Career Calling and Professional Match Among Chinese Graduates: The Roles of Career Loyalty and Industry Income

TL;DR

This study explores how career calling influences Chinese graduates' career fit through loyalty and is amplified by industry income.

Contribution

The study introduces career loyalty as a mediator and industry income as a moderator in the relationship between career calling and professional match.

Findings

Career calling significantly enhances professional match among Chinese graduates.

Career loyalty fully mediates the relationship between career calling and professional match.

Higher industry income strengthens the positive effect of career calling on professional match.

Abstract

This study investigates the role of career calling in shaping Chinese graduates’ professional match, with a focus on the mediating role of career loyalty and the moderating effect of industry income. Drawing on Conservation of Resources (COR) theory and person–environment (P–E) fit theory, we developed a three-wave, multi-source design with 2025 graduates across diverse industries. The results reveal that career calling significantly enhances professional match, and this relationship is fully mediated by career loyalty. Moreover, industry income strengthens the positive effect of calling, suggesting that external rewards amplify internal motivation in achieving sustainable career outcomes. Theoretically, the study extends calling research into the graduate labor market and integrates contextual economic factors into the COR and P–E fit frameworks. Practically, the findings highlight the importance of cultivating career calling through higher education, organizational practices, and policy initiatives to improve workforce alignment and long-term career sustainability.

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