Journal of Management & Organization, 23:3 (2017), pp. 337–355 © 2016 Cambridge University Press and Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management doi:10.1017/jmo.2016.12 The effects of work social support and career adaptability on career satisfaction and turnover intentions OSMAN MKARATEPE * AND OLUSEGUN AOLUGBADE ** Abstract Applying career construction theory, this study develops and tests a research model that investigates whether career adaptability mediates the effect of work social support on career satisfaction and turnover intentions. Data obtained from frontline hotel employees with a 2-week time lag in three waves in Nigeria were used to assess the previously mentioned relationships. The results from structural equation modeling suggest that work social support boosts career adaptability and career satisfaction, while it mitigates turnover intentions. Surprisingly, the results suggest that career adaptability triggers turnover intentions, while it has no bearing on career satisfaction. The results further suggest that career adaptability partially mediates the relationship between work social support and turnover intentions. Keywords: career adaptability, career satisfaction, Nigeria, turnover intentions, work social support Received 26 November 2014. Accepted 10 June 2016 INTRODUCTION C areer management refers to ‘… the management practices that aim to facilitate and promote employees’ career development in organizations’ (Guan, Zhou, Ye, Jiang, & Zhou, 2015, p. 231). Having effective career management in place enables managers to know what their employees need and expect from the organization. Organizations can use a number of effective career management practices such as career advancement opportunities, performance appraisal, participation in decision-making, autonomy, and mentoring (Ito & Brotheridge, 2005; Kong, Cheung, & Song, 2012). Such career management practices can enable employees to focus on their career planning and development and decision-making better. For example, employees who receive feedback about their performance based on a fair appraisal process can identify their strengths and weaknesses and develop career goals accordingly (Kong, Cheung, & Song, 2012). Effective career management practices also contribute to employees’ knowledge, skills, and abilities and foster their career adaptability (Ito & Brotheridge, 2005). As a psychosocial construct, career adaptability is related to individuals’ personal resources that enable them to cope with present and expected work-related tasks, vocational traumas, and transitions in occupational roles and amend their social integration (Savickas & Porfeli, 2012). Career adaptability consists of four dimensions: concern, control, curiosity, and confidence. According to Savickas and * Faculty of Tourism, Eastern Mediterranean University, Gazimagusa, TRNC, Mersin 10, Turkey ** School of Tourism & Hotel Management, European University of Lefke, Lefke, TRNC, Mersin 10, Turkey Corresponding author: osman.karatepe@emu.edu.tr JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT & ORGANIZATION 337 available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/jmo.2016.12 Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. Lefke Avrupa Universitesi, on 04 Aug 2017 at 09:20:33, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use,