CAREER MOTIVATION OF FULL‐ AND PART‐TIME WORKERS IN MID AND LATE CAREER

Examines relationships between employment status (working full‐ or part‐time), age, gender, and career motivation variables (career resilience, insight, identity and desire for recognition). Study one focused on individuals in mid and late career. Subjects were 172 employees (mean age = 57.8, ranging from age 43 to 87) from a variety of organizations. Among the 76 men, age was related positively to career resilience and insight. Also, career resilience was higher for men working part‐time than full‐time. Among the women, age was related negatively to desire for recognition, especially for women working part‐time. Study two was conducted to determine the reliability of these relationships for a sample of full‐time employees, including younger as well as older workers. Subjects were 96 employees, 29 of whom were women, in a public utility company. Levels of resilience, insight, identity, and desire for recognition were comparable to the first study. Consistent with Study one, women′s need for recognition was related negatively to age. Also for women, career resilience increased with age. The results are discussed in terms of the stability of the motivational constructs across age groups and the practical implication that employers should expect high levels of motivation from late career employees, whether they work full‐ or part‐time.