Career Wisdom in Fostering Job Performance: The Mediating Role of Living a Calling

While research has supported the role of career wisdom in fostering well-being and adjustment, it is important to expand the understanding of the role and mechanisms through which career wisdom facilitates career development. Using a sample of U.S. employed adults ( n = 995), the current study employed a three-wave design to examine the time-lagged predictions of career wisdom for subsequent job performance—including task and contextual performance, as well as counterproductive work behaviors—through living a calling. The results demonstrated that living a calling (Time 2) mediated the positive predictions of career wisdom (Time 1) for subsequent task and contextual performance (Time 3). However, living a calling did not mediate the negative predictions of career wisdom for subsequent counterproductive work behavior (Time 3); instead, career wisdom directly predicted counterproductive work behavior. This study extends the evidence base for the utility of career wisdom and the dual-process theory of career decision making, highlighting career wisdom as an important resource for managing ambiguous career challenges exemplified by living a calling. Implications, future research directions, and limitations are discussed.