Future Work Self and Career Decision-Making Difficulties Among College Students: A Career Self-Management Model Perspective

Future Work Self and Career Decision-Making Difficulties Among College Students: A Career Self-Management Model Perspective | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Future Work Self and Career Decision-Making Difficulties Among College Students: A Career Self-Management Model Perspective Shan SUN, Yueping ZHANG, Yuqing LI This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7370566/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 13 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background: In the context of rapid labor market transformations and increasing youth unemployment, understanding the psychological mechanisms that facilitate effective career decision-making among undergraduates has become critical. This study addresses this need by examining how future work self (FWS)—an individual's clear and motivating vision of their career future—influences career decision-making difficulties (CDD) among Chinese university students. Grounded in the Career Self-Management Model, the research investigates job search goal clarity (JSC) as a mediating factor and career adaptability as a moderating variable. By exploring these relationships, the study aims to provide actionable insights for career counseling and education, particularly in high-uncertainty environments. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was administered to 1,149 university students across China. Validated instruments were used to measure FWS (Future Work Self Scale), career adaptability (Career Adapt-Abilities Scale, CAAS-SF), and CDD (Emotion and Personality-Related Career Decision-Making Difficulties Questionnaire, EPCD-SF). Data analysis included Pearson correlation to assess variable associations, hierarchical regression to test direct effects, and moderated mediation analysis (using PROCESS macro) to examine the interplay between JSC and career adaptability. Gender and age were controlled as covariates to ensure robustness. Results: Results revealed a significant negative relationship between FWS clarity and CDD ( B = -2.33, p < 0.001), with JSC partially mediating this association (indirect effect: -1.16, 95% CI [-1.5, -0.84]). Career adaptability moderated the JSC-CDD link ( B = -0.14, p < 0.001), demonstrating resilience among high-adaptability individuals under low JSC conditions. Notably, the moderating effect was non-significant for low-adaptability individuals, highlighting the critical role of adaptability in mitigating decision-making challenges. Conclusions: This study extends the Career Self-Management Model by delineating the mechanisms through which FWS reduces CDD—namely, by enhancing goal clarity and leveraging adaptability. The results emphasize the importance of fostering career adaptability in educational interventions, as it buffers against decision-making challenges when career goals are unclear. Practical applications include integrating FWS visualization exercises and adaptability training into university career programs to better prepare students for dynamic labor markets. Future research could explore longitudinal effects and cultural variations in these relationships. Social science/Education Biological sciences/Psychology Social science/Psychology Future Work Self Career Decision-Making Difficulties Job Search Goal Clarity Career Adaptability Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 15 Apr, 2026 Reviews received at journal 10 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 06 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 01 Apr, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 22 Feb, 2026 Reviews received at journal 21 Feb, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 21 Feb, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 16 Feb, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 16 Feb, 2026 Editor invited by journal 21 Oct, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 17 Oct, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 10 Sep, 2025 First submitted to journal 10 Sep, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7370566","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":592214522,"identity":"43f13b45-0eb9-4927-bdf2-8ab28773fe0d","order_by":0,"name":"Shan SUN","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAxUlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYDACCQglZ8DAA6KZiddiTLqWxA1Ea5Gf3fzs4c+2O+nbJXKPSTBUWCc2sJ89gFeLwZ1j5sa8bc9yd87IS5NgOJOe2MCTl4Bfi0SCmTRj2+HcDTdyzCSAjMQGCR4D/A6bkf5N8mfb4XQDsJZ/RGhhAKnkbTucANHSQIQWoMoyaZ5zhw03nHmXbJFwLN24jSeHoMO2Sf4oOyxvcDz34I0PNday/exnCDgMBSQAMRsJ6kfBKBgFo2AU4AAAe6tDzHcGsssAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"Hubei University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Shan","middleName":"","lastName":"SUN","suffix":""},{"id":592214523,"identity":"5ca9545b-81ec-4823-a940-a4454ae52577","order_by":1,"name":"Yueping ZHANG","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Hubei University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yueping","middleName":"","lastName":"ZHANG","suffix":""},{"id":592214524,"identity":"e9d15106-c958-40ca-9079-4776a0e6168b","order_by":2,"name":"Yuqing LI","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Hubei University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yuqing","middleName":"","lastName":"LI","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-08-14 06:53:16","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7370566/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7370566/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":103050061,"identity":"3974b82f-7729-47c6-90e0-78ad8cded9a0","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-20 07:47:55","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":472541,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscrip0910.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7370566/v1_covered_89918d3b-1b49-4e05-8708-bdad66235b79.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Future Work Self and Career Decision-Making Difficulties Among College Students: A Career Self-Management Model Perspective","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"humanities-and-social-sciences-communications","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"palcomms","sideBox":"Learn more about [Humanities \u0026 Social Sciences Communications](http://www.nature.com/palcomms/)","snPcode":"41599","submissionUrl":"https://submission.springernature.com/new-submission/41599/3","title":"Humanities and Social Sciences Communications","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Nature AJ","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"Future Work Self, Career Decision-Making Difficulties, Job Search Goal Clarity, Career Adaptability","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7370566/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7370566/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBackground:\u003c/strong\u003e In the context of rapid labor market transformations and increasing youth unemployment, understanding the psychological mechanisms that facilitate effective career decision-making among undergraduates has become critical. This study addresses this need by examining how future work self (FWS)—an individual's clear and motivating vision of their career future—influences career decision-making difficulties (CDD) among Chinese university students. Grounded in the Career Self-Management Model, the research investigates job search goal clarity (JSC) as a mediating factor and career adaptability as a moderating variable. By exploring these relationships, the study aims to provide actionable insights for career counseling and education, particularly in high-uncertainty environments.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMethods:\u003c/strong\u003e A cross-sectional online survey was administered to 1,149 university students across China. Validated instruments were used to measure FWS (Future Work Self Scale), career adaptability (Career Adapt-Abilities Scale, CAAS-SF), and CDD (Emotion and Personality-Related Career Decision-Making Difficulties Questionnaire, EPCD-SF). Data analysis included Pearson correlation to assess variable associations, hierarchical regression to test direct effects, and moderated mediation analysis (using PROCESS macro) to examine the interplay between JSC and career adaptability. Gender and age were controlled as covariates to ensure robustness.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eResults:\u003c/strong\u003e Results revealed a significant negative relationship between FWS clarity and CDD (\u003cem\u003eB\u003c/em\u003e= -2.33, \u003cem\u003ep \u003c/em\u003e\u0026lt; 0.001), with JSC partially mediating this association (indirect effect: -1.16, 95% CI [-1.5, -0.84]). Career adaptability moderated the JSC-CDD link (\u003cem\u003eB\u003c/em\u003e = -0.14, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e \u0026lt; 0.001), demonstrating resilience among high-adaptability individuals under low JSC conditions. Notably, the moderating effect was non-significant for low-adaptability individuals, highlighting the critical role of adaptability in mitigating decision-making challenges.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConclusions:\u003c/strong\u003e This study extends the Career Self-Management Model by delineating the mechanisms through which FWS reduces CDD—namely, by enhancing goal clarity and leveraging adaptability. The results emphasize the importance of fostering career adaptability in educational interventions, as it buffers against decision-making challenges when career goals are unclear. Practical applications include integrating FWS visualization exercises and adaptability training into university career programs to better prepare students for dynamic labor markets. Future research could explore longitudinal effects and cultural variations in these relationships.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Future Work Self and Career Decision-Making Difficulties Among College Students: A Career Self-Management Model Perspective","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-02-19 11:45:44","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7370566/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2026-04-15T18:47:59+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-04-10T04:27:00+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"168041453375122522532400728701997568364","date":"2026-04-06T07:29:59+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"235531672539463193330649484641118949686","date":"2026-04-02T03:14:21+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"290665144642331322294152606469308381769","date":"2026-02-23T00:21:17+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-02-21T23:11:02+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"32534091862105173381665373686860533689","date":"2026-02-21T11:01:18+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"72012290059434371685238007861312956502","date":"2026-02-16T14:15:20+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2026-02-16T10:57:55+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2025-10-21T05:18:12+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-10-17T09:24:45+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-09-10T07:47:00+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Humanities and Social Sciences Communications","date":"2025-09-10T07:43:18+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"humanities-and-social-sciences-communications","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"palcomms","sideBox":"Learn more about [Humanities \u0026 Social Sciences Communications](http://www.nature.com/palcomms/)","snPcode":"41599","submissionUrl":"https://submission.springernature.com/new-submission/41599/3","title":"Humanities and Social Sciences Communications","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Nature AJ","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"055b24ad-be75-4f95-bd06-704b66e04457","owner":[],"postedDate":"February 19th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[{"id":63015398,"name":"Social science/Education"},{"id":63015399,"name":"Biological sciences/Psychology"},{"id":63015400,"name":"Social science/Psychology"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-05-11T09:24:35+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-02-19 11:45:44","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7370566","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7370566","identity":"rs-7370566","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}