Career calling climate: The development and validation of a scale for a new construct

Abstract Having a sense of calling toward one's work has key benefits for both the employee and the employer. Yet, little is known about whether and what kind of work climate facilitates employees' senses of calling, hindering efforts toward positive changes from managers and organizations. This research introduces the concept of ‘career calling climate’ and describes the development of a scale (i.e., Career Calling Climate Scale) to measure the level of support that a work unit provides for its employees' pursuit of a calling. We established the scale's validity and reliability using survey responses from participants of various occupations and age. To provide evidence of its predictive validity, we examined career calling climate's relation with career callings using a sample of 189 healthcare employees nested in 34 work units. Results suggested that career calling climate predicted individuals' career callings. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.