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Significant Life Events and Career Sustainability: A Three-Wave Study

Author

Listed:
  • Shagini Udayar

    (Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland)

  • Leandro Ivan Canzio

    (Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research LIVES, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland)

  • Ieva Urbanaviciute

    (Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research LIVES, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland)

  • Jonas Masdonati

    (Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
    Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research LIVES, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland)

  • Jérôme Rossier

    (Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
    Swiss National Centre of Competence in Research LIVES, University of Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland)

Abstract

Over the last three decades, the professional landscape has changed, and career paths have become more plural, complex, and flexible, as well as less predictable. Consequently, career sustainability has become a major concern. Since the framework of sustainable careers captures the complexities of modern careers, we used it in the present study to understand how various types of significant life events (i.e., negative work events, negative nonwork events, positive work events, and positive nonwork events) hinder or foster career sustainability among 870 professionally active adults in Switzerland using a longitudinal design. We used repeated measures analysis of variance to study changes in health (i.e., self-rated health and stress at work), happiness (i.e., life satisfaction, quality of life, and job satisfaction), and productivity (i.e., employability and career prospects) by the type of significant life events over time, from 1 year before the event (T0) to 1 year after the event (T2). Results indicated that work events are important to consider when studying career sustainability as there is evidence for spillover effects from work to life. Specifically, experiencing positive work events seems to foster career sustainability, and these effects seem to be stronger than the negative effect of negative work or nonwork life events on health, happiness, and productivity.

Suggested Citation

  • Shagini Udayar & Leandro Ivan Canzio & Ieva Urbanaviciute & Jonas Masdonati & Jérôme Rossier, 2021. "Significant Life Events and Career Sustainability: A Three-Wave Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-21, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:23:p:13129-:d:689147
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    References listed on IDEAS

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