The Role of Future Orientation and Negative Career Feedback in Career Agency and Career Success in Australian Adults

Future orientation is crucial for young people to achieve career-developmental milestones, yet little research has examined the role of future orientation in attaining career outcomes in adult samples. Using the future orientation framework, we tested direct effects of future orientation on career agency (proactive career behaviors and work effort) and career success (perceived employability and career adaptability), indirect effects via career agency variables, and conditional effects of negative career feedback in the future orientation-career agency-career success relationships. We surveyed 285 adults (M = 38.38 years) and conducted structural equation and moderated mediation analyses. Future orientation was associated positively with work effort, proactive career behaviors, career adaptability, and perceptions of employability. Work effort and proactive career behaviors mediated the future orientation-career success relationship. The mediation via career behaviors (but not work effort) was dependent on the level of received negative career feedback. The results have theoretical and practical implications.