Article Schein’s Career Anchors: Testing Factorial Validity, Invariance Across Countries, and Relationship With Core Self-Evaluations Robert Costigan 1 , Sait Gurbuz 2 , and Unsal Sigri 3 Abstract The purposes of this study are to (1) examine the factorial validity of Schein’s career anchors orientation inventory (COI), comparing the original eight-factor model with an alternative nine-factor model, (2) examine the cross-cultural invariance of the COI and its factor structure across two countries, (3) investigate whether core self-evaluations (CSE) is associated with career anchors, and (4) determine whether the relationship between CSE and career anchors varies by country. Survey data were collected from 469 participants (230 from the United States and 239 from Turkey). Based on multigroup confirmatory factor analysis, the results indicated that the alternative nine-factor career anchor model of the COI has better factorial validity and configural invariance than Schein’s eight- factor model. The findings showed support for the association between CSE and the pure challenge anchor and a moderating effect of culture on the relationship between CSE and two other anchors. Keywords career anchors, core self-evaluations, factorial validity, cultural invariance A career anchor is a self-perceived talent or ability, motive or need, or value or attitude (Schein, 1978, 1990). Schein’s (1978, 1990) career anchor theory proposed that most individuals gain a true career anchor that they remain committed over the course of their careers—something that they will not give up due to its importance. A number of anchors may be fulfilled in a particular person’s career but only one should be viewed as a dominant, true anchor (Schein, 1990). Schein explained that if a true anchor does not emerge, then it suggests that the person has not attained enough life experience to recognize it. 1 Department of Management, St. John Fisher College, Rochester, NY, USA 2 Department of Management, Social Sciences University of Ankara, Ankara, Turkey 3 Department of Sport Management, Baskent University, Ankara, Turkey Corresponding Author: Sait Gurbuz, Department of Management, Social Sciences University of Ankara, Ulus, Ankara, Turkey. Email: sgurbuz@kho.edu.tr Journal of Career Development 2018, Vol. 45(3) 199-214 ª Curators of the University of Missouri 2016 Reprints and permission: sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/0894845316676903 journals.sagepub.com/home/jcd