Career anchors and emotional intelligence as 
predictors of human resource staffgraduateness skills and employability attributes 

by Melinde Coetzee and Dries Schreuder* 

Abstract 

The objective of this study was to determine whether employees’ career anchors 
and emotional intelligence significantly predict their graduateness skills and 
employability attributes. A quantitative survey design was used. Primary data 
were collected from a non-probability sample of 67 participants employed in a 
human resource capacity. The participants were enrolled for undergraduate and 
postgraduate studies in the field of business management at an open distance 
learning higher education institution. Multiple regression analyses identified 
the pure challenge, entrepreneurial creativity and service/dedication to a cause 
career anchors and perceiving and managing emotions as significant predictors of 
the participants’ graduateness skills and attributes. The general management 
competence and pure challenge career anchors were also found to be significant 
predictors of the participants’ career self-management and career resilience. In 
view of employers’ rising expectations of the graduateness and employability of 
their current and prospective graduate employees, the study contributed novel 
insights that can be used in constructing targeted development tools for cultivating 
the mindsets, skills and attributes associated with employees’ graduateness and 
employability. 

Key words: graduateness, employability, career anchors, emotional intelligence 

1 Introduction 

The changing employment climate resulting from technological advances, economic 
and employment uncertainty, flatter organisational structures and smaller number of 
career paths, has shifted the focus of career management in the contemporary 
organisation. While the role of the organisation is to provide employees with growth and 
development opportunities, it is the responsibility of employees to build the intellectual 
capital and skills that ensure their continued employability (Hess & Jepsen 2009). An 
employee’s sustained employability is influenced by the knowledge-driven economy 
which relies heavily on intellectual capabilities and a high-quality, diverse and talented 
pool of human capital (Powell & Snellman 2004). Recognising the human capital 
inherent in their professionally qualified and highly skilled knowledge workers as an 
important intangible asset in gaining a competitive advantage and securing survival and 
success in a turbulent business environment, employers globally are paying increasing 
attention to the graduateness and employability of their prospective and current 
employees (Noe, Tews & Dachner 2010; Reissner & Watson 2010). In addition to their 

* 
Prof M Coetzee and Prof AMG Schreuder are Professors of Industrial and Organisational 
Psychology at the University of South Africa. 
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degree-specific knowledge and technical skills, graduate employees are expected to 
demonstrate a set of generic transferable meta-skills and personal attributes which are 
generally regarded as indicators of their graduateness, employability and work 
readiness (Clanchy & Ballard 1995; Coetzee 2012a; Rigby, Wood, Clark-Murphy, Daly, 
Dixon, Kavanagh et al 2009). 

The emphasis on sustained employability in a changing employment context has 
further shifted the focus to the subjective career needs of employees (Sinclair 2009). 
Employees’ subjective measures of career success are generally driven by their need 
for meaningful work that matches their career motives and values and enhances their 
career well-being, and career and life satisfaction (Coetzee & Bergh 2009; Kidd 2008). 
Research has indicated that, in negotiating the person-environment fit harmonics in a 
rather turbulent employment context, employees are drawing on their personal 
resources (i.e. strengths, intrinsic motivation, values, aspirations, and coping 
capacities) to be more resilient and adaptable (Quigley & Tymon 2006; Savickas & 
Porfeli 2012). Recognising that the employment relationship with their employers tends 
to be uncertain and that they will have to deal with more frequent career transitions, 
employees appear to be adopting a more proactive stance towards their careers by 
drawing on their career self-management skills and career resilience to sustain their 
employability (Bezuidenhout 2011; Schreuder & Coetzee 2011; Savickas 2011). 
According to Van der Heijde and Van der Heijden (2006), individuals’ continued 
employability will depend on their competency to proactively and creatively manage 
their career development and adapt to changing market circumstances. In this regard, 
Fugate, Kinicki and Ashforth (2004) view employability as a set of psychosocial 
resources which promote adaptive cognition, affect and behaviour and help individuals 
to recognise and leverage career opportunities. Individuals’ psychosocial resources 
include their career identity and motivation, personal adaptability, work and career 
proactivity and resilience, and openness to change (Fugate et al 2004). Research by 
Potgieter (2012) also identified people’s self-esteem and emotional literacy as 
important psychosocial resources that significantly influence their career self-
management, proactivity and career resilience. 

In the light of research findings that point to the importance of considering people’s 
graduateness, employability, career identity, motivation and emotional intelligence in 
contemporary career development practices, it was considered important to explore the 
relationship between these variables. The purpose of this study was to deepen 
understanding of how individuals’ psychosocial resources such as their career anchors 
(as an aspect of their career identity and motivation) and emotional intelligence 
influence the skills and attributes associated with their intellectual and personal 
development (graduateness) and capacity to sustain their employability (that is, their 
capacity to manage their career development and proactively adapt to changing 
circumstances). 

2 Research objective 

The objective of this study was to explore the question whether individuals’ career 
anchors (career identity and motivation) and emotional intelligence significantly predict 
their graduateness skills and their employability attributes (career self-management and 
resilience). If the results reveal significant relationships between the variables, the 
study could contribute to the advancement of organisational career development 
practices aimed at helping employees to sustain their employability in the contemporary 
workplace. While employees’ graduateness and employability skills and attributes equip 

South African Journal of Labour Relations: Vol 37 No 2 2013 


them to be capable, active and informed citizens who are innovative and effective in the 
workplace (Coetzee 2012a; Green, Hammer & Star 2009), their career anchor motives 
and values and their emotional intelligence appear to drive their career decision 
making, career success, engagement, flexibility and adaptability (Schreuder & Coetzee 
2011; De Villiers 2009; Savickas 2011; Schein 1996; Stets & Burke 2000). Research on 
individuals’ graduateness skills and attributes has only recently been introduced in the 
South African context (Coetzee 2012a) and to date no research has been conducted on 
how the demonstration of skills and attributes associated with individuals’ graduateness 
is influenced by individuals’ career anchors and emotional intelligence. This research 
therefore offers a novel and original approach to deepening understanding of the 
psychosocial resources that influence individuals’ graduateness and employability. 

Each of the four variables, namely career anchors, emotional intelligence, 
graduateness and employability skills and attributes, will be further explored in the 
literature review that follows. 

3 Career anchors 

Career anchors are viewed as a pattern of self-perceived talents and abilities, basic 
personal values and an evolved sense of motives and needs (as pertaining to the 
career) that influence a person’s career-related decisions (Schein 1978). These self-
perceived talents and abilities, values, motives and needs represent the person’s 
career identity or self-concept and are reflected in a person’s dominant career anchor 
(Schein 1978, 1990, 1996). Research evidence also suggests that people may have 
primary and secondary career anchors (Rodrigues & Guest 2010). Although people 
with a dominant career preference at work are able to make unambiguous career 
decisions, exercise more control over their job placement, and have more positive 
career outcomes (Feldman & Bolino 1996; Rodrigues & Guest 2010), people with a 
wider portfolio of career values and goals may be better equipped to thrive in the 
contemporary landscape (Rodrigues & Guest 2010). Holding multiple occupational 
identities may enable people to adapt more successfully to a changing work 
environment (Stets & Burke 2000). Bearing in mind that the career self-concept evolves 
continuously on the basis of the insight gained through knowledge and experience 
(Schein 2006; Super 1990), research evidence suggests that career anchors are 
potentially flexible and adaptable to people’s work and life circumstances. 

Research by Schein (1978; 1990; 1996) and Feldman and Bolino (1996) differentiates 
between eight career anchors which are clustered in three distinct categories of inherent 
motivations (desires and values). As summarised in Table 1, these motivations are 
described as talents-based, needs-based and values-based anchors. 

4 Emotional intelligence 

Salovey and Mayer’s (1990) model of emotional intelligence is relevant to the current 
study. This model differentiates between a set of four conceptually related mental 
processes: (1) efficiently handling psychological and social problems, (2) accurately 
appraising emotion in the self and others and expressing emotion, (3) regulating 
emotion in the self and others, and (4) using emotions adaptively in order to solve 
problems and achieve one’s goals. The ability to monitor one’s own emotional 
landscape is thought to lead to greater insight and self-knowledge (Goleman 1998), 
and guides individuals’ thinking and actions in the career exploration and decision-
making process (Brown, George-Curran & Smith 2003). 

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Table 1 
Core workplace desires and values underlying people’s career anchors 


Career anchor motivations Core desire from workplace Core value 
Talents-based career anchor motivations 
Technical/ functional competence 
(the achievement of expert status 
among peers) 
Challenging work that tests one’s 
talents, abilities and skills 
Specialisation 
Further learning and 
development in one’s 
specialty 
General managerial competence 
(willingness to solve complex, 
whole-of-organisation problems 
and undertake subsequent 
decision-making) 
High level of responsibility; challenging, 
varied and integrative work; 
opportunities for leadership, contributing 
to the success of the organisation 
Power and influence; 
advancement up the 
corporate ladder 
Entrepreneurial creativity 
(opportunity for creativity and 
identification of new businesses, 
products or services) 
Challenging opportunities to create own 
enterprises, create or invent new 
products or services 
Power and freedom to 
create wealth 
High personal visibility 
and public recognition 
Needs-based career anchor motivations 
Autonomy/Independence 
(personal freedom in job content 
and settings) 
Clearly delineated, time-bounded kinds 
of work within own area of expertise 
which allow one to accomplish 
tasks/goals on one’s own terms, in 
one’s own way 
Freedom to achieve and 
demonstrate one’s 
competence 
Security/stability 
(long-term employment for health 
benefits and retirement options) 
Job tenure and job security; retirement 
plan and benefits; rewards steady, 
predictable performance 
Predictability and being 
rewarded for length of 
service 
Lifestyle 
(balancing one’s personal welfare 
and the family’s welfare against 
work commitments) 
Respect for personal and family 
concerns and openness to renegotiate 
the psychological contract in line with 
changing lifestyle needs 
Flexibility and freedom 
to balance work-family 
life 
Values-based career anchor motivations 
Service/dedication to a cause Opportunities to influence the Influence and freedom 
(working for the greater good of employing organisation or social to operate 
organisations or communities) policies in the direction of one’s 
personal values; serving a higher 
purpose in line with one’s personal 
values 
autonomously in the 
pursuit of one’s 
personal values or 
higher life purpose/goal 
Pure challenge 
(testing personal endurance 
through risky projects or 
physically challenging work) 
Tasks or situations that provide a 
constant variety of challenging 
opportunities for self-tests 
Power and influence to 
be competitive and win 

Source: Adapted from Coetzee and Schreuder (2011) 

According to Salovey and Mayer (1990), individuals who appraise and express 
(perceive and respond to) their emotions accurately are likely to be better understood 
by the people with whom they interact. They are also in a better position to influence 
people when they are able to gauge the emotions of the people with whom they are 
interacting, as well as to develop empathy (the ability to comprehend another’s feelings 
and re-experience them oneself). Jaeger (2003) and Pool and Sewell (2007) regard the 
development of emotional intelligence as desirable for enhancing individuals’ 
employability. Emotional intelligence positively relates to greater career decision-
making self-efficacy, as well as to greater willingness to explore a variety of career 
preferences and to commit to attractive career options (Puffer 2011). 

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5 Graduateness skills and attributes 

Graduateness refers to the quality of personal growth and intellectual development of 
the graduates produced by a higher education institution, and the relevance of the skills 
and attributes they bring to the workplace (Coetzee 2009; 2012a; Griesel & Parker 
2009). University education has a formative function, cultivating a specific set of 
graduateness skills and attributes that constitute a graduate employee’s graduateness 
in three holistic, overarching attitudinal domains of personal and intellectual 
development (Barrie 2004; Coetzee 2012a; Steur, Jansen & Hofman 2012): (1) 
scholarship (graduates’ attitude or stance towards knowledge), (2) global and moral 
citizenship (graduates’ attitude or stance towards the world and their communities), and 

(3) lifelong learning (graduates’ attitude or stance towards themselves). As scholars, 
graduate employees should be leaders in the production and application of new 
knowledge and understanding through inquiry, critique and synthesis. They should be 
able to apply their knowledge to solving consequential and complex problems, and 
communicate their knowledge confidently and effectively. As global and moral citizens, 
graduate employees must aspire to contribute to a global and local society in a full, 
meaningful, ethical and responsible way through their roles as members of local, 
national and global communities. As lifelong learners, graduate employees must be 
committed to and capable of continuous learning in order to further their understanding 
of the world and their place in it. A graduate employee’s graduateness skills and 
attributes represent the essence of the personal growth and intellectual development 
cultivated by university education (Steur et al 2012). 
Coetzee (2012a) identified eight core skills and attributes that constitute the 
graduateness of a graduate employee. These graduateness skills and attributes 
(shown in Figure 1) are transformative in nature and help to cultivate the three 
overarching attitudinal stances of personal and intellectual development: scholarship, 
global and moral citizenship, and life-long learning. 

Figure 1 
Overview of the graduateness skills and attributes cultivated by university education 

Scholarship 
stance towards knowledge 
Global and moral 
citizenship 
stance towards the world 
and others 
•Problem-solving and decision 
making skills 
•Analytical thinking skills 
•Enterprising skills 
•Ethical and responsible behaviour 
•Presenting and applying 
information skills 
•Interactive skills 
Life-long learningstance towards self 
•Goal-directed behaviour 
•Continuous learning 
orientation 
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5.1 Scholarship 
• 
Problem-solving and decision-making skills: These skills relate to being creative 
and proactive in the process of producing a solution to a recognised, yet often ill-
defined problem or complex problematic situation. 
• 
Analytical thinking skills: Analytical thinking implies being skilful in employing logical 
reasoning, inquiry and analysis in explaining information and data and drawing 
insightful conclusions from the data analysis. 
• 
Enterprising skills: These skills involve being venturesome and applying critical 
thinking, initiative and proactivity when engaging in economic activities or 
undertakings, either to create and operate an enterprise of one’s own, or to be a 
substantial contributor to an enterprise as an employee. Being enterprising also 
means that one is able to recognise and be adept at dealing with organisational or 
team politics. 
5.2 Global and moral citizenship 
• 
Ethical and responsible behaviour: This involves accepting full responsibility for, and 
taking the lead in upholding, the code of moral beliefs and values of one’s 
profession, community, and/or workplace in all one does. 
• 
Presenting and applying information skills: These skills refer to the ability to clearly, 
respectfully and convincingly communicate knowledge, facts, ideas and opinions 
(oral and written) with a view to offering solutions for one’s personal benefit, or for 
the benefit of one’s community or workplace. 
• 
Interactive skills: These skills relate to: (1) the effective and efficient use of the 
English language and of technology when communicating with others and, (2) the 
ability to function effectively and efficiently as a person in communicating and 
interacting with people from diverse cultures, backgrounds and authority levels, both 
globally and locally. 
5.3 Life-long learning 
• 
Goal-directed behaviour: This refers to the ability to be proactive and apply initiative 
to achieve one’s goals, accomplish tasks, or meet deadlines. The core elements of 
such behaviour are setting realistic goals, developing plans and taking action. 
• 
Continuous learning orientation: This involves having a cognitive openness towards 
lifelong learning and the willingness to proactively engage in the process of 
acquiring new knowledge, skills and abilities throughout one’s life and career in 
response to, and in anticipation of, changing technology and performance criteria. 
6 Employability attributes 

In the context of the present study, employees’ employability is regarded as a sub-
element of their graduateness (Coetzee 2012a). Employability constitutes a sense of 
self-directedness or personal agency in retaining or securing a job or form of 
employment based on a set of personal career-related attributes and dispositions 
generally promoted by employers and researchers as an alternative to job security in 
an uncertain employment context (Rothwell, Jewell & Hardie 2009; Schreuder & 
Coetzee 2011). Individuals’ employability provides them with an inner sense of stability 
and security (Schreuder & Coetzee 2011) and relates to their ability to achieve 
sustainable employment and move self-sufficiently within an uncertain and 
unpredictable labour market (Hillage & Pollard 1998). 

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Individuals’ career self-management and career resilience have been designated as 
important employability attributes (Bezuidenhout 2010; Potgieter 2012; Schreuder & 
Coetzee 2011; Van der Heijde & Van der Heijden 2006). Career self-management 
refers to the ability to sustain one’s employability through continuous learning, and 
career planning and management efforts (Schreuder & Coetzee 2011). Career self-
management involves the following set of skills and attributes: the ability to reflect on 
one’s career aspirations and develop clarity on what one wants to accomplish in one’s 
career; the ability to recognise the skills one needs to be successful in one’s career, 
and the actions one needs to take to accomplish one’s career goals. It also involves 
having the confidence to achieve one’s career goals and the persistence to do so. 
Career self-management implies that one is able to engage in development activities 
continuously in the pursuit of one’s career goals (Bezuidenhout 2010). Career self-
management therefore involves those activities that allow individuals to make a realistic 
self-assessment of their own talents and capabilities in the light of organisational career 
opportunities and the concrete actions undertaken to realise these ambitions (De Vos, 
Dewettinck & Buyens 2009; Ferreira 2012). Coetzee (2010) found career self-
management to be a significant predictor of students’ graduateness. 

Career resilience refers to the ability to adapt to changing circumstances by 
welcoming job and organisational changes, looking forward to working with new and 
different people, having self-confidence and being willing to take risks (Fugate et al 
2004; Schreuder & Coetzee 2011). Career resilience is a personal disposition that 
facilitates a high degree of adaptability, flexibility, self-confidence and competence, 
regardless of adverse career circumstances (Bezuidenhout 2011). Specific attributes 
include the following: having a high regard for one’s personal qualities and being open 
to the opinions of others on one’s strengths and weaknesses. It also implies having 
sufficient confidence in oneself to pursue one’s endeavours successfully. Being resilient 
also means that one is responsive to, and proactively adapts to, changes in one’s 
environment (Bezuidenhout 2011). McArdle, Waters, Briscoe and Hall (2007) view 
career identity and adaptability (career resiliency) as key aspects of individuals’ self-
perceived employability. 

7 
Career anchors and emotional intelligence in relation tograduateness skills and employability attributes 

Figure 2 illustrates the hypothesised interface between individuals’ career anchors and 
emotional intelligence and their graduateness skills and employability attributes. Building 
on research conducted by Coetzee and Schreuder (2011), Coetzee (2012b) and 
Potgieter (2012), we propose that individuals’ career anchors and emotional intelligence 
will significantly predict their graduateness skills and employability attributes. 

Tomlinson (2007) posits that individuals’ employability is driven by values and their 
sense of identity, and is related to their dispositions and life histories. Schein (1996) also 
regards career anchors as an important aspect of individuals’ career self-concept which 
provides clarity on career values, motives, interests and needs. Whereas employees’ 
career anchors act as the motivational forces that guide their career decisions and 
preferences for work and work environments (Gubler, Arnold & Coombs 2010; Schein 
2006), their emotional intelligence appears to energise and motivate their career 
exploration and decision-making activities (Brown, George-Curran & Smith 2003). 
Coetzee and Schreuder (2011) found that individuals’ career anchors significantly 
predicted their emotional intelligence. Career anchors and emotional intelligence also 
significantly predicted individuals’ satisfaction with their self-perceived employability. 

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This gave rise to the following research hypotheses: 

H1: Individuals’ career anchors and emotional intelligence significantly and positively 
predict their employability attributes (career self-management and career resilience). 

Based on research by Coetzee (2010), which showed that employees’ graduateness 
skills and attributes significantly predict their career-related employability attributes, the 
following research hypothesis was formulated: 

H2: Individuals’ career anchors and emotional intelligence significantly and positively 
predict their graduateness skills and attributes. 

Figure 2 
Overview of the hypothesised interface between individuals’ career anchors and 

emotional intelligence and their graduateness skills and employability attributes 
Career anchors 
Motives and values influencing 
preferences for work and work 
environments (internal career) that 
guide career decisions and choices 
(career identity and motivation) 
Emotional intelligence 
Expression, use, regulation and 
assessment of emotions in career 
decision-making and management 
Graduateness skills and attributes 
Personal and intellectual meta-
capacities cultivated by university 
education that distinguish the graduate 
from others in the field and indicate 
his/her employability and work 
readiness (H2) 
Employability attributes 
Personal meta-capacities in sustaining 
one’s employability—career self-
management and career resilience 
(H1) 
Career development in the 
employment context 
Subjective career context 
(Psychosocial resources) 
Independent (predictor) variables Dependent (criterion) variables 
8 Research design 

8.1 Participants 
The participants were a non-probability sample of 67 out of a total population of 270 
adults employed in a human resource capacity in the South African service industry. 
The participants in the sample were enrolled for further education studies in the 
business management field at a higher education open distance learning institution. 
The sample comprised predominantly black (African, Indian and coloured) (85%) 
participants. The participants occupied relatively high-level positions at senior and 
middle management levels (20%) as well as middle and first-level supervisory levels 
(13%), and staff levels (68%) in the service industry (81%). Females represented 86% 
of the sample. Most of the participants (72%) were in the early adulthood life stage 
(25–40 years), which is regarded as the exploration and establishment phase of their 
careers. In terms of their level of academic study, 84% were final-year undergraduate 
students. Honours and postgraduate diploma levels comprised 9%, master’s level 6%, 
and doctoral level 1% of the sample. 

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8.2 Measuring instruments 
The Career Orientations Inventory (COI) (Schein 2006) was used to measure the 
career anchors of the participants. The COI is an established instrument that has been 
used to measure career anchors both internationally and in South Africa. The COI is a 
self-report measure consisting of 40 items. Responses are captured on a six-point 
Likert scale. The COI has evidenced good psychometric validity and reliability in other 
South African multicultural samples (Coetzee & De Villiers 2010; Coetzee & Schreuder 
2008, 2009; Coetzee, Schreuder & Tladinyane 2007; Ellison & Schreuder 2000; Van 
Vuuren & Fourie 2000). High Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were obtained for the 
present study: technical/functional (0.77), general management (0.79), autonomy 
(0.80), security/stability (0.81), entrepreneurial creativity (0.78), service/dedication to a 
cause (0.78), pure challenge (0.77), and lifestyle (0.78). 

The Assessing Emotions Scale (AES) (Schutte, Malouff & Bullar 2007) is a 33-item 
self-report inventory which uses a five-point Likert scale to measure individuals’ 
emotional intelligence traits and consists of four subscales: perception of emotion (10 
items), managing own emotions (9 items), managing others’ emotions (8 items) and 
utilisation of emotions (6 items). Validity studies on the AES corroborate the various 
underlying constructs of the four subscales (Chapman & Hayslip 2006; Ciarrochi, Chan 
& Caputi 2001; Saklofske, Austin & Minksi 2003). In terms of reliability (internal 
consistency), high Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were obtained for the present study: 
perceiving emotion (0.83), managing own emotions (0.79), managing others’ emotions 
(0.76), and understanding emotions (0.84). Test-retest reliability tests (Schutte, Malouff, 
Hall, Haggerty, Cooper, Golden & Dornheim 1998) indicate a coefficient score of 0.78 
for total scale scores. Validity studies (Bracket & Mayer 2003; John & Srivastava 1999; 
McCrae & Costa 1999; Schutte et al 1998) confirm both the convergent and the 
divergent validity of the AES. 

The Graduate Skills and Attributes Scale (GSAS) developed by Coetzee (2010) was 
used to measure individuals’ confidence in their ability to demonstrate the skills and 
attributes that are associated with their graduateness. The GSAS (Coetzee 2010) is a 
self-rated, multifactorial measure which contains 64 items and eight subscales: (1) 
interactive skills (16 items); (2) problem solving and decision making skills (8 items); (3) 
continuous learning orientation (7 items); (4) enterprising skills (9 items); (5) skills in 
presenting and applying information (5 items); (6) goal-directed behaviour (10 items); 

(7) ethical and responsible behaviour (5 items); (8) analytical thinking skills (4 items). 
Respondents are required to rate each item on a six-point Likert-type scale. An 
exploratory factor analysis (Coetzee 2010) provided evidence that the GSAS items 
meet the psychometric criteria of construct validity—inter-subscale correlations ranged 
between .46 and .86, suggesting acceptable construct validity as indicated by the 
guidelines of Tabachnik and Fidell 2007. In terms of reliability (internal consistency), 
Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for each subscale range between 0.75 and 0.92 (high). 
The Employability Attributes Scale (EAS) of Bezuidenhout and Coetzee (2011) was 
used to measure the participants’ career self-management and career resilience. The 
EAS career self-management subscale contains 11 items and the career resilience 
subscale contains 7 items. Respondents were required to rate each item on a six-point 
Likert-type scale. An exploratory factor analysis (Coetzee 2010) and inter-item 
correlational analysis provided evidence that the EAS items meet the psychometric 
criteria of construct validity—inter-subscale correlations ranged between .46 and .66, 
suggesting acceptable construct validity (Tabachnik & Fidell 2007). In terms of reliability 
(internal-consistency), the following Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were obtained: 
career self-management (0.90) and career resilience (0.78). 

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8.3 Research procedure 
Ethical clearance and permission to conduct the study were obtained from the 
Research Ethics Committee and the management of the higher education institution 
that participated in the study. A web survey was used to collect the data from the total 
student population (N=270) enrolled for further education studies in the business 
management field and employed in a human resource capacity. The survey yielded 67 
usable questionnaires (response rate=25%). The low response rate could be attributed 
to the web survey approach. Participation was voluntary. Confidentiality and privacy 
were explained to the participants, as was the purpose of the study. It was indicated to 
the participants that the completion and return of the questionnaires signified that they 
had granted permission for their questionnaires to be utilised for research purposes. 

8.4 Statistical analyses 
The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS 2008) was used to analyse the 
data. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were used to assess the internal consistency of the 
measuring instruments. Descriptive and inferential statistical calculations were 
performed. Standard multiple regression analyses were conducted to identify the 
independent variables (career anchors and emotional intelligence) that provided the 
best explanation for the proportion of the total variance in the scores of the dependent 
variables (graduateness skills and employability attributes). Since a number of 
independent variables had to be considered, the value of adjusted R² 
was used to 
interpret the results. The F-test was used to test whether there was a significant 
regression between the independent and the dependent variables. In order to counter 
the probability of a type I error the significance value was set at the 95% confidence 
interval level (p = 
0.05). For the purposes of this study, R² 
values of = 
0.12 (small 
practical effect), = 
0.13 = 
0.25 (medium practical effect) and = 
0.26 (large practical 
effect) (Fp = 
0.05) (Cohen 1992) were also considered in the interpretation of the 
results. 

9 Results 

9.1 Descriptive statistics 
9.1.1 Career anchors profile 
Table 2 shows that security/stability (M=4.63; SD=0.99), service/dedication to a cause 
(M = 4.48; SD=0.86) and lifestyle (M=4.13; SD=1.07) are the three dominant career 
anchors of the participants. These career orientations are needs-based (security/ 
stability and lifestyle) and values-based (service/dedication to a cause). 

9.1.2 Emotional intelligence profile 
Table 2 shows that the participants obtained the highest scores on the managing own 
emotions (M=4.27; SD=0.45), perceiving emotions (M=4.14; SD=0.55) and managing 
others’ emotions (M=4.05; SD=0.53) variables. 

9.1.3 Graduateness skills and attributes 
Table 2 shows that the participants obtained the highest mean scores for the goal-
directed behaviour (M=5.25; SD=0.36), enterprising skills (M=5.21; SD=0.13) and 
problem solving/decision making skills (M=5.33; SD=0.15) variables, and the lowest 
mean scores on analytical thinking skills (M=5.25; SD=0.10). 

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9.1.4 Employability attributes 
Table 2 shows that the participants obtained the highest mean score for career self-
management (M=5.50; SD=0.06). 

Table 2 
Means, standard deviations and Cronbach’s alpha coefficients (n=67) 


Scale variables Mean SD Cronbach’s alpha 
coefficient 
Interactive skills (GSAS) 5.41 0.13 0.92 
Problem solving/decision making skills (GSAS) 5.33 0.15 0.86 
Continuous learning orientation (GSAS) 5.46 0.07 0.87 
Enterprisingl skills 5.21 0.13 0.86 
Presenting and applying information skills (GSAS) 5.28 0.09 0.78 
Goal-directed behaviour (GSAS) 5.25 0.36 0.87 
Ethical and responsible behaviour (GSAS) 5.43 0.13 0.75 
Analytical thinking skills (GSAS) 5.25 0.10 0.85 
Career self-management (EAS) 5.50 0.06 0.90 
Career resilience (EAS) 5.40 0.11 0.78 
Technical/functional (COI) 4.20 0.72 0.77 
General management (COI) 3.14 0.97 0.79 
Autonomy (COI) 3.38 0.93 0.80 
Security/stability (COI) 4.63 0.99 0.81 
Entrepreneurial creativity(COI) 3.80 0.98 0.78 
Service/dedication to a cause (COI) 4.48 0.86 0.78 
Pure challenge(COI) 4.32 0.85 0.77 
Lifestyle(COI) 4.13 1.07 0.78 
Perceiving emotions (AES) 4.14 0.55 0.83 
Managing own emotions(AES) 4.27 0.45 0.79 
Managing others’ emotions(AES) 4.05 0.53 0.76 
Understanding emotions (AES) 3.80 0.52 0.84 

GSAS: Graduate skills and attributes scale / EAS: Employability attributes scale / COI: Career 
orientations inventory / AES: Assessing emotions scale 

9.2 Multiple regression analyses 
Table 3 shows that statistically significant regression models, explaining 31% (R² 
= 
0.31; p = 
0.01) to 56% (R² 
= 
0.56; p = 
0.001) of the variance (large practical effect) in 
the GSAS variables, were produced. In terms of the two employability attributes 
variables, statistically significant regression models explaining 40% (R² 
= 
0.40; p = 
0.001) and 43% (R² 
= 
0.43; p = 
0.001) of the variance (large practical effect) in the EAS 
variables, were produced. 

Table 3 shows that the pure challenge career anchor made a significant positive 
contribution to explaining the variance in the interactive skills (ß=0.52; p = 
0.00), 
problem solving/decision making (ß=0.52; p = 
0.00), continuous learning (ß=0.45; p = 
0.01), enterprising skills (ß=0.35; p = 
0.02), presenting and applying information skills 
(ß=0.37; p = 
0.02), goal-directed behaviour (ß=0.51; p = 
0.001) and career resilience 
(ß=0.40; p = 
0.02) variables. In terms of the problem solving/decision making, 
continuous learning, presenting and applying information skills and goal-directed 
behaviour variables, the pure challenge career anchor contributed the most to 
explaining the variance in these GSAS variables. The entrepreneurial creativity career 

South African Journal of Labour Relations: Vol 37 No 2 2013 


anchor contributed positively to explaining the variance in the continuous learning 
(ß=0.27; p = 
0.05), presenting and applying information skills (ß=0.32; p = 
0.02), and 
goal-directed behaviour (ß=0.26; p = 0.04) variables. 

The service/dedication to a cause career anchor made a negative contribution to 
explaining the variance in the GSAS problem solving/decision making (ß 
= -0.34; p = 
0.004), continuous learning (ß 
= -0.27; p = 
0.04), presenting and applying information 
skills (ß 
= -0.30; p = 
0.02), goal-directed behaviour (ß 
= -0.33; p = 
0.01) and analytical 
thinking skills (ß 
= -0.37; p = 
0.01) variables. The general management career anchor 
made a negative contribution to explaining the variance in the EAS career self-
management (ß 
= -0.39; p = 0.01) variable. 

The AES perceiving emotions variable made the largest contribution to explaining the 
variance in the GSAS enterprising skills (ß 
= 0.41; p = 
0.003) variable. Perceiving 
emotions also contributed significantly to explaining the variance in the GSAS problem 
solving/decision making (ß 
= 0.33; p = 
0.01), continuous learning (ß 
= 0.28; p = 
0.05), 
presenting and applying information skills (ß 
= 0.29; p = 
0.04), and goal-directed 
behaviour (ß 
= 0.33; p = 
0.02) variables. The managing own emotions variable (ß 
= 
0.35; p = 
0.05) contributed significantly to explaining the variance in the ethical and 
responsible behaviour variable. 

Table 3 
Significant multiple regression analyses: career anchors (COI) and 
emotional intelligence (AES) on graduateness skills and attributes (GSAS) and 
employability attributes (EAS) (n = 67) 


Variable Unstandardised 
coefficient 
Standardised 
coefficient 
t p F Adjusted 
R square R 
Interactive skills (GSAS) 
(Constant) 
b 
16.09 
SE b 
9.54 
ß 
1.69 0.09 
7.92*** 0.56+++ 0.80 
Pure challenge (COI) 1.16 0.32 0.52 3.75 0.00 
Problem solving/decision 
making (GSAS) (Constant) 
b 
7.17 
SE b 
5.44 
ß 
1.32 0.19 7.97*** 0.56+++ 0.80 
Service/dedication to a 
cause (COI) -0.45 0.15 -0.34 -3.04 0.004 
Pure challenge (COI) 0.69 0.18 0.52 3.83 0.00 
Perceiving emotions (AES) 0.38 0.15 0.33 2.65 0.01 
Continuous learning 
orientation (GSAS) 
(Constant) 
b 
2.86 
SE b 
5.75 
ß 
0.50 0.62 
5.16*** 0.43+++ 0.73 
Entrepreneurial creativity 
(COI) 0.26 0.13 0.27 2.05 0.05 
Service/dedication to a 
cause (COI) -0.33 0.16 -0.27 -2.11 0.04 
Pure challenge (COI) 0.55 0.19 0.45 2.89 0.01 
Perceiving emotions (AES) 0.30 0.15 0.28 1.97 0.05 
Enterprising skills (GSAS) 
(Constant) 
b 
-1.80 
SE b 
7.49 
ß 
-0.24 0.81 6.38*** 0.50+++ 0.77 
Pure challenge (COI) 0.59 0.25 0.35 2.37 0.02 
Perceiving emotions (AES) 0.61 0.20 0.41 3.08 0.003 
Presenting & applying 
information skills (GSAS) 
(Constant) 
b 
4.07 
SE b 
3.81 
ß 
1.07 0.29 
5.90*** 0.47+++ 0.75 

continued/ 

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Variable Unstandardised 
coefficient 
Standardised 
coefficient 
t p F Adjusted 
R square R 
Entrepreneurial creativity 
(COI) 0.21 0.09 0.32 2.46 0.02 
Service/dedication to a 
cause (COI) -0.25 0.10 -0.30 -2.40 0.02 
Pure challenge (COI) 0.31 0.13 0.37 2.47 0.02 
Perceiving emotions (AES) 0.22 0.10 0.29 2.15 0.04 
Goal-directed behaviour 
(GSAS) 
(Constant) 
b 
7.85 
SE b 
7.12 
ß 
1.10 0.28 
6.54*** 0.51+++ 0.77 
Entrepreneurial creativity 
(COI) 0.33 0.16 0.26 2.08 0.04 
Service/dedication to a 
cause (COI) -0.53 0.20 -0.33 -2.70 0.01 
Pure challenge (COI) 0.82 0.24 0.51 3.47 0.001 
Perceiving emotions (AES) 0.47 0.19 0.33 2.48 0.02 
Ethical & responsible 
behaviour (GSAS) 
(Constant) 
b 
5.35 
SE b 
4.07 
ß 
1.31 0.20 
3.32** 0.30+++ 0.65 
Managing own emotions 
(AES) 0.30 0.14 0.35 2.10 0.05 
Analytical thinking skills 
(GSAS) (Constant) 
b 
7.20 
SE b 
4.25 
ß 
1.69 0.09 3.43** 0.31+++ 0.66 
Service/dedication to a 
cause (COI) -0.30 0.12 -0.37 -2.58 0.01 
Perceiving emotions (AES) 0.25 0.11 0.35 2.22 0.03 
Career self-management 
(EAS) (Constant) b 
10.26 
SE b 
6.94 
ß 
1.48 0.15 
5.08*** 0.43+++ 0.73 
General management 
(COI) -0.43 0.15 -0.39 -2.87 0.01 
Career resilience (EAS) 
(Constant) 
b 
2.07 
SE b 
4.68 
ß 
0.44 0.66 4.69*** 0.40+++ 0.71 
Pure challenge (COI) 0.39 0.15 0.40 2.49 0.02 

***p=0.001; **p=0.01; *p=0.05; + R² 
=0.12 (small practical effect size); ++ R² 
=0.13=0.25 (medium 
practical effect size) ; +++ R² 
= 
0.26 (large practical effect size) 

The statistical results provided supportive evidence for accepting research hypothesis 
H1: Individuals’ career anchors and emotional intelligence significantly and positively 
predict their employability attributes (career self-management and career resilience). 
Supportive evidence was also provided for research hypothesis H2: Individuals’ career 
anchors and emotional intelligence significantly and positively predict their 
graduateness skills and attributes. 

10 Discussion 

The objective of this study was to determine whether individuals’ career anchors and 
emotional intelligence significantly predict their graduateness skills and their 
employability attributes. Overall, the results provided supportive evidence of significant 
relationships between the variables. The participants’ career anchors and their 
emotional intelligence significantly predicted their graduateness skills and attributes and 
their career anchors significantly predicted their career self-management and career 
resilience (employability attributes). However, contrary to the findings of Potgieter 

South African Journal of Labour Relations: Vol 37 No 2 2013 


(2012), the results showed that emotional intelligence was not a significant predictor of 
the participants’ career self-management and career resilience (employability 
attributes). 

10.1 Career anchors as predictors of graduateness skills andemployability attributes 
In terms of the participants’ career anchors and their graduateness skills and attributes, 
the results showed that a preference for the pure challenge career motives and values 
increased the participants’ confidence in their scholarship-related skills (problem solving/ 
decision making and enterprising skills), global and moral citizenship behavioural skills 
(interacting with others and presenting and applying information) and their life-long 
learning attributes (goal-directed behaviour and continuous learning orientation). The 
results showed that the pure challenge career anchor preference significantly increased 
the participants’ career resilience (confidence in their ability to adapt to changing 
circumstances and willingness to take risks). These findings could be attributed to an 
underlying desire associated with the pure challenge career anchor for tasks or situations 
that provide a constant variety of challenging opportunities for testing personal endurance 
in risky projects or challenging work, and opportunities to prove one’s competence in 
competitive situations which generally require strong problem solving and decision 
making skills, and a goal-directed and continuous learning orientation (Schein 1990; 
2006). Coetzee and Shreuder (2011) found that the pure challenge career anchor 
significantly predicted higher levels of employability satisfaction. 

It appears that the entrepreneurial creativity motivational values of continuous 
creation and invention cultivate the graduateness mindsets associated with goal-
directed behaviour and life-long learning, and the citizenship behavioural skills 
(presenting and applying information). These findings could be attributed to the 
underlying motivation and desire for challenging opportunities to create, identify or 
invent new businesses, products or services that will bring personal visibility and public 
recognition (Schein 2006). Feldman and Bolino (2000) also found that individuals with a 
strong creativity anchor were motivated to become self-employed by the chance to use 
their skills and be creative as well as to capitalise on a good business idea. 

The results further suggest a degree of incongruence between the participants’ 
service-oriented values and their confidence in demonstrating the skills and attributes 
that constitute their graduateness. It appears from the findings that the higher one’s 
need for a career in which one can be of service to others and committed to an 
important cause and able to utilise one’s skills and talents for the greater good, the 
lower one’s confidence in demonstrating scholarship-related skills (problem solving and 
decision making, and analytical thinking), citizenship behavioural skills (presenting and 
applying information), and life-long learning attributes (goal-directed behaviour and 
continuous learning). Coetzee and Schreuder (2009) found that the service/dedication 
to a cause career anchor constitutes a unique set of values and the motivation it 
provides is independent of the other career anchors. The service/dedication to a cause 
career anchor relates to a desire for opportunities to influence the employing 
organisation or social policies in the direction of one’s personal values (Schein 1990; 
2006). The findings of the present study suggest that the service-oriented values seem 
more important than cultivating the intellectual mindsets associated with one’s 
graduateness. 

It is interesting to observe that the intrinsic motivational desire of people dominated 
by the managerial competence career anchor for opportunities to solve complex whole-
of-organisation problems and make decisions, and for challenging, varied and 

South African Journal of Labour Relations: Vol 37 No 2 2013 


integrative work, seems to be incongruent with an ability and concern to engage in 
continuous learning and career planning and management efforts. This finding 
suggests that the managerial competence values of power and influence, and 
advancement up the corporate ladder, seem more important than cultivating the 
intellectual mindsets, skills and attributes associated with one’s graduateness and 
employability. Research by Potgieter (2012) also found management-level staff to be 
significantly less concerned about their general employability attributes, including their 
career self-management and continuous learning, than staff-level employees. 

10.2 Emotional intelligence as a predictor of graduateness skills andemployability attributes 
In terms of emotional intelligence and the participants’ graduateness skills and attributes, 
the results showed that the ability to accurately appraise emotion in oneself and others 
(perceiving emotions) significantly increased the participants’ confidence in their 
scholarship-related skills (problem solving/decision making, analytical thinking, and 
enterprising skills), citizenship behavioural skills (presenting and applying information), 
and life-long learning attributes (goal-directed behaviour and continuous learning 
orientation). These findings seem to corroborate research by Brown et al (2003) and 
Goleman (1998), who found the ability to perceive emotions to be significantly related to 
greater confidence in decision making tasks and problem solving abilities. The findings 
also seem to provide supportive evidence for Salovey and Mayer’s (1990) view that 
emotional intelligence entails the capacity to solve problems efficiently and achieve one’s 
goals. The ability to regulate one’s own emotions (managing own emotions) also 
increased the participants’ confidence in their ability to demonstrate ethical and 
responsible behavioural attributes. This finding appears to be in agreement with Salovey 
and Mayer (1990), who assume emotional intelligence to be an aspect of interpersonal 
and intrapersonal intelligence and the capacity to operate effectively in life. A high level of 
emotional intelligence has been found to promote emotional and intellectual growth, and 
the belief in one’s employability (Coetzee & Beukes 2010). 

11 Conclusions, implications and recommendations 

11.1 Conclusions 
The value of the findings obtained in the present study lies in the explanatory utility of 
the identified associations between the variables of concern to this study. The results of 
the current study highlight the importance of understanding and assessing employees’ 
career anchors and level of emotional intelligence in career development practices. 
Overall, it can be concluded that employees’ career identity and motives (as expressed 
by their career anchors) and their emotional intelligence are important factors to 
consider when developing and cultivating the intellectual capacities underpinning the 
graduateness skills and attributes required by the contemporary organisation. 
Employees’ career anchors and emotional intelligence are also important factors to 
consider in their career development. Employees should gain an understanding of how 
their career anchors and emotional intelligence influence their ability to develop and 
apply the intellectual capacities (graduateness skills) they need to thrive in the 
contemporary world of work. They also need to understand how their career anchors 
and emotional intelligence influence their capacity to manage their own career 
development and adapt to changing circumstances in an effort to sustain their 
employability. 

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11.2 Implications for practice 
Considering the rising expectations among employers of their employees’ 
graduateness and employability, and their ability to take responsibility for managing 
their careers and adapting to changing employment contexts, employment relations 
managers and human resource practitioners should take note of the findings presented 
in the current study. It is important for employment relations managers to note that 
employees’ career anchors provide empirical evidence that people differ in respect of 
their career identity as expressed by their career motives and values and that some 
career anchors may be more suitable for developing and cultivating the skills and 
attributes associated with their graduateness and employability. Management could 
introduce the concept of career anchors to their employees as an integral part of career 
development discussions. Career discussions could be organised on how employees’ 
career anchors influence their ability to apply the graduateness skills and attributes they 
require to help secure the survival and success of the company in a turbulent business 
environment. Such discussions could encourage them to explore the motives and 
values underlying their dominant career anchors and how these relate to their 
graduateness skills and employability attributes. 

Considering that service/dedication to a cause was one of the dominant career 
anchors among the sample of participants, managers should take particular note that 
the service-oriented values underpinning this career anchor seemed more important 
than cultivating the intellectual mindsets associated with one’s graduateness. 
Individuals with a service/dedication to a cause career anchor tend to be more 
concerned with helping others than with pursuing their own talents, as in the case of the 
pure challenge career anchor. It is recommended that targeted development tools be 
identified to cultivate the necessary graduateness and employability mindsets, skills 
and attributes in human resource staff with a service/dedication to a cause career 
anchor. In addition, employees’ emotional literacy should be integrated into such 
development tools to further enhance proactive career behaviours. 

Targeted development interventions and career discussions should also be 
considered for employees with a managerial competence career anchor. The results 
indicated a lower need to cultivate the intellectual mindsets, skills and attributes 
associated with one’s graduateness and employability by means of continuous 
learning, and career planning and management efforts. Because the continued 
development of management is important for business survival and performance, such 
interventions and discussions could help managers recognise the importance of 
investing time and effort in their continued development as leaders of the business. 

11.3 Limitations and recommendations for future research 
Since the present study was limited to a small sample of predominantly early career 
stage black, female staff-level employees, employed in a human resource capacity and 
enrolled for further studies in the business management field, the findings cannot be 
generalised to other occupational, race, gender, age and discipline contexts. 
Furthermore, given the exploratory nature of the research design, this study has not 
produced any findings about causation. Associations between the variables have 
therefore been interpreted rather than established. Moreover, the study relied on 
individuals’ self-assessment of skills and attributes. It may be assumed that some 
individuals will tend to rate their skills and attributes either too high or too low. 
Therefore, it is recommended that the study be replicated using broader samples 
across various occupational, race and gender groups, and economic sectors and 

South African Journal of Labour Relations: Vol 37 No 2 2013 


employing multiple sources of data (for example, data derived from interviews and 
secondary data) before final conclusions can be drawn about the associations between 
individuals’ career anchors and emotional intelligence and their graduateness skills and 
attributes and employability attributes. Notwithstanding these limitations, the study has 
contributed novel insights into the way in which employees’ subjective career-related 
motives, values and emotional intelligence influence the skills and attributes associated 
with their graduateness and employability. 

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