Autoefficacia, motivazione intrinseca ed i comportamenti diretti alla ricerca di un impiego

Introduction The findings of previous research show that unemployed individuals had lower psychological and physical well being than did their employed counterparts (Warr, Jackson & Banks, 1988; McKee- Ryan, Song, Wanberg & Kinicki, 2005), and had a decrease of satisfaction and happiness (Clark & Oswald, 1994; Winkelmann & Winkelmann, 1988; Böckerman & Ilmakunnas, 2006). There is a growing interest in trying to understand the process by which people cope with job loss: job searching behaviors is a coping strategy problem focused (Latack, Kinicki & Prussia, 1995). Job search behavior The job search behaviors are specific behaviors through wich effort and time are expendend to acquire information about labor market alternatives (Blau, 1993, 1994; Bretz, Boudreau & Judge, 1994). The research on job search behavior started in the 80s (Kanfer & Hulin, 1985): in the beginning the aims were to understand antecedents of reemployment and turnover (Blau, 1993, 1994). Recently there has been a growing need to get better insight into the conditions that may favour or improve the possibility of finding a job, given that the current labour market trends reflect several career changes during an individual’s work lifetime. (Saks, 2006, Van Hooft, Born, Taris & Van der Flier, 2005). The present research represents an in-depth study of job search behavior in the domain of the Positive Organizational Behavior (POB). This new trend towards ‘positive psychology’ focuses on human strengths and optimal functioning, rather than on weakness and mal-functioning (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). Positive self-image, consisting of higher self-esteem, generalized selfefficacy, perceived control, and emotional stability, seems to help individuals continue to look for a job despite possible rejections along the way (Wanberg, Glomb, Song & Sorenson, 2005). In the context of the Occupational Positive Psychology, Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory (1977, 1997, 2001) and the Social Determination Theory (SDT, Deci & Ryan, 1985, 2000) provide an integrated model to comprehend job search behavior and to highlight critical variables related to unemployed people. Different studies confirm that job search self-efficacy (JSSE) is directly correlated with the intensity of job search behavior (Van Ryn & Vinokur, 1992; Caska, 1998; Wanberg et al. 1999; Saks & Ashforth, 1999, 2000; Kanfer, Wanberg & Kantrowitz, 2001; Vinokur & Schul, 2002; Saks, 2006; Song, Wanberg, Niu & Xie, 2006). JSSE is also highly correlated with employment outcomes such as reemployment (Caplan, Vinokur, Price & Van Ryn, 1989; Ellis & Taylor, 1983; Kanfer & Hulin, 1985) and the number of job offers received (Ellis & Taylor, 1983; Saks & Ashforth, 2000; Stumpf, Austin & Hartman, 1984; Moynihan, Roehling, LePine & Boswell, 2003). Central to SDT is the degree to which which behavior is external or self determined. Autonomy involves a sense of volition and full endorsement of the reasons for one’s actions. Autonomous motivation leads to more adaptive functioning than controlled motivation and several studies in various domains have found autonomous motivation to be associated with greater persistence, more positive performance and enhanced well-being (Deci & Ryan, 2000). Autonomous motivation predicted positively the intensity of people’s search of work and controlled job-search motivation is associated with negative experiential and well-being outcomes (Vansteenkiste, Lens, De Witte & Deci, 2004; Vansteenkiste, Lens, De Witte & Feather, 2005). Participants Sample Data were collected by the Job placement officer at Public/Local Government Jobcentre of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region. 258 constituted the final sample, the data were collected from June to August, 2008. There were 258 participants. 31% were male and 69% were female and the average age was 32 years (SD = 9,99). Participants had basic (28%) or technical training (12%), or a high school certificate/diploma (37%), or a bachelor degree (5%) or post-graduate (13% and 2%). Measures Participants responded in Italian to the 71 questions of the questionnaire. The demogaphics were: gender, age, education, family situation, kind state of unemployment, perceived financial hardship. The other questionnaires were: Job Search Self-efficacy scale (Van Hooft, Born, Taris, Van der Flier & Blonk (2005); the Self-Regulation Questionnaire – Job Searching (SRQ-JS; Vansteenkiste, Lens, De Witte & Deci, 2004); Job Search Behavior scale (Blau, 1994; Wanberg, Hough & Song, 2002; Pace, Lo Presti & Sprini, 2007); Job Search Outcomes (Brasher & Chen, 1999); Life Orientation Test (Scheier & Carver, 1985; Scheirer, Carver & Bridges, 1994); the Satisfaction With Life Scale (Diener, Emmons, Larsen & Griffin, 1985; Diener, 2000). Main Results Correlations support the positive relationship between job search self-efficacy and job search behavior (r = 0,38 and r = 0,32, p < 0,01) and between job search behavior and job search outcome (n° of job interviews: r = 0,30 and n° of job offers: r = 0,17, p < 0,01). Job search self-efficacy and autonomous motivation were positively related also with optimism (r = 0,37 and r = 0,18, p < 0,01) and satisfaction (r = 0,19, p < 0,01 and r = 0,13, p < 0,05) while introjected regulation was negativeley related with satisfaction (r = -0,18, p < 0,01). T-testing indicated that those who perceived financial hardship searched for a job/work with greater intensity (t (104,523) = - 3,215, p < 0,01; mean “financial hardship” = 2,71; mean “no financial hardship” = 2,35) and were also not satisfied (t (111,602) = 4,609, p < 0,001 (mean “financial hardship” = 2,61; mean “no financial hardship” = 3,26). Multiple regression studies were carried out with the stepwise method and highlighted that the perceived financial hardship, the age and gender were positive predictors of the job search behaviors. Job search self-efficacy (β = 0,34, p < 0,01) and autonomous motivation (β = 0,14, p < 0,05) positive predicted job search behaviors. In addition, introjected regulation (β = 0,17, p < 0,05) predicted job search behaviors. The amount of outcome variance explained by the job search selfefficacy is 14%. The SDT variables explained 5,7% (introjected regulation) and 1,3% (autonomous motivation). We conducted a multiple regression also to test the effects of indipendent variables like autonomous motivation and self-efficacy on optimism and satisfaction. As hypothesized, job search self-efficacy predicted satisfaction and optimism (β = 0,15, p < 0,05 and β= 0,34, p < 0,01); also autonomous motivation (β = 0,24, p < 0,05 and 0,18 , p < 0,05) positively predicted these two variables. On the contrary, introjected regulation negatively predicted satisfaction and optimism (β = -0,32, p < 0,01 e β = -0,21, p < 0,01). To test the hypothesized model Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), (Chiesa, Menzione & Primi, 2005) was used. Study variables were entered into AMOS.16 (Arbuckle, 2005). Prior to assessing the structural model the measurement model for the latent constructs was assessed in order to ensure the validity of the measures. The goodness of fit indices for the structural model were: Goodness of fit GFI = 0,720; Non-normed fit index NNFI = 0,645; Comparative fit index CFI = 0,669; Incremental fit index IFI = 0,674; Root means Square error of Approximation RMSEA = 0,081. Analysis of the indicators suggest that the model not fits the data very well, with the exception of the RMSEA...