Complementarity in Future Selves: How Networks of Future-Oriented Cognitive Representations Influence Individuals' Ability to Proactively and Adaptively Manage Their Career

• 成果类型: Article; Early Access
• 署名作者: Strauss, Karoline; Mell, Julija N.; Anseel, Frederik; Loermans, Annemijn; Sluss, David
• 署名单位: ESSEC Business School; Erasmus University Rotterdam - Excl Erasmus MC; Erasmus University Rotterdam; University of New South Wales Sydney; University of London; Goldsmiths University London
• 刊物名称: ORGANIZATION SCIENCE
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1047-7039
• DOI: 10.1287/orsc.2023.18204
• 发表日期: 2025
• 关键词: future self; IDENTITY; self-concept; PROACTIVE BEHAVIOR; careers

摘要

When thinking about one's future work life and career with its seemingly endless possibilities, individuals rarely have a singular put together vision of their future self, in which all components neatly fit together. We investigate how the complementarity of a future self impacts an individual's efforts to work toward their desired future career. We conceptualize and operationalize a future self as a network of future-oriented cognitive representations and complementarity as the extent of mutually beneficial connections in this network. We propose that future self complementarity amplifies the energizing effect of activated future self representations as it spreads across the network, enhancing vitality, and thus promoting proactive career behavior. In Study 1, we developed and validated a network-based measure to capture future self complementarity. In Study 2, we found, in a temporally lagged sample of 517 employees at 11 organizations, an indirect effect of future self complementarity on proactive career behavior through vitality. Study 3, a preregistered causal chain experiment, provided further support for this link. In Study 4, a preregistered field experiment, we again found an indirect effect of future self complementarity on proactive career behavior, assessed using a scale as well as a behavioral measure, via vitality.