Fostering Career Sustainability: The Combined Effects of HR Practices and Perceived Organizational Support in Working Professionals

Abstract

Career Sustainability is a new and upcoming construct that paves the way for researchers to understand the effects of contextual and personal traits on an employee’s long term career happiness and productivity. This study aims to understand the interplay of two sets of contextual factors, HR practices and perceived organizational support, on the career sustainability of working professionals. With a sample of 160 working professionals collected from various geographical locations, the research investigates the effect of availability and use of HR practices and perceived organizational support on career sustainability. Furthermore, the mediating effect of perceived organizational support between HR practices and career sustainability was also tested. Results of the statistical analyses indicated that availability of HR practices and perceived organizational support showed a positive association with career sustainability. The mediation effect of Perceived organizational support was also found to be significant, implying that the employees’ positive perceptions of their organization’s supportive practices can partially explain the positive relationship between the availability of HR practices on career sustainability. However, the use of HR practices didn’t produce similar results. These study findings thus highlight the significance of supportive HR practices in developing sustainable careers, displaying important avenues for future research, and practical applications for HR professionals and organizational leaders.