Psychological capital and employee loyalty: The mediating role of protean career orientation

Abstract

Evidence that positively disposed employees are inclined to experience greater loyalty to the organisation and fewer intentions to quit may be underestimated. The present study investigated the role that the individual’s career attitude plays in the relationship between positive psychological capital (a composite variable based on hope, self-efficacy, resilience, and optimism) and subsequent loyalty to the organisation. An online survey was administered to New Zealand employees across five distinct industries. Regression analyses on a sample of 518 confirmed that a self-directed and values-driven approach to career management mediates the relationship between psychological capital and affective commitment to the organisation and turnover intentions. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for individual and organisational activities and recommendations for future research are provided.