Dissertation Defenses

Doctoral Dissertation Announcement

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Candidate: Janet Thorne-Chan

Degree of: Doctor of Philosophy

Department: Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology

Title: Effects of Age and Promotion in the Use of Psychological Resources of Newly Promoted Employees

Committee:
Dr. Suzanne Hedstrom, Chair
Dr. Stephen Craig
Dr. Barbara Liggett

Date: Friday, March 20, 2009 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Grand Rapids Downtown Campus

Abstract:
There is little research on the personal experiences of employees as they make a career transition due to promotion. The purpose of this study is to examine how newly promoted employees use their psychological resources to cope with transition. The Career Transition Inventory (CTI) is administered to 32 hairstylists from 14 different salons in the Midwest. The five scales of the CTI (Readiness, Confidence, Control, Support, and Independence) are applied to identify how psychological resources were used by promoted employees. The CTI scales are compared to the variables of Age and Promotion, since these variables are mentioned in the literature as having an influence on coping resources.
Results of this study show low scores on the Readiness and Support scales, indicating a perception by participants of more psychological barriers. Participants’ scores are medium to high on the Confidence, Control, and Independence scales, which means they experience fewer barriers to their resources. When the scales are compared to the variable of Age, a negative correlation is found between Age and Confidence. Older workers are found to have less confidence than younger employees in their abilities to perform and make a successful transition. A multiple regression indicates that Age also predicted Confidence. Another significant finding is a positive correlation between Promotion and Support. Stylists with more promotions perceive more support from others. The number of promotions also predict Support, which encompasses support from others inside their work environment and from significant others. There were no statistically significant results with the other psychological resources. The findings of this study show newly promoted older workers and novices as having fewer psychological resources for making a successful career transition. Recommendations for future research are provided.