Career Adaptability Across Southeast Asia: A Systematic Review

• Published in: SAGE open Vol. 14; no. 4
• Main Authors: Asok Kumar, Divyashine, Lau, Poh Li, Chua, Kah Heng, Voon, Siok Ping, Lo, Yueh Yea
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: SAGE Publishing 01-10-2024
• ISSN: 2158-2440; 2158-2440
• DOI: 10.1177/21582440241289737

Southeast Asia has recently seen a number of developments and transformations that requires one to adjust to as the region’s skill requirements are evolving. For some these new changes brings new opportunities, however, for some greater levels of career adaptability is need to manage these new developments and transformations. The necessity of systematically reviewing articles on career adaptability in Southeast Asian nations is made apparent by this particular instance. A systematic review of career adaptability in Southeast Asia was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. About 22 eligible studies were identified. The findings indicated that the most prevalent groups in career adaptability studies were students, followed by working adults. Antecedents such as role modeling and cultural intelligence were identified. Four categories of predictors were identified such as personal, educational, career behavior, and environmental factor. Two categories were identified for the outcomes of career adaptability, namely, personal and career outcomes. Findings revealed that career adaptability offers several beneficial outcomes such as improved employability skills and life satisfaction. Discussion includes conditions faced in Southeast Asian countries and cultural differences. The dearth of studies within multicultural settings calls for further research in exploring career adaptability, as this broaden cultural understanding and awareness of educational and career behaviors pertaining to one’s career adaptability. This study offers important practical implications and recommendations for career counseling practices and policymakers in Southeast Asia that would potentially benefit students and working adults.
Plain language summary Career adaptability across Southeast Asia: A systematic review Trends and changes have recently emerged in Southeast Asia that necessitates individuals to adapt to these as skill requirements are changing. Emerging trends such as globalization, technological advancement, changes in demographics, migration, climate changes, and the recent pandemic have impacted the skills an individual needs. This systematic review article is conducted using the PRISMA guidelines. Inclusion and exclusion criterions were chosen which were used to carry out the search strategy. Articles went through various levels of screening before being included. There were 22 eligible studies identified and synthesized. Since career adaptability is a learning process that starts early in life, intervention strategies to encourage career adaptability should be developed for young people as early as possible before they step into the working world. One limitation noticed is that almost all the studies in this review, except for one study, are quantitative studies that employed the cross-sectional approach. This paper provides an overview of career adaptability in Southeast Asia.