Career Ambition and Performance: A Socio Analytic Perspective
Career ambition and its relationship with performance are important but understudied. Drawing on the socio analytic theory, we develop a model of career ambition framed as 'getting ahead' and 'getting along' in relation to job satisfaction and performance. We propose that career ambition is related to performance indirectly through mediation of self efficacy, professionalism, teamwork, and decision making. Data from 973 dyads of Vietnamese knowledge workers and their managers in the public sector generally supported our model. Specifically, while there is no direct link between career ambition and performance, the relationship is mediated through self efficacy and teamwork. Implications for managers are highlighted.