Career-Related Predictors of Life Satisfaction of Indonesian Youth

Abstract

Using the social cognitive career theory of well-being, we examined the relationships between adolescent–parent career congruence, career decisionmaking self-efficacy, career exploration, and life satisfaction of 367 Indonesian undergraduate students (mean age = 20.07 years; standard deviation = 1.08; 77.7% female). The hypothesized structural model demonstrated good fit statistics: Chi-square (χ2) (122, N = 367) = 223.74, p < .001, χ2/df = 1.83, comparative fit index = .96, goodness-of-fit index = .94, Tucker–Lewis index = .95, and root mean square error of approximation = .05. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that combined career decisionmaking self-efficacy and career exploration; and career exploration alone, partially mediated the relationship between adolescent–parent career congruence and life satisfaction. We also observed that career decision-making self-efficacy partially mediated the relationship between adolescent–parent career congruence and career exploration, whereas career exploration mediated the relationship between career decision-making self-efficacy and life satisfaction. The findings reveal the important roles of adolescent–parent career congruence in young people’s career decision-making self-efficacy, career exploration, and life satisfaction.