Proactive Personality as a Predictor of Career Sustainability among Gig Economy and Traditional Employment

Abstract

This study examines the predictive role of proactive personality on career sustainability among individuals employed in the gig economy and traditional employment. A total of 500 working professionals (n = 272 traditional employment; n = 228 gig economy) from Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Peshawar and Lahore cities of Pakistan participated in the study, selected through purposive sampling. The Proactive Personality Scale (Bateman & Crant, 1993) and the Career Sustainability Scale (Chin et al., 2021) were used to measure the constructs. Statistical analyses, including Pearson correlation, independent samples t-tests and hierarchical regression were conducted using SPSS. Results revealed a significant positive relationship between proactive personality and career sustainability. Results of hierarchical regression highlight proactive personality as a strong predictor of career sustainability. However, no significant differences were found between gig and traditionally employed workers in levels of proactive personality or career sustainability. These findings highlight the importance of proactive personality as a dispositional trait that supports career sustainability across gig economy and traditional employment and offering valuable insight for career counselors and organizations supporting career sustainability across employment types.

Keywords: Proactive Personality, Career Sustainability, Gig Economy, Traditional Employment