to test theorized PWT predictors of decent work in a sample of Latinx workers (N = 287). First, we translated and validated instruments measuring economic constraints, lifetime marginalization, work volition, and decent work using confirmatory factor analyses (CFA). We then tested a structural model predicting decent work. Results partially supported PWT hypotheses, suggesting its utility and cultural responsiveness in studying the work patterns and conditions in Latinx communities. Practical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fundamental proposition of the psychology of working theory is that for work to be meaningful, it must first be decent. The psychology of working theory also suggests that decent work leads to meaningful work partly by helping workers meet their needs for social connection. Therefore, the purpose of the current study was to contribute to both the meaningful work and psychology of working theory literatures by longitudinally examining the relation between decent and meaningful work and investigating 3 social connection mediators of this relation. We recruited a large online sample of working adults and surveyed them 4 times over a 9-month period. To test our hypotheses, we examined whether social contact, helping others, and community belonging explained the relation between decent and meaningful work at both the between-person and within-person levels. We found that overall levels of decent work were positively associated with overall levels of meaningful work and that positive changes in decent work were associated with positive changes in meaningful work. Moreover, we found that between-person community belonging and within-person helping others mediated the relation between decent work and meaningful work. These results have implications for identifying predictors of meaningful work and advancing the psychology of working theory by identifying specific social connection mediators of decent and meaningful work. Public Significance Statement: This longitudinal study examined factors that make work meaningful. We found that having decent work predicted greater meaningful work and that community belonging and helping others may explain this relation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surveying a diverse sample of working adults, the current study examined the role of socioeconomic privilege in workers' desire for and experience of meaningful work. First, we tested for differences across social status groups in desire for and experience of meaningful work, finding that, although desire for meaningful work was consistent across groups, experience of meaningful work was more likely to be endorsed by those who identified with higher social status. Building off this finding, we examined the moderating role of basic need satisfaction in the link between desire for and experience of meaningful work, finding survival and self-determination need satisfaction to be significant moderators. Results suggested that meaningful work is desired consistently across social status groups and that socioeconomic privilege may play a significant role in one's experience of meaningful work via satisfaction of basic needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several recent studies have examined the predictor portion of the Psychology of Working Theory (PWT; Duffy, Blustein, Diemer, & Autin, 2016), finding support for numerous propositions while also identifying limitations in the assessment of key variables: economic constraints, marginalization, and career adaptability. In the current manuscript we seek to address these limitations. First, in Study 1, we develop two face valid, short measures of lifetime experiences of marginalization and economic constraints. Drawing from a sample of 196 racial/ethnic minority (REM) working adults, exploratory factor analysis was used to finalize items and scale scores were compared to similar measures (e.g. subjective social status, everyday discrimination experiences) and decent work. Findings suggest strong reliability among scale scores from both new instruments, and hierarchical regression analyses revealed that each new instrument was a better predictor of decent work then similar measures used in previous PWT studies. In Study 2, with a new sample of REM working adults (N = 175), we demonstrated further validity evidence of both scales, demonstrating that the measures represent unique constructs and each correlate with similar measures as well as well-being outcomes. In Study 3, we tested the full PWT predictor model using these two new instruments along with a more appropriate measure of career adaptability with a new sample of 287 REM working adults. Using structural equation modeling to test for direct and indirect effects, results suggested that 1) marginalization, work volition, and adaptability were all direct predictors of decent work, 2) economic constraints predicted decent work via work volition, and 3) work volition predicted decent work via career adaptability. Findings may be relevant to scholars using the PWT in research and practice. • Collected data from three samples (N = 196, 175, 287) of racial/ethnic minority employed adults • Developed and validated new measures of economic constraints and marginalization (Studies 1 and 2) • Scales developed for use in research on the Psychology of Working Theory (PWT) • Tested the predictor portion of the PWT model with better assessments of three model constructs (Study 3) • Results from model test provided mixed support for PWT propositions, highlighting key areas for potential modification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Undocumented immigrants are among the most vulnerable of workers in the U.S. and face a unique set of barriers to obtaining adequate education and decent work. In the current study, we conducted a qualitative examination of the career development of undocumented young adults. Drawing from the Psychology of Working Theory (PWT; Duffy, Blustein, Diemer, & Autin, 2016), we examined barriers (e.g., economic constraints, marginalization) and resources (e.g., social support, critical consciousness, proactive personality) to participants' career development and sense of work volition. As a secondary aim, we explored general work attitudes. Using Consensual Qualitative Research methods, we interviewed 12 undocumented young adults between the ages of 18 and 26. All participants were DACA recipients. Barriers that most impacted work volition were economic strain and limited mobility; resources that were most supportive for work volition were social support, institutional support, and public policy changes. Regarding work attitudes, participants endorsed a high value of a strong work ethic, a variety of motivations to work, and a high degree of resilience. Implications for counseling psychologists, career development specialists, educators, and policymakers are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grounded in the Psychology of Working Theory (PWT; Duffy, Blustein, Diemer, & Autin, 2016), the current study examined the relations of contextual variables - social status and work volition - to living a calling over time with a diverse sample of employed adults. Participants were surveyed at three time points over six months, with an initial sample size of 601 and mean age of 35.75 years ( SD  = 11.32 years). Structural equation modeling was used to test for significant, cross lagged effects between the three constructs and test for mediation. Workplace autonomy was also included in the model as a plausible, alternative explanatory construct of living a calling, capturing individual's perceptions of their work environment. Social status was found to significantly predict work volition over time and work volition was found to significantly predict living a calling over time. Additionally, work volition at Time 2 was found to significantly mediate the effect of Time 1 social status on Time 3 living a calling, as well as the effect of Time 1 social status on Time 3 workplace autonomy. These results support core propositions from the PWT as well as previous, cross sectional research in the calling literature. Specifically, over time feeling choice in one's career decision making may predict the ability to live out a calling and be employed in autonomous work environments. Additionally, work volition may be a key reason why individuals from higher social status backgrounds experience more autonomous and fulfilling work. Implications for research and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building from the Psychology of Working Theory, we explore relations between subjective social status, work volition, and career adaptability over time in a sample of 267 undergraduate students. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing study variables in three waves over a period of six months. Structural equation modeling was used to examine cross-lagged relations between all three variables as well as examine the mediating effect of work volition in the link from social status to career adaptability. Results showed Time 1 and Time 2 social status to predict Time 2 and Time 3 work volition respectively. Likewise, Time 1 and Time 2 work volition significantly predicted Time 2 and Time 3 career adaptability. Finally, we found work volition to significantly mediate the relation between social status and career adaptability. Results provide preliminary support for the Psychology of Working Theory hypotheses regarding the relations from financial constraints and marginalization to work volition and career adaptability. Practical implications and future directions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to examine how variables from a social cognitive model of job satisfaction—goal progress, self-efficacy, perceived organizational support, and positive affect—predicted the job satisfaction of Turkish teachers. Additionally, the study investigated the extent to which these relations differed according to school level. Study participants comprised 500 teachers (73% women and 27% men) employed by state schools at various levels in Ankara, Turkey, with an average of 19 years of teaching experience. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed teacher job satisfaction to be significantly and positively predicted by perceived organizational support, goal progress, and positive affect. There was also a significant interaction between school type and goal progress and a significant interaction between school type and perceived organizational support. For elementary school teachers, perceived organizational support was more highly related to satisfaction than for high school teachers and especially secondary school teachers. For secondary school teachers, goal progress was more highly related to job satisfaction than for high school teachers, and especially elementary teachers. Implications for research and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has suggested there is an important distinction between perceiving a calling and living a calling. With a sample of 542 working adults, the current study examined (a) the degree to which perceiving a calling and living a calling differed according to yearly income and level of educational attainment and (b) potential mediators that may explain the link between perceiving a calling and living a calling. Adults with higher yearly incomes and more education were significantly more likely to endorse living a calling, but no significant group differences were found for perceiving a calling. Additionally, using structural equation modeling, work volition was found to be a significant mediator in the link between perceiving a calling and living a calling, and organizational support was found to be a significant mediator in the link between work volition and living a calling. The strength and significance of these indirect effects were supported by bootstrapping techniques. We suggest that part of the reason people with a calling feel more able to live out that calling is because of increased feelings of control in their career decision making. Implications for research and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study examined the link between living a calling and career commitment, work meaning, and job satisfaction with a diverse group of working adults at 3 time points over a 6-month period. Using structural equation modeling, 3 models were tested that hypothesized that living a calling would predict career commitment, work meaning, and job satisfaction over time. However, counter to hypotheses, living a calling was best positioned as an outcome of each of these variables. Specifically, living a calling at Time 2 and Time 3 was significantly predicted by career commitment, work meaning, and job satisfaction at Time 1 and Time 2, respectively. Time 2 living a calling did predict Time 3 work career commitment and work meaning, but these effects were small. Results suggest that over time, individuals who feel committed to their career, derive more meaning from their work, and are more satisfied with their jobs are more likely to feel they are living a calling. Practical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current article, we build on research from vocational psychology, multicultural psychology, intersectionality, and the sociology of work to construct an empirically testable Psychology of Working Theory (PWT). Our central aim is to explain the work experiences of all individuals, but particularly people near or in poverty, people who face discrimination and marginalization in their lives, and people facing challenging work-based transitions for which contextual factors are often the primary drivers of the ability to secure decent work. The concept of decent work is defined and positioned as the central variable within the theory. A series of propositions is offered concerning (a) contextual predictors of securing decent work, (b) psychological and economic mediators and moderators of these relations, and (c) outcomes of securing decent work. Recommendations are suggested for researchers seeking to use the theory and practical implications are offered concerning counseling, advocacy, and public policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]