Exploring the Effects of Employment Environment Change Awareness on Work Engagement and Job Satisfaction with the Mediating Role of Career Competencies

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This research aims to present how individuals' employment environmental changes awareness and their career development behaviors influence job-related outcomes in today's dynamic and unpredictable employment landscape. By exploring these relationships, the study seeks to contribute to theoretical frameworks and practical approaches to career development and management, offering practical solutions for contemporary employees to enhance their job satisfaction and work engagement, as well as providing strategic insights to organizations to boost employee engagement and satisfaction. The research was designed with two principal research objectives: to examine ﾠ the direct effects among employment environment change awareness, career competencies, work engagement, and job satisfaction and to evaluate the mediating effects of career competencies, categorized into three distinct dimensions: ‘knowing why,’ ‘knowing how,’ and ‘knowing whom.’ These three knowing career competencies were analyzed to determine how they mediate the relationship between employment environment change awareness, work engagement, and job satisfaction. Data for this research were collected from employees working in the Korean ﾠ information technology (IT) industry. A total of 417 samples were gathered and analyzed using SPSS Statistics 26.0 and AMOS 26.0. The results revealed several key findings: employment environment change awareness significantly enhanced career competencies development, showing notable effects on ‘knowing why,’ ‘knowing how,’ and ‘knowing whom' competencies. In terms of direct effects, the ‘knowing why' competency positively impacted work engagement and job satisfaction, as did the ‘knowing whom' competency. However, the ‘knowing how' competency did not significantly affect work engagement or job satisfaction. Moreover, awareness of employment environment changes negatively influenced work engagement and job satisfaction. All direct effects were rigorously tested, confirming the existence of these relationships, except for the direct effect of the ‘knowing how' competency on work engagement and job satisfaction. The findings regarding the mediation effects of career competencies ‘knowing ﾠ why,’ ‘knowing how,’ and ‘knowing whom' competencies on the relationship between employment environment change awareness and work engagement and job satisfaction provided several insightful revelations. The mediation analysis underscored the pivotal role of the ‘knowing why' competency, which significantly mediated the relationship between employment environment change awareness, work engagement, and job satisfaction. Similarly, the ‘knowing how' competency exhibited a notable mediation effect, and the ‘knowing whom' competency's mediation effect also proved significant. In summary, this research comprehensively the interactions between individual ﾠ awareness of environmental changes and the development of specific career competencies, detailing how these factors impact work engagement and job satisfaction, particularly within dynamic sectors like IT. This enhanced understanding is crucial for developing targeted, effective strategies to support sustainable career development and adaptability in rapidly changing employment contexts. These strategies must address the needs for personal growth, skills enhancement, and network expansion to optimize individual career paths and organizational outcomes, thereby preparing both individuals and organizations to effectively navigate the challenges and opportunities presented by the contemporary world of work.

국문 초록 (Abstract)

본 연구는 개인이 고용환경 변화를 어떻게 인식하고 그에 따라 어떠한 경력개발 행동을 나타내는지, 그리고 현대 사회의 예측하기 어려운 고용환경 하에서 이러한 인식과 행동이 직무만족과 업무몰입에 어떤 영향을 미치는지를 탐구하고자 한다. 이러한 연구를 통해 이론적 구조와 경력 개발에 대한 실용적인 접근법을 제공하고, 직장인들의 직무 만족도를 높일뿐만 아니라 업무에 더 몰입할 수 있는 전략을 개발 하는 데 기여하고자 한다. 본 연구는 두 가지 주된 목표를 가지고 있다. 첫 번째는 개인의 고용환경 변화인식, 경력역량, 업무몰입, 그리고 직무만족이 어떠한 직접적 인 관계를 가지는지를 검토하는 것이다. 두 번째는 경력역량을 ‘의미지 역량', ‘방법 지 역량', ‘관계지 역량'으로 구분하고, 이러한 역량이 각각 고용환경 변화인식과 업 무몰입, 직무만족 사이를 어떻게 매개하는지를 분석하는 것이다.
본 연구는 한국 IT 산업에 종사하는 417명의 직원을 대상으로 수집된 설문 조사 데이터를 바탕으로 SPSS 26.0과 AMOS 26.0 프로그램을 사용하여 분석하였다. 분석 결과, 고용환경 변화인식은 경력역량개발에 긍정적인(+) 영향을 미치며, 의미지 역량 과 관계지 역량이 업무몰입과 직무만족에 긍정적인(+) 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났 다. 반면, 고용환경 변화인식이 업무몰입과 직무만족에는 부정적인(-) 영향을 미친 것으로 확인되었다. 또한 방법지 역량은 업무몰입과 직무만족에 유의미한 영향을 미치지 않은 것으로 확인하였다.
본 연구는 세 가지 경력역량인 의미지 역량, 방법지 역량, 관계지 역량이 고용환 경 변화인식과 업무몰입, 직무만족 간의 관계를 어떻게 매개하는지에 대해 분석하였다. 분석결과, 의미지 역량이 고용환경 변화인식이 직무만족과 업무몰입에 영향을 미치는 과정에서 매개역할을 하는 것이 밝혀졌다. 관계지 역량 또한 관계 사이에서 중요한 역할을 하며, 방법지 역량도 통계적으로 유의미한 매개역할을 하는 것이 밝 혀졌다.
이러한 연구 결과를 통해 급변하는 고용환경에 유연하게 대처하고, 효과적인 경 력개발을 도모할 수 있는 전략을 제공하고자 한다. 본 연구는 개인성장과 역량향상, 그리고 네트워크 확장을 촉진함으로써 개인과 조직이 현대 사회에서 경력개발의 도 전과 기회를 효과적으로 탐색할 수 있는 방안을 제시하였다. 이는 직장인들의 직무 만족도를 높이고 업무에 더 깊이 몰입할 수 있도록 도와주는 중요한 이론적 및 실 용적 기반을 마련하는데 기여할 것으로 기대된다.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• Abstract i
• Table of Contents iv
• List of Tables ix
• List of Figures xi
• 1. Introduction 1
• 1.1. Research Background 1
• 1.2. Research Purpose and Questions 7
• 1.3. Key Definitions 8
• 1.3.1. Employment Environment Change Awareness 8
• 1.3.2. Career Competencies 8
• 1.3.3. Work Engagement 9
• 1.3.4. Job Satisfaction 9
• 2. Literature Review 10
• 2.1. Theoretical Background 10
• 2.2. Employment Environment Change Awareness 11
• 2.1.1. Definition of Employment Environment Change Awareness 11
• 2.1.2. Measurements of Employment Environment Change Awareness17
• 2.3. Career Competencies 22
• 2.3.1. Definition of Career Competencies 22
• 2.3.2. Knowing Why Career Competency 26
• 2.3.3. Knowing How Career Competency 28
• 2.3.4. Knowing Whom Career Competency 29
• 2.3.5. Measurements of Career Competencies 31
• 2.4. Work Engagement 35
• 2.4.1. Definition of Work Engagement 35
• 2.4.2. Measurements of Work Engagement 39
• 2.5. Job Satisfaction 41
• 2.5.1. Definition of Job Satisfaction 41
• 2.5.2. Measurements of Job Satisfaction 44
• 2.6. Relationship Between Variables and Research Hypotheses 46
• 2.6.1. Employment Environment Change Awareness and Career Competencies·· 46
• 2.6.2. Employment Environment Change Awareness, Work Engagement
• and Job Satisfaction 48
• 2.6.3. Career Competencies and Work Engagement 50
• 2.6.4. Career Competencies and Job Satisfaction 51
• 2.6.5. The Mediation Effect of Career Competencies 52
• 3. Methodology 56
• 3.1. Research Model 56
• 3.2. Participants and Data Collection 57
• 3.3. Demographic Characteristics Analysis 59
• 3.4. Instrumentation 61
• 3.4.1. Employment Environment Change Awareness 61
• 3.4.2. Career Competencies 62
• 3.4.3. Work Engagement 63
• 3.4.4. Job Satisfaction 64
• 3.4.5. Instrument Translation 64
• 3.4.6. SME Content Validity Ratio Analysis 65
• 3.5. Data Analysis 68
• 4. Findings 71
• 4.1. Pilot Test 71
• 4.2. Main Study 72
• 4.2.1. Descriptive Statistics Analysis 72
• 4.2.2. Results of Correlation Coefficient 73
• 4.2.3. Measurement Model Validation 75
• 4.2.3.1. Results of Convergent Validity 75
• 4.2.3.2. Results of Discriminant Validity 80
• 4.2.3.3. Process of Item Parceling 83
• 4.2.3.4. Results of Measurement Model Fit 85
• 4.2.4. Research Model Evaluation 87
• 4.2.4.1. Results of Research Model Fit 87
• 4.2.4.2. Results of Path Analysis 88
• 4.2.5. Results of Hypotheses Test 89
• 4.2.5.1. Direct Effect Analysis 90
• 4.2.5.2. Mediation Effect Analysis 91
• 4.2.5.3. Summary of Hypotheses Test Results 94
• 5. Conclusion 97
• 5.1. Summary of the Research Results 97
• 5.2. Discussion of the Research Results 99
• 5.3. Contribution and Implications 105
• 5.3.1. Theoretical Contribution and Implications 106
• 5.3.2. Practical Contribution and Implications 108
• 5.4. Limitations and Recommendations for Future Study 111
• References 114
• 국문초록 136
• Appendix 138
• Appendix 1 SME Validation Survey 138
• Appendix 2 CRV Results of SME Validation 150
• Appendix 3 Research Survey 156