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We propose a person-centered framework for conceptualizing subjective careers in an increasingly boundaryless work context. Specifically, we argue that entrepreneurship, professionalism, and leadership (EPL) can serve as three key dimensions of subjective career space. We relate this framework to earlier macro-level national and organizational career models proposed by Kanter (1989) and Schein (1978). Our empirical study involving 10,326 Singaporean university students demonstrated that entrepreneurial, professional, and leadership career aspirations (including motivations, efficacies, and intentions) can be measured independently, that these career dimensions are independent of vocational interests, and that they are to some degree viewed as competing career alternatives. We also show that EPL motivation profiles can operationalize the boundaryless and protean career concepts. Individuals concurrently high in entrepreneurial, professional, and leadership career motivations, and those high in entrepreneurial and leadership motivations are highest in boundaryless and self-directed career attitudes, while those primarily motivated for professional careers hold the most traditional career attitudes. We conclude by discussing the potential of the framework for understanding human resource issues at organizational and national levels and for enhancing the study of entrepreneurship, professionalism, and leadership. (Contains 5 tables and 2 figures.)

Qualitative data from in-depth interviews were collected in 1990-1991, 1992, and 2000 with 49 prostituted juveniles remanded to two rehabilitation centers in Taiwan. These data are analyzed to explore Taiwanese prostituted juveniles' feelings about themselves and their work, their motivations for remaining in prostitution, and their difficulties leaving it. Text analysis of transcriptions of the interviews suggested that juveniles have four major motivations for remaining in prostitution: financial, emotional, drug, and identity-related factors. Analysis of interviews with juveniles working in confined prostitution suggested four stages of attitude change: resistance, development of interpersonal connections, self-injury and loss of hope, and acceptance of prostitution. Discussion includes comparison of motivations to remain in prostitution with reasons for entry, relation of findings to prostituted juveniles in other countries, and directions for future research.

Qualitative data from in-depth interviews were collected in 1990-1991, 1992, and 2000 with 49 prostituted juveniles remanded to two rehabilitation centers in Taiwan. These data are analyzed to explore Taiwanese prostituted juveniles' feelings about themselves and their work, their motivations for remaining in prostitution, and their difficulties leaving it. Text analysis of transcriptions of the interviews suggested that juveniles have four major motivations for remaining in prostitution: financial, emotional, drug, and identity-related factors. Analysis of interviews with juveniles working in confined prostitution suggested four stages of attitude change: resistance, development of interpersonal connections, self-injury and loss of hope, and acceptance of prostitution. Discussion includes comparison of motivations to remain in prostitution with reasons for entry, relation of findings to prostituted juveniles in other countries, and directions for future research.

How to capture the role of culture in individual behavior is a difficult question, in part because it is often embedded in the research approach. Many researchers have stressed the entrenched ethnocentrism of mainstream psychology approaches. In response, some Chinese scholars have turned to sociology theories to create a relation‐centered approach for investigating the psychology of Confucian societies. Scholars in Asia recently have proposed a theoretical model of psychological functioning in Chinese societies that encompasses the individual's sociocultural environment, which they labeled the relational orientation framework (ROF). The ROF is comprised of a structural‐relational factor grounded in sociological structuration theory with five dimensions that shape the individual's position in the social network, and a relational agency factor based on social exchange theory with four dimensions that capture the individual's orientation to exchange aspects of relationships. This study assesses the proposed theoretical structure of the model with empirical data. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses with two independent samples from universities in mainland China (N = 601, M age = 20.8 years) supported the structural‐relational factor with the expected five dimensions and the relational agency factor with a modified version of the four dimensions with acceptable reliability and validity scores and good levels of model‐data fit. We provide recommendations for refining conceptualization of the two factors for future development of an assessment tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individualist and collectivist cultural frameworks have been the dominant research paradigm in cross-cultural studies despite evidence of conceptual and measurement problems with collectivism. We propose a new theoretical framework of psychological functioning in Chinese societies that captures some of the useful elements of collectivism without its drawbacks. The relational orientation framework takes into account the variety of relations in an individual’s social and cultural environment. The model comprises a structural–relational factor grounded in sociological structuration theory and relational orientation characteristics, and a rational–relational factor that captures important aspects of agency based on social exchange theory. We discuss the framework’s role in providing an alternative to methodological individualism for research in Chinese societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kiasuism (fear of losing out) is a prominent cultural trait of Singapore that encompasses greed, selfishness, and inconsiderate behavior. It contributes to social problems in education and entrepreneurship. Despite its pervasiveness and negative impact, kiasuism is not well understood. The three studies that have tried to conceptualize it offer conflicting conclusions about its properties. The two existing measures focus exclusively on behavior while neglecting motivation. Inconsistencies in the conceptualization and operationalization of kiasuism warrant a fresh exploration of the construct. Our analysis of qualitative interviews with 36 Singaporean undergraduates provided a clearer understanding of kiasuism by identifying cognitive aspects in addition to behavior. Our results suggest that kiasuism is a single dimension with a range of outcomes, and the motivation for a behavior is the key to determining whether it is kiasu. Our research provides a foundation for a variety of directions for future research, both theoretical and practical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emotion regulation (ER) strategies have a clear impact on mental health outcomes. In 2 studies (N = 695, N = 433) we investigated gender differences in the use of 2 ER strategies (reappraisal and suppression) to handle parent-child conflict in Taiwanese adolescents. We also identified the implications of these differences for some negative emotions (self-blame and resentment) and internalizing problems (psychosomatic symptoms and social withdrawal). Results of the correlation analyses in both studies indicated that reappraisal and suppression ER strategies are positively correlated only in male Taiwanese adolescents. Hierarchical regression analyses in the second study confirmed that reappraisal buffers male but not female adolescents against the negative effects of suppression on the arousal of negative affect and internalizing problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]