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An analysis of the needs and problems of individuals at mid-career for career development
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Content
AN ANALYSIS OF THE NEEDS AND PROBLEMS OF INDIVIDUALS
· AT MID-CAREER FOR CAREER DEVELOPMENT
A Dissertation
Presented to
the Faculty of the School of Education
University of Southern California
In Partial Fulfillment of
the Requirements for the Degree
Doctor of Education
by
CLELLA JANE KLINGE
June 1977
Copyright Clella Jane Klinge 1977
This dissertation, written under the direction
of the Chairman of the candidate's Guidance
Committee and approved by all members of the
Committee, has been presented to and accepted
by the Faculty of the School of Education in
pa1·tial fulfillme nt of the requirements for the
degree of Doctor of Education.
Date ........... June , ...... 19 7 7 ...................................................... .
. - u...~ ~'~ .... ~v.:'--
Dean
Chairman
w~ .. ~C?dL
~ ... .. . ..... ... . . 1.(.. ........ ..... . ............. .
Chapter
I •
TABLE OF CONTENTS
THE PROBLEM . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Introduction
Importance of the Problem
Statement of the Problem
Importance of the Study
Questions to be Considered
Statement of Procedure
Assumptions
Del imitations of the Study
Limitations of the Study
Definitions of Terms
Organization of the Remainder of the Study
II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I I I •
IV.
Summary
PROCEDURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Introduction
Review of the Literature
The Questio naire
Distribution of the Questionnaire
Treatment of the Data
Procedures in Selecting the Jury
Composition of the Jury
Mailing Procedure
Responses of the Jury
Summary
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Findings of the Questionnaire
Findings from the Jury
Summary
10
41
45
i i
Chapter
V. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS
APPENDICES
Brief Review of the Investigation
Review of the Questionnaire
Review of the Criterion Statements
Conclusions
Recommendations
. . . . . . . . .
A. THE JURY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
B. THE QUESTIONNAIRE .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
• •
BI BL! OGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
64
70
72
94
i i i
Table
1 •
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
].
LIST OF TABLES
Descriptive Characteristics of Respondents . . . . . .
• • •
Job Change Patterns of Respondents ....
Lifestyle Change Patterns of Respondents .
• • •
, . . . . .
. . . . . . . . .
Feelings of Career Control Perceived by Respondents . . . .
Participation of Respondents in Programs, Activities,
and Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . .
Barriers and Change Options as Perceived by
Respondents . . ..•..•....••.
Summary of Responses and Comments of Panelists
Regarding Criterion Statements .....
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . .
46
48
49
53
54
56
61
iv
CHAPTER I
THE PROBLEM
Introduction
The recent emphasis upon the need for effective career
education has stimulated the provision of resources necessary to
develop and implement viable programs. Curriculum, counseling serÂ
vices, and special supportive services have been, and are being,
funded by a number of agencies (federal, state, and local) to answer
the public demand for adequate career education. These efforts,
however, have been primarily directed toward youth and young adults
to the neglect of individuals at mid-career. Most career information
and practices, then, that are available currently are designed for
and applicable to youth and young adults in the exploratory stages
(at whatever age the individual might be).
Similarly, the concern and need for effective career change
has been studied by private and public agencies with services
presently being offered primarily for those individuals at mid-career
who wish to, or out of necessity need to, make an occupational and/or
abrupt personal 1 ifestyle change. In an attempt to meet the needs of
these individuals, a few business organizations, adult education proÂ
grams, and community college programs are beginning to offer courses
and se rvices. The offerings, however, tend to segmental ize indiÂ
viduals at mid-career, meeting only partial or incomplete needs.
Importance of the Problem
Career development is concerned with self-development over
the life span and, thus, consists of a life-long series of work,
leisure, and 1 ifestyle choices. Representative choices include job
selection, marriage, divorce, geographic mobility, 1 ifestyle change,
and return to school. However, the ability of individuals at midÂ
career to make such choices is severely handicapped by societal
expectations and lack of awareness of options.
As a result, a great many clients are seeking assistance from
co1T111unity college career planning centers and adult education proÂ
grams. These individuals indicate a need for career information,
planning, adjustment, and change skills. They find themselves in
unsatisfactory jobs and/or 1 ifestyles or do not have advancement/
change skills. The extent and complexity of the needs and problems
of individuals at mid-career, though, has not been clearly identiÂ
fied, thereby limiting the effectiveness of current services and
inhibiting development of responsive programs.
Similarly, business organizations have begun to offer services
such as family counseling, seminars on alcohol ism, job retraining and
redi rection, and career development. This trend has been forced by
the expression of dissatisfaction by individuals at mid-career through
the behavioral adjustments of poor job performance, absenteeism,
alcoholism, and interoffice conflicts. The resultant behaviors of
2
these individuals, then, affect the 1 ifestyle of an organization and
influence such factors as productivity, personnel turnover and retenÂ
tion, recruitment, and the overall esprit de corps. Once again,
however, attempts by business to offer viable services has been
1 imited and, thus, only partially effective.
Therefore, the needs · and problems of individuals at mid-career
require identification in order to facilitate the development of
materials, practices, and servi- ces to be offered by community colÂ
leges, adult education programs, and/or business organizations.
Statement of the Problem
The purpose of this study was to survey individuals at n.idÂ
career enrolled in community college work experience classes to idenÂ
tify the needs and problems of these individuals and the business,
adult education, and community college resources available to them.
Importance of the Study
Each adult education program, community college, and business
organizat~on which proposes to offer services to individuals at midÂ
career must consider the following questions: (1) Should a separate
program be offered in the work setting or the adult education or comÂ
munity college setting or a combination of the three? (2) Should
specialized counseling services be made available and, if so, where
should such services be offered? (3) To what extent, if at all,
should social and/or personal activities be planned and offered?
3
Questions to be Considered
The study sought to consider these questions:
1. What programs and services do individuals at mid-career
need that are currently being provided by individual employers, adult
education programs, and community colleges.
2. What programs and services do workers at mid-career per-
ceive a need for career growth, adjustment, and change which:
a) Are not provided,
b) Should be modified,
c) Should be developed.
3. Is there an accelerating trend toward multi-career 1 ifeÂ
times?
4. Do workers perceive an acceptance by employers, and
society in general, toward career change?
Statement of Procedure
The investigator reviewed the 1 iterature in the field of m~dÂ
career growth, adjustment, and change. From this study a quesÂ
tionnaire was developed to solicit information from individuals at
mid-career enrolled in work experience classes in selected community
colleges within Orange County. The criterion statements were subÂ
mitted to a jury for validation. The jury consisted of persons
knowledgeable about mid-career development and professionals working
with individuals at mid-career. The questionnaire was then pilot
tested with a 1 imited sample of individuals enrolled in a work experÂ
ience class at a community college. Upon completion of the pilot
4
test, the questionnair was revised and administered to the population
of this study. In small groups, students were given a ten minute
orientation covering the purpose of the study. Time was provided for
questions. The students were subsequently given time to complete the
questionnaire and to hand them to the investigator.
The information gained from the completed questionnaire,
together with material gathered in reviewing the 1 iterature, served
to identify the needs and problems of individuals at mid-career. It
also served to verify the use of this instrument as an assessment
device that could possibly be used by other organizations.
Assumptions
The study proceeded under the follOMing assumptiuns:
1. Educators at community colleges and in adult education
programs wish to offer relevant services and programs suited to the
needs and problems of individuals at mid-career for career development.
2. Community college, adult education, and business personnel
wish to offer cooperatively programs and services, if such are needed.
3. Individuals at mid-career can accurately assess their own
needs and prcblems.
4. The identification of needs and problems of individuals
at mid-career will be useful to individuals, business organizations,
community colleges, and adult education programs.
Delimitations of the Study
The study was delimited in the following manner:
1. Only individuals at mid-career enrolled in Work
5
Experience Programs in selected community colleges in Orange County
were included in the survey.
2. Questionnaire results reported were based solely on
information received from the completed questionnaire.
Limitations of the Study
The following were considered to have had an influence upon
the investigation:
1. The population of this survey may not be representative
of workers at mid-career in the labor market; i.e., women and each
level of worker may not be evenly represented.
2. This kind of survey may be threatening to individuals at
mid-career; it is possible that some respondent did not understand
the questionnaire or did not answer honestly.
3. It is possible the results of this survey may be conÂ
sidered threatening and/or not be utilized by business organizations,
community colleges, and/or adult education programs.
Definitions of Terms
Administrative organization. The scheme or plan used in the
assignment of duties and responsibilities and the determination of
staff relationships.
Blue-Collar Worker. An employee who performs mental, manual,
mechanical, physical, or technical work primarily of a routine nature.
Career. A life plan within which persons search to integrate
themselves into a stable and rewarding set of social roles.
6
Career development. Self-development over the 1 ife span,
consisting of a life-long series of work, leisure, and 1 ifestyle
choices.
Career planning. The development of an individual, usually
with the assistance of counselors or other significant persons, of
well-considered steps in progress toward entry into and progression
through the 1 ifetime.
Clerical Worker. An employee whose primary duty is perÂ
formance of office, or non-manual work, directly related to management
policies and assistance to an executive.
Climate, organizational. The pattern of social interaction
that characterizes an organization.
Counseling, vocational. The continuous progress of helping
an individual through interpersonal relationships and a reliable fund
of information to understand self and the reality and to change it
into reality with satisfaction to self.
Job. A task performed by the individual in order to develop
a skill.
Job development. Provision of satisfactory work opportunities
through opening jobs to more people by removal of artificial barriers
to employment and by job redesign or job creation.
Job redesign. Revision of specific duty, role, or function
of a worker in relation to the type or content of the job.
Job satisfaction. The quality, state, or level of satisÂ
faction which is a result of various interests and attitudes of a
person toward the job.
7
Management. A process consisting of planning, organizing,
actuating, and control] ing the work of others.
Mid-career. A span of years from 25 to 55 when most people
have completed their conventional education and settled into 1 ines of
work they conside~ their permanent occupations.
Mid-management. An employee who directs the work of two or
more employees; has the authority to hire, fire, and promote; and
exercises discretionary powers.
Occupational mobility. The pattern of change in occupations
taking place in a society.
Organization of the Remainder
of the Study
This study made use of the following arrangement by chapter
to develop a questionnaire and to identify the needs and problems of
individuals at mid-career which would be used by adult education
programs, community colleges, and/or business organizations to offer
programs and services to meet those needs.
The first chapter introduced the problem, stated the purpose
of the study, defined 1 imitations and delimitations of the study,
stated assumptions, and defined key terms.
The purpose of Chapter Ii was to review the 1 iterature conÂ
cerning mid-career development--growth, adjustment, a nd change.
Chapter I II contains the introduction, the development and
distribution of the questionnaire, and the treatment of the data.
The formation of criterion, the selection of the jury, and the
8
procedures used to validate criteria for identification of needs and
problems are explained.
Chapter IV reviews and evaluates the findings regarding the
needs identification based on responses received from the quesÂ
tionnaire and from expert testimony in the form of 1 iterature.
Chapter V summarizes the problems, procedures, and findings
of the study, and from this summary draws conclusions, makes recomÂ
mendations, and suggests criteria for needs assessment.
The Appendices present the Jury and the questionnaire that
was administered and the results.
9
CHAPTER 11
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
This chapter reviews 1 iterature concerning adult development,
its recency, its need for information and research, and its signifiÂ
cance to higher education and business and industry.
Although there has been a long history of "second chance
11
programs, "what happens between the end of adolescence and senescence
is the best-kept secret" (Thomas, 1975). Thomas continued to state
that the "knowledge base about the middle years of the 1 ife cycle is
meager indeed." This observation was supported by Barbara Fried when
she found a great deal of attention being given to childhood and old
age while at the same time simply ignoring middle age (Fried, 1976,
p. 1 ) •
When the Rand Corporation made a study of mid-1 ife redirecÂ
tion, it "soon discovered that almost no policy-relevant literature
on mid-life career redirection had been published, because there have
been no public programs for enabling mid-1 ife career redirection"
(Pascal, 1975, p. 2). This paper, then, will address career develÂ
opment specifically ra her than retraining, basic education, job entry,
management training for young, middle-class individuals, and gereonÂ
tology programs.
10
It is a well-documented fact that society is aging (Bienstock,
cited in Entine, 1974). With this maturing population in society,
higher education and business have been offering programs, activities,
and services for selected groups of individuals at mid-1 ife; however,
career development services is a relatively undeveloped area.
11
Most
programs to date have been so faulty in operational planning, to say
nothing of experimental design, that no useful lessons are to be had
other than corroboration of our notions about some obvious pitfalls"
(Pas ca 1 , 19 75, p. 19) .
In the 1900
1
s, the average 1 ife expectancy of a person was 49
years of age; in 1976, 71 years of age (Bradbury, 1975, p. 8). In
Japan the av2rage life expectancy in 1900 for males was 43.97 years,
for females 44.85; by 1973, it had risen to 70.70 and 76.02 respecÂ
tively. By 1975 men and women over the age of 60 made up 15% of the
entire population in the United States; in En9land, France, Germany,
Italy, and Japan, the respective figures were 19.3%, 18%, 20.6%,
17.2%, and 11.7% (Bracibury, 1975, p. 8).
Reaching forty in today's world, then, means the middle years
of life are ones in which growth, change, and choice are inevitable
and desirable (Fried, 19;6) rather than the end of the life cycle.
It was for this reason that Fried called middlescence a "second
growth, second flowering, second adolescence" (Fried, 196, p. 9).
Education and business as well as government sponsored proÂ
grams have offered retraining and • •second chance
11
programs for ind i -
viduals at mid-career, yet the career development needs and problem
1 1
have been of peripheral concern. Although special programs have been
developed for minorities, women, and senior citizens (Clarke, 1975),
interest in the needs of mid-career individuals for similar programs
appears to be marginal.
In spite of the fact that management seminars do and have
exited, Roberts {cited in Entine, 1974) found in her dissertation a
demonstrated void of employee growth and change programs offered by
education, business, and industry. Her survey identified numerous
career
1
'drop-outs
11
who left profitable careers because they felt
exploited and bored. Her contention was that offering career develÂ
opment services rather than retraining programs would be a partial
solution to this problem.
When the Rand Corporation evaluated 1 iterature on the topic
of mid-1 ife redirection of careers, it found 1 ittle hard evidence of
a val id needs assessment or of a desirable program; therefore, the
researchers found it necessary to survey writings in a variety of
fields, much of which was of uneven quality, regarding such areas as
worker discontent, manpower requirements, forecasting, retraining
methods for adults, and assessments of continuing education programs.
The conclusion of the authors was that the potential for the mid-1 ife
redirector in the American work force is virtually untapped {Pascal,
19 75) .
Several industrial countries, such as France and West
Germany, have universal public schemes expre~~ly designed for mid-1 ife
vocational change and upgrading. Others, such as Great Britain and
12
Sweden, have active manpower programs that seek to provide retraining
to all who require it. The concentration, however, is on the unemÂ
ployed rather than the voluntary redirector.
France, West Germany, and Sweden have the most extensive
programs, followed by Britain and Canada. All of these countries
provide mid-life opportunities as a part of manpower pol icy rather
than a response to the personal problems of workers in their middle
years (Reuben, 1972). A significant difference between American and
foreign systems is the basic attitude that retraining opportunities
belong to the worker just as unemployment compensation does.
With the exception of France, programs are implemented to
upgrade the skills of workers who will return to the same employer
or who might continue the job while attending training programs partÂ
time. The French and West German systems have developed in the
direction of recurrent education which may facilitate redirection by
freeing time constraints on work, leisure, and learning.
The most far-reaching system of comprehensive adult education
was established in France through the Continuing Vocational Education
Act of 1971. This act provides initial and further training for
adults about to enter, or in employment, to enable them to learn
changes in techniques (Carnegie Commission, 1973). Training may be
vocational for the current occupation or in an alternative skill.
Under the Omnibus Employment Promotion Act of 1969, West
Germany established a program directed toward upgrading the quality
of labor force skills. The trainees have been predominantly young
13
men under 35 years of age with considerable levels of attained skills,
not older workers, women, ~r the disadvantaged.
Training offered in Great Britain is focused on the manual
worker. The government and employers provide on-the-job and upgrading
training courses under the Industrial Training Act of 1964 (Hansen,
1971). A system of grants and levies attempts to equalize provision
of occupational training in 29 industrial groups.
Sweden offers retraining which seems to be primarily for
women, older workers, dropouts, and residents of depressed areas as a
part of its Active Manpower Pol icy. Adult retraining programs attempt
to create more employment opportunities.
In Canada, the Occupational Training for Adults program is
the cornerstone of manpower pol icy. Many people who wish to shift
occupations take advantage of the program, which offers both instiÂ
tutional and on-the-job training. Only about half of the male
redirection trainees seem to secure employment in the field they
prepared for. Men who engaged in skill-upgrading courses had about
95% employment rates. The Canadian program, then, does not work well
with career redirectors. The number of female trainees was not large
enough to compare.
Japan has a nationwide network of audio-visual 1 ibraries
devoted to adult education. University extension and vocational
training are also available. The Japanese, though, seem to have no
programs specifically directed to mid-1 ife career shifts.
In conclusion, adult training in industrial nations outside
14
the United States has been directed to filling gaps in training proÂ
visions offered by employers equalizing economic opportunity, balÂ
ancing benefits accorded to consumers of higher education, and
attempting smooth-out cycles in the labor market; yet, the foreign
programs do seem to cover many workers who are left out by American
programs {Pascal, 1975, p. 136). Among the groups who appear to be
left out in the United States are the unemployed above a low skill
level, mature re-entrants to the labor market, those seeking advanceÂ
ment in new fields, and those who are displaced due to economic or
political factors. These are almost precisely the groups a mid-1 ife
redirection program would attempt to reach.
Further, weaknesses in foreign programs include restriction
to specific occupations rather than recreational, cultural, or
personal; direction toward young males ,who have recently completed
their formal education, and a dependence on availability of jobs.
Although there are guidelines to be learned from foreign
programs more control of conditions in the United States seems necesÂ
sary to meet the needs of mid-life redirectors {Rand, 1974, p. 137).
Efforts to find new employment rather than merely preparing people
for current employment must be pushed if American programs offering
second chances are to be successful.
It appears the granting of continuing education opportunities
as a right is becoming more common. Eligibility, however, screens
out voluntary redirectors or applicants whose primary interest is
recreational rather than vocational change {Pascal, 1975, p. 21).
15
Programs being offered in the United States will be discussed later
in this chapter.
Interest in the career development of adult has been a relaÂ
tively recent phenomenon. Vocational theorists such as Donald Super
assumed stabilization in and commitment to a career pattern by the
ages of 18 to 22. Current research, though, has found mid-1 ife to
be a time of re-evaluation and change much 1 ife adolescents experiÂ
ence. Many people are able to identify a realistically satisfying
career for the first time in their 1 ives.
A survey conducted by Donald Super (1975) found a large perÂ
centage of men 35 years of age were still floundering. In addition,
although occupational floundering, or a lack of commitment, could be
an adventure or a crisis, it is generally accompanied with a sense
of hopelessness and depression (Varga, 1974). Current vocational
guidance theories, though, have given 1 ittle attention to the concept
of mid-life change. As Clopton found (1972), minimal emphasis has
been given to the question of why persons seek new careers in mid-
1 ife, with some 1 imited speculation by leading theorists.
Strong (1943), for example, attributed mid-1 ife career change
to a rare occurrence which resulted from some variance from the modal
finding that occupational interests tend to be stable after 25 years
of age. Other theorists conside red occupational change a pathological
sign related to such factors as parental influence (Carter, 1940).
In 1953, Super regarded the vocational self-concept from late adoÂ
lescence to late maturity stable; in 1973, he asserted occupational
16
change in the middle years indicated "floundering"; by · 1973, he found
at least 7fY/o of workers in discontinuous, or interrupted, career
patterns.
Parsons (1909), the first to study vocational choice, viewed
the process one of informally matching self with occupations. Strong
(1943) furthered this concept to fitting an individual to an occupaÂ
tion which matched measured interests. Interests were assumed to be
stable through the adult years. According to Strong, exploration
occurred around 14 years of age, change between 15 and 18, and stabilÂ
ization during adulthood.
Similar theories were proposed by a number of other
researchers. Ginzberg, Axelrad, and Herma (1951), for example, idenÂ
tified a series of periods through which vocational choice occurred.
The Fantasy stage, from 4 to 10 years of age, permitted wishful
thinking. The Tentative period, 11 to 18 years of age, was a period
of exploration. From 18 to 22, then, crystallization and commitment
to an occupation resulted in the Realistic period. The premise once
again was no change and/or growth through adulthood. Even Donald
Super, perhaps the most comprehensive theorist of career development,
viewed stabilization by the age of 35 years; change was considered a
deviant behavior.
Career development theory, therefore, has not dealt with the
issue of career change in mid-1 ife. The major theorists regarded
occupational decision making complete by the middle twenties
(Ginzberg, et al., 1951; Strong, 1955).
1 7
Clopton (1972) surveyed 40 men (aged 30 or older) regarding
career change. Half had enrolled in graduate school for a second
career ("Shifters"). The other half remained in their first career
(,.Persisters"). He found that Shifters were morel ikely to have had
personal counseling or psychotherapy, changed marital status, had
financial support, and a high sense of self-esteem. The changes were
more than to simply escape from unrewarding work but rather a gradual
development of supplementary interests. Most importantly, though,
Clopton found that the Shifter and the Persister were the same person
who was simply at different points along the same continuum of vocaÂ
tional development. All Shifters were, at some time, Persisters;
1 ikewise, all Persisters, at some time, were Shifters.
Developmental theorists, as well, have only recently become
interested in the middle years of the 1 ife span. Erikson and Jung
are credited as being the first to study mid-1 ife development. Even
the i r i n i t i a 1 i n t e res t , thou g h , was p r i ma r i 1 y w i th the s tag es of
childhood and adolescence with some attention given to old age
{Archer, 1968).
Jung, considered the spiritual father of 1 ife-cycle theory
and modern adult development, theorized the 1 ife cycle comprised two
stages: the first, from birth to the age of 40. During this stage,
the individual found solutions to early childhood conflicts. The
second stage of 1 ife necessitated inner growth, individuation, or a
unification of ideas, and a struggle to understand the "collective
unconscious,
11
the w i sdorn and experience of uncounted centuries (Jung,
1933).
18
Buhler, though, was the first to research mid-1 ife develÂ
opment. She and a team of Austrian psychologists analyzed 400 1 ife
spans. From that data, they divided life development into five
periods. The first was childhood. The second, beginning around 16
to 20 years of age, entailed an "expansion of dimensions.
11
The third
phase, between 26 and 30 years of age, was the most active--the culÂ
mination period. Psychological crisis, however, occurred during the
fourth stage of development, around the age of 50. Again, the "bestÂ
kept11 secret was between 30 and 50 years of age (Thomas, 1975). DisÂ
content, rest lessness, and a change took place. The fifth period,
at about 64 years of age, was similar to the second stage of develÂ
opment. It was one of planning for the future or choosing to stagnate
(Buh 1 er, 1969) .
Erikson (1967), probably the most influential writer conÂ
cerning 1 ife development, identified eight stages of growth. Each
stage was marked by a "crisis," or a turning point in 1 ife, a time
in which a critical decision had to be made between positive and
negative factors. After Erikson published his first bo0k, several
investigators made detailed studies of adulthood by interviewing men
and women. Among the researchers were Daniel Levinson of Yale,
Psychiatrist Roger Gould of the University of California, Los Angeles,
Psychologist Bernice Neugarten at the University of Chicago, and
Gail Sheehy, an independent newspaper reporter. Their findings have
supported Erikson's theories concerning 1 ife development.
Levinson studied changes in psychological characteristics and
19
career development, or changes in social behavior and roles. His
periods involve changes in life structure, the pattern of a person's
1 ife. This 1 ife structure includes both participation in society
and personal expression. Adult development, according to Levinson,
alternates between periods of transition, in which 1 ife structure
undergoes major changes, and period of stability, in which the new
1 ife structure is tested and secured (Sheehy, 1974).
Gould studied 524 middle-class men and women between the
ages of 16 and 60. The subjects ranked 128 statements and questions
dealing with relationships to family and friends, and feelings about
time, jobs, and sexual behavior. He found the rankings of his subÂ
jects reflected trends noted by Levinson.
The largest study of adult 1 ife, however, was by Bernice
Neugarten in the 1950
1
s. She and her colleagues made 30 separate
studies through questionnaires and interviews. Middle age was found
to be a major turning point with both painful and gratifying aspects.
Finally, Sheehy interviewed 115 individuals from 18 to 55
years of age. They ranged from top-achieving to traditional men and
women. She, too, found there are critical transitions between stages,
and called them passages, each passage marked by a change in how
individuals perceive self in relation to others, degree of safeness
to danger, time, and sense of aliveness or stagnation.
Sheehy (1974) wrote that mid-1 ife is the unfolding of maximum
opportunity and capacity without any guide to inner changes that
occur. Erikson, in an attempt to ·identify those changes, constructed
20
a chart showing observable sequences throughout the 1 ife cycle. Each
of the eight stages he identified was marked by a crisis. Crisis,
according to Erikson, meant a turning point rather than a catasÂ
trophe--a period in which increased vulnerability and heightened
potential existed.
The first stage of adulthood Erikson hypothesized was the
sixth stage of life's total cycle, young adulthood, in which indiÂ
viduals struggle with the conflict of intimacy versus isolation.
Levinson stated this is early adulthood, the period of life in which
the life structure is established. Commitment to a career and a
specific person occur. Marriage, family, and job establishment are
key events. Levinson sub-divided this period between two stages.
The first between the ages of 22 and 29 was one of career and personal
success. Sheehy (1974) found there was a need to explore and experiÂ
ment at this stage of life while at the same time a hesitation to
choose because of the fear of irrevocable choices. She termed this
period the "Trying Twenties .
11
The second, and crucial, period of young adulthood, according
to Levinson, typically occurred between the ages of 29 and 32,
Transitional Adulthood (Sheehy, 1974). The first evaluation of the
life structure becomes the predominant concern of this period. The
primary task, he found, was one of drawing upon the past and develÂ
oping a new life structure for middle age. Anxiety, therefore,
becomes a dominant motif. He found only 20'/o of the subjects he surÂ
veyed had a smooth transition to the settling down period, his next
21
stage of development. Sixty percent had a moderate to severe crisis.
Thus, in this especially important and bewildering period, major and
abrupt 1 ifestyle changes generally occurred. Sheehy called this
period of 1 ife the
11
Catch Thirties" in which change and turmoil
existed, an impatience with
11
shoulds
11
being a focal feeling. Gould
also found the thirties the more self-reflective peri0d during which
individuals question what they are doing and why.
The following, or seventh, stage of development theorized by
Erikson has as its major conflict generativity versus self-absorption,
or stagnation. Levinson found th~t after a period of settling down,
between the ages of 32 and 39, a second evaluation of one's 1 ife
occurred. Although there had been a short period of intense concenÂ
tration on the job and the career which was many times accompanied by
a "mentor" who supported and encouraged growth, an ultimate breaking
away from the restraints of family and custom happened. Thus, midÂ
life crisis ensued.
The resultant perception at this time of 1 ife changed from
one of time 1 ived since birth to one of time left to 1 ive. Feelings
were those of staleness, restlessness, pressure, and worry about
health. Body monitoring, a new sense of physical vulnerability
occurred (Neugarten, 1968). The cosmetic industry, for instance,
found that men used cosmetics and dieted more than women during
this stage of life. Jogging and physical exercise were initiated.
Sheehy described this as the "Deadline Decade" in which an
authenticity crisis occurred. Fried called this a normal stage of
22
growth, one which is a transition period between early maturity and
middle age. Change and choice become inevitable and desirable. She
pointed out, however, that this rebirth is difficult leading to an
unhappy, withdrawn, uneasy, and self-doubtful period of life.
Middlescents, according to Fried, are a special category of
social animals, harrassed by the need to choose and change and
involved in redefining personal and social identities while at the
same time having no role models. This may be the partial explanation
for the interest of mid-life individuals in their ethical selves
{Sheehy, 1974). It is interesting to note that Levinson postulated
that, during this period, many people find their true calling for the
first time.
In addition, Gould found the forties brought an awareness of
time as finite, forcing individuals to enjoy daily 1 ife rather than
looking forward to an abstract future. Similarly, Neugarten found
that the realization of advancing age became an incentive to further
accomplishment. As Levinson stated, if mid-1 ife crisis is missed or
fumbled, stagnation sets in; if resolved, creativity is realized.
Hallberg (1976) studied men during this mid-life crisis. He
began working with men who were layed off during the aerospace
11
crash
11
in 1971. Through this work and his current work in individual and
group counseling, Hallberg found male metapause emerged as an imporÂ
tant 1 ife stage for men.
The word
11
metapause
11
as used by Hallberg should be taken
1 iterally: Meta means a change in form. Metapause related to the
23
nature of existence--Who am 1?
11
becomes the primary concern. He
found there are three tages to the process of working through "male
metapause.
11
The first was the identity crisis, a recognition that
the mirror of oneself is changing. The second stage is
11
acting out
11
by such behavior as becoming a workaholic, alcoholic, and escapist.
If the first two stages are worked through, reconstruction becomes
possible.
In an attempt to assist men through metapause, Hallberg
devised the Hallberg Index of Male Metapause (H.I.M.M.). This index
was designed to spotlight areas where the middle-aged man is metaÂ
pausal. Once the areas are identified, reconstruction can occur in
one or all three areas of identification. According to Hallberg,
the first part of a man's 1 ife which is re-examined during male
metapause is the marriage. As one would expect from Erikson's intiÂ
macy versus isolation conflict during the early adulthood stage, the
underlying reason for this trend is the lack of intimacy which may
exist in most marriages. Hallberg stated society does not teach
people to practice intimacy; yet intimacy leads to reconstruction.
The second area of re-examination is the job. The average
man spends 5D°/o to 70% of his time on the job; thus, a great deal of
his identity is tied to the work. Although Fried found people have
the most opportunity and potential, Hallberg found some men feel
trapped, bored, and overspecialized. Many have reached their longÂ
range goals and do not have new goals to replace the ones they have
attained. Other are fearful of the competition with the younger men
24
rising to the top. Physical concerns become paramount as well.
Fatigue, stress, and an over-sensitization to the heart lead to an
urgency to grasp for 1 ife.
The final stage of 1 ife, according to Erikson, is the eighth
stage, integrity versus despair. Between the ages of 43 and 50,
Levinson learned that most individuals re-established their identity
and flowered. Sheehy called this renewal or resignation, a period of
equilibrium. If, however, the earlier contl icts and crises are not
resolved, they re-emerged around fifty years of age.
In summary, developmental and vocational positions are, for
the most part, essentially speculative rather than empirically
derived. Their value lies chiefly in providing a variety of concepÂ
tual frameworks for considering mid-1 ife behavior (Clopton, 1972).
The theories and findings, though, emphasize the need for services
and programs for individuals at mid-career.
The Rand study found new initiatives are needed to support
adult career redirection. Programs are needed for many people 39 to
55 years of age who are discontented but not likely to embark on a
new career. Cl ientele for these second chance programs include
housewives returning to the labor market, involuntarily displaced
workers, and actual redirectors. This study found few attempt a
change; many are dissuaded by difficulties with identifying and preÂ
paring for new careers; most find withdrawal from the labor market
financially unmanageable; and the majority experience discrimination
among older workers. It is for this reason Hallberg recommended job
25
rotation and enrichment, sabbatical leaves, job redesign and
retraining.
Portability of pensions, financial plans or contributor plans,
counseling programs, and flexible hours for schooling would also
enhance the opportunities of mid-career persons for growth and change
(Hinkel, cited in Entine, 1974). As Hinkel stated, counseling is
needed to blend individual needs with corporate needs and to help
individuals redirect their careers for a second career within the
company that is more meaningful, motivating, and remunerative.
Neglect of this need has lead to low productivity, job dissatisfaction,
high personnel turnover, and an overall low esprit de corps. AlcoÂ
holism, absenteeism, poor job performance, and interoffice conflicts
have become common problems of management in organizations of every
kind.
Tarnowieski (1973) surveyed 7,200 business men in top, middle,
and supervisory management positions. Of those who responded, nearly
50% had changed or recently considered changing their occupational
fields. Seventy percent were less than minimally satisfied with
their present careers and expected to be searching to make career
changes. There were 16% who did not believe their organizations
provided nor were likely to provide opportunities to reach their
career and/or non-career related goals. For middle managers and
supervisory personnel, this was more than half. Tarnowieski
1
s
findings lead him to the conclusion that
11
organizations that did not
serve first the interest of their people would experience increased
26
difficulty in finding qualified people interested in serving them"
{Ta rnow i es k i , 1973, p. 41 ) .
Of particular concern would be the degree of satisfaction at
specific levels of work. The voluminous 1 iterature on job discontent
and career aspiration was surveyed by Bell (Cited in Pascal, 1975).
He found contentment tends to rise with job status. White collar
workers with above average educational attainment, rather than blue • a
collar or professional managers, were more dissatisfied. Lower white
cellar {clerical, sales) workers stood out as the most dissatisfied.
Bell further found much of the 1 iterature on career change
focused on the mid-1 ife crisis. Several phenomena were traditionally
associated with middle age, including menopause and diminution of
household responsibilities for women, career plateaus and failing
physical powers for men, and a now-or-never impulse for both. These
factors, combined with longer working 1 ives, technological change,
affluence, and the influence of less
11
up tight'' younger people were
alleged to produce a growing number of people who not only contemÂ
plate making changes in their working 1 ives but actually try to do
something about it.
Finally, the most promising candidates for redirection proÂ
grams had the least inclination to take advantage of such offerings.
These people held challenging jobs and retained their imagination and
initiative as they aged rather than the expected cl ientele of workers
with routinized jobs. Although the latter group was the most bored,
alienated, and dissatisfied with work, their desire o change was
stifled by fear of change itself {Pascal, 1975).
27
An additional consideration for organizations would be the
developmental maturity of individuals within the institution.
Herzberg {cited in Clopton, 1972) found that typically dissatisfaction
with the job increases to the age of 30, falls off, and increases
again at mid-1 ife.
Finally, mid-1 ife individuals who wish to change have 1 ittle
usable information on future demand for various occupations. The
essential problems are that forecasts are made at very high levels of
aggregation, typically estimate only the gross number of openings in
an occupation, rarely give geographic disaggregation, are not always
accurate, assume almost invariably that new entrants will be young,
and are based on long-term trends. It is, then, "currently possible
to offer little in the way of warning to potential push-outs and
little in the way of guidance to prospective voluntary redirectors
{Pascal, 1975, p. 162).
It is because of these factors that business organizations
have begun to offer such services as family counseling, seminars on
alcoholism, job retraining and redirection and career development.
New York Telephone Company, for example, offers pre-retirement counÂ
seling, second careers and retraining in its ."University within
Corporate Walls" (Hinkel, cited in Entine, 1974).
The Rand study {Pascal, 1975) studied 2,500 firms to identify
training programs available for mid-career redirectors. The result
was that only 32% of the firms had training programs, most of which
were 1 ikely to be for new program employees. In addition, larger
28
companies were more 1 ikely to provide training than smalle r companies.
According to this study, a description of redirection occurring
within a firm would provide information within and between firms
useful to design mid-life redirection programs.
An example of one company which has an extensive program for
its employees is Lawrence Livermore Laboratories (Hansen, 1977).
Through its Career Planning and Development Program, this company
offers four workshops: an orientation session, personal assessment,
skills identification, and action planning. The basic components of
the program include individual counseling, career center resources,
a career planning manual, supervisory training, and supplementary
resources such as out-placement. Livermore found its employees felt
boxed in due to perceptions of institutional pressures and personal
pressures related and unrelated to the job, leading to hostility,
ulcers, boredom, absenteeism, and alcohol ism. These concerns mounted
to the age of forty when alternatives seemed to diminish and the
consequences of decisions were seen as a career crisis. The average
age of the participants was 36 for women; 37 for men. Most were proÂ
fessional scientists, clerical workers, and technicians with few
administrators participating. While the fear of management was that
everyone would want to be boss or leave the company, most of the 500
employees who participated decided to increase their avocation and
personal growth, improve the current job, or make a duty change.
Thus, as Hallberg (1977) found, dissatisfaction with the job was
identified as only one of the elements of dissatisfaction with life.
29
•
Other companies such as Dow Chemical, Syntex, Western
Electric, General Electric, and Monsanto have simiiar programs. All
of these companies have found higher productivity and greater job
satisfaction among their employees a a result of career development
services. The fact remains, however, business has ch3nged less
rapidly than people have.
For this reason, Thomas (1975) recommended an interdisciÂ
plinary team approach between business and guidance personnel in
education. Community colleges and adult education programs have
offered numerous courses, services, and programs for special target
populations, but integrative efforts for mid-career redirectors have
not yet occurred (Clarke, 1975).
Rand recommended four pilot program alternatives. The first
suggested alternative was the simplest and most basic intervention
which consisted merely of a central site for guidance and information
dissemination to mid-career redirectors. The Career and Resource
Centers would be staffed by vocational counselors experienced in
dealing with mature adults. Up-to-date information on testing and
job opportunities would be made available .
The second variant added testing and diagnosis services to
the Center. A caution that the state of the art in vocational
aptitude testing was expressed. The third pilot program possibility
suggested by Rand was to add to the Center services of coverage for
costs of training for a new career much as the GI Bill has provided
the veterans.
30
The final, and most comprehensive, proposal was for the
Center itself to offer instruction to clients for career switching
~~d upgrading. Correspondence materials, video and audio cassettes,
cable of UHF TV broadcasts could deliver instruction to the homes of
clients. The Centers could periodically assemble home-study clients
to administer tests, gauge progress, .offer advice, and award credenÂ
tials.
-In a review of programs for adults sponsored by the governÂ
ment, employers, unions, and educational institutions, Rand found
instruction should be on-the-job with concrete and practical approaches
and should include short intensive courses with flexible hours. The
resultant recommendation was for research to analyze experiences of
actual redirectors even more than has been conducted in the past as
the numbers of career changers increase (Pascal, 1975, p. xii).
Government sponsored programs reflect changing priorities of
the sixties which occurred as a consequence of the civil rights and
anti-poverty movements (Levitan and Mangum, 1969, p. 8-9). Programs
were funded under such acts as the Manpower Development and Training
Act, Comprehensive Employment and Training Act, GI Bill, Economic
Opportunity Act, Equal Opportunity Act, Adult Education Act, Vocational
Rehabilitation Act, Wagner-Peyser Act, and the Vocational Education
Act.
When the Area Redevelopment Act (ARA) of 1961 was transformed
into the Manpower Development and Training Act (MOTA) of 1962, there
was a substantial expansion of training offered. The MOTA was amended
in 1963, 1965, and 1966--the largest federal m anpower program.
31
The original target group of unemployed family heads with a
history of at least three years in the labor force changed to a target
group of young minorities with little or no work history. The 1966
amendment, however, provided special programs to meet the specific
employment needs of older workers. As a result, Older Worker ExperiÂ
mental and Demonstration projects were established. Training programs
were conducted in vocational schools, on-the-job (OJT), or a combiÂ
nation of both.
It was found the MOTA training generally did not result in
higher paying jobs (Main, 1966). In addition, the percentage of MOTA
completors employed six months after being trained was only 74%, but
it was 86% for on-the-job completors. Thus, OJT, rather than income
increase, appears to be a preferred component of a retraining program
when placement is a desired result {Pascal, 1975, p. 112). Because
the MOTA/OJT program was for people who were already employed in the
participating firm, it was likely the success of OJT is overstated.
The employer was retraining an employee who was already satisfactory.
The MOTA was repealed July 1, 1974 and replaced by the ComÂ
prehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA). Funds are distributed
to local governmental units {cities or counties of 100,000 or more
population) as prime sponsors for programs. The State serves as
prime sponsor for all geographical areas not served by an eligible
applicant.
Title II I, Part A, of this Act specified youth, offenders,
non-English speaking, and older workers as the target groups.
32
Vocational services required include program planning, recruitment,
counseling testing, and evaluation of trainee needs, classroom
instruction in basic and remedial education, occupational skills,
job development, placement and follow-up, and in-service training.
CETA divides Manpower pol icy into two components, Public
Service Employment Programs (Title I I) and Comprehensive Manpower
Services (Title I). Public Service Employment Programs are for the
purpose of providing federally funded public employment for the unemÂ
ployed and underemployed. Jobs opened must be for advancement or
skills for which there is an ancitipated high demand.
The Comprehensive Manpower Service Section provides for the
development of a county-wide plan to create job opportunities,
training, education, and other services to help the disadvantaged
secure and retain employment. Existing Manpower Programs such as
New Careers were phased out.
The GI Bill, 1944, provided assistance to veterans enrolled
in educational institutions, as well as vocational rehabilitation
assistance tailored to the needs of each individual. Training for
new skills and retraining are made available to veterans of World
War I I, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.
The Vocational Rehabilitation Program, under the Vocat~onal
Rehabilitation Act, although not a skills training program, is a
highly effective program (Levitan and Mangum, 1969, p. 323). The
effectiveness of the program is a result of a flexible environment
that permits skill training which is custom-designed for the
individual.
33
Thus, direct placement without training should be the first
strategy attempted in career redirection (Pascal, 1975, p. 104).
Older Worker Experimental and Demonstration projects, through MOTA,
suggest OJT too time-consuming and difficult to implement for those
over L~S. Direct placement, perhaps even by volunteers, may be possiÂ
ble and should be investigated. Education and training are clearly
necessary.
The last decade has witnessed widespread experimentation by
the Federal government--in cooperation with state and local governÂ
ment, employers, and trade unions--to provide second chance education
and training opportunities for unemployed and under-employed. A wide
array of manpower programs involving on-the-job training, school-work
arrangements, work experience, and income maintenance has been made
available (DHEW, 1972).
Under the Equal Opportunity Act of 1964, Title I I, ''Urban
and Rural Community Action Programs,u 1 iteracy training and basic
education for adults as well as job training, vocational rehabil iÂ
tation, and college work study was financed by the Federal government
up to 90% of the cost.
The Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 was amended by Title I I
to provide adult work training employment programs involving activiÂ
ties designed to improve the physical, social, economic, or cultural
conditions of the community. Development of entry-level employment
opportunities, work training programs combined with educational
training, counseling, supportive services, and creation of new career
34
jobs in public services were goals of the Act. Federal funds and
technical assistance was provided to local groups for initiation,
development, and sponsorship of New Careers Programs. Adults over 22
years of age who were unemployed or with an income below the poverty
level were the target population. State and local agencies sponsor
such programs. One program will be discussed in detail later in this
chapter.
Another program for adults over 22 and with incomes below
poverty level, Operation Mainstream, was financed by the Federal
government under the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 as amended by
P.L. 89-794, Title II. State and local governments in rural areas
sponsored work training and employment projects for the beautifiÂ
cation of communities. Job opportunities included development and
conservation of parks, highways, and recreational areas of Federal,
state, and local governments; rehabilitation of communities; and
social, health, and educational services to the poor.
In 1966, the Adult Education Act was enacted to provide
grants to state educational agencies for support of state programs
that provided instruction below the college level to persons 18 years
of age or older who had not achieved a high school education and not
enrolled in schools. Emphasis was on fundamental skills such as
reading, writing, speaking, and arithmetic.
The Community Employment Program was funded by the WagnerÂ
Peyser Act as early as 1933. Programs were implemented to support
community efforts to m aintain employment stability by creating jobs
35
and developing skills; for instance, massive layoffs serious skill
shortages. Manpower planning assistance, labor area information,
recruitment, testing, counseling, job referral, and coordination of
area job development campaigns were funded.
The Vocational Education Act of 1963, Part A, provided grants
to assist States in strengthening vocational education to persons in
high school, persons who completed or left high school and were ready
to enter the labor market, and persons who needed to improve their
job skills or learn new ones, and persons with special educational
handicaps. Funds are allotted to the State according to a formula
based on population by age groups and per capita income. Equal
matching funds are provided by the Federal Government and the State.
Finally, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967
was enacted to provide for the promotion of employment of the older
worker based on ability rather than age. It prohibits arbitrary age
discrimination in employment; and it helps employers and employees
find ways to meet problems arising from age. Individuals 40 to 65
years of age are protected from age discrimination by employers of
25 or more persons in an industry affecting interstate commerce, by
employment agencies serving such employers, and by labor organiÂ
zations with 25 or more members in an industry affecting interstate
commerce.
Overall, then, federal and state sponsored programs are
directed primarily toward those who are unemployed and/or underÂ
employed, those who are in low socio-economic levels, and those with
low level skills.
36
A vast system of part-time and continuing education programs
for adults has already been developed in the United States. A subÂ
stantial number of adults are enhancing their skills and transferring
their career interests.
Amont the variety of programs available to adults are Programs
for women, New Careers programs, and special redirection efforts for
aerospace personnel. Most of these programs are conducted by business
and adult education separately and jointly. Counseling appears to be
the most important feature of any adult education or program directed
toward individuals at mid-1 ife.
In 1970, at least 300 colleges and universities provided
continuing education programs for adult women. One program for occuÂ
pational redirection of mature women was Job Horizons, a pilot program
at Middlesex County College in Edison, New Jersey (Reynolds, et al.,
1969). The program was designed to retrain mature housewives, who had
been away from study or paid work for a number of years, for clerical
employment. Counseling was stressed from admissions through
placement.
The study program consists' of four one-year courses in
English, Social Science, Typing, and Business Training. Those who
accepted full-time employment worked as executive secretaries, secreÂ
taries, bookkeepers, clerk typists, payroll clerks, and senior
1 ibrary assistants. Job Horizons was made a continuing program at
the college from 1967 through 1972. The title was replaced by
"Women: Careers and Colleges."
37
A university program to retrain mature adults the New Careers
Program at Columbia University for 35 successful businessmen and
women who wished second careers in nonprofit service-oriented proÂ
fessions (Entine, 1967) assisted 20 participants with a career change.
The program included classwork, counseling, guidance, and tuition
assistance.
Special red·rection programs to aid unemployed aerospace
engineers and scientists ranged from clinics to teach the art of job
finding to programs providing on-the-job retraining. The successful
programs offered more than school-1 ike technical courses. Proposed
alternative vocations and counseling were effective components of
successful programs (Allen, 1972).
Rand recommended a redirection program might best be modeled
after the GI Bill or Vocational Rehabilitation Program, in which
training services can be purchased, perhaps through vouchers.
Programs with the concept of a college without walls are also
being offered by community colleges and adult education programs.
Among some of the most noted are the New Tenth Dimensions in the
Los Angeles Community College District, Coastline in the Coast ComÂ
munity College District, and the Non-Traditional Program at Peralta
College. The underlying principle of these programs is to offer
courses and services in business, community centers, recreation
centers and other facilities within the community rather than on a
formal campus.
In surveying government sponsored and adult education
38
programs, Rand further recommended such features for a mid-life
redirection program as educational and employment counseling, 1 imited
course loads, flexible scheduling, credit for 1 ife experience,
neighborhood classes, child care, scholarships, independent study,
and programmed learning.
Finally, private agencies have begun to offer services for a
segmental ized portion of individuals at mid-career. Richard Bolles
and John Crystal, for example, assist individuals with job decision
making and job search. Haldane expanded his assistance to that of
strategies for promotion and company reorganization. Family and
marriage, as well as personal and divorce, counseling exists for
those willing to recognize the need (Krantzler, 1976).
In conclusion, much is still to be learned about designing
effective career redirection programs (Pascal, 1975, p. 28). The
literature review has emphasized the need for concern, information and
research concerning adult development and its significance to comÂ
munity colleges, adult education, and business and industry.
Summary
Chapter I I reviewed vocational and developmental theories of
adult development, its recency, and its involvement with education
and business and industry. Research was cited and described, parÂ
ticularly that research which dealt with the void of mid-career
redirection programs for individuals at mid-career.
The development of materials, programs, and services for job
39
search and change, company orientation and adjustment and personal
and/or marital change were discussed. The recent expansion of federal
and state programs was explored, and potential ways and means of
meeting the needs of individuals at mid-career were presented.
40
CHAPTER Ill
PROCEDURES
Introduction
This study was undertaken in an attempt to identify the needs
and problems encountered by individuals at mid-career. In addition,
a review was made of selected adult education, community college, and
business and industry programs offered for mid-1 ife redirectors.
Until recently there had been 1 ittle effort to analyze
information about individuals at mid-career. Those materials,
services, and programs which were made available were disjunctive.
The necessary integration and coordination, then, has been hindered
by the lack of research concerning mid-life growth, adjustment, and
change.
Review of the Literature
A survey of vocational and developmental views of adult
development in the United States was presented in Chapter I I to proÂ
vide a background for understanding the current status of the problem.
The basic components of various types of programs offered by adult
education, community college, and business and industry were also
examined.
It was hoped the review of the 1 iterature would provide
41
educators and businesspersons with data to help them develop and/or
improve materials, services, and programs for individuals at midÂ
car~er.
The Questionnaire
The questionnaire was developed with the intention of sol iÂ
citing information about the needs and problems of individuals at
mid-career, about changes and reasons for such changes during mid-
1 ife, about offerings which were and were not helpful, and about
desired offerings which did not exist.
The questionnaire further solicited comments and detailed
explanations of special needs and problems and of desired programs.
Because the questionnaires were personally administered by
the investigator, there was a 100'/o return.
Distribution of the Questionnaire
The questionnaire was administered to 342 students enrolled
in work experience classes in selected community colleges within
Orange County. The students were assembled in small groups of around
50 each. The questionnaire was explained and time was given for its
completion.
Treatment of the Data
The findings were tabulated and raw scores were converted
into percentages. Because of the special need to compare responses
of specific groups, the data tabulation and conversion necessitated
a computer program. The complexity of the data processing program
42
required data collection and development of a COBOL Program to faciliÂ
tate data analysis.
Procedures in Selecting the Jury
Chapter I contains assumptions pertaining to the qual ificaÂ
tions of those persons capable of competently assessing materials,
services, and programs for individuals at mid-career. Each person
asked to serve on this jury is eminently qualified to make judgment
on the basis of these assumptions. Individuals qualify as satisÂ
factory jury members for purposes of criteria validation if their
fields of expertise deal with the concepts relevant to those concerns
inherent in programs for individuals at mid-career and if they have
had professional experience with mid-career redirectors.
Composition of the Jury
The jury which validated the criterion statements for the
assessment of the needs of and problems encountered by individuals
at mid-career consisted of a professor of business administration at
a private university who was also an author and consultant in the
field of career change; a leader of career education involved with
analysis of worker traits and labor market in Washington, D.C.; a
director of work experience and developer of a career planning center
at a community college; a professor of education with national promiÂ
nence in career center and career specialist training at a large
state university; an international authority in career change and
development for more than 25 years.
•
Mailing Procedure
Each of the selected panelists was sent a preliminary letter
which explained the importance of the study and sought participation .
All five prospective jury members accepted the task, and were sent
the criteria check 1 ist for validation at a later date.
Responses of the Jury
The panel responses were tabulated. The actual statements
from the check 1 ist were printed and the statements following each
criterion were included verbatim in the tables in Chapter IV. ComÂ
ments and suggestions regarding additional criteria were also 1 isted
exactly as given.
Summary
Chapter Ill explained the procedures used to obtain inforÂ
mation concerning the needs of and problems encountered by indiÂ
viduals at mid-career through a brief review of the 1 iterature, the
development of the questionnaire which was administered to work
experience students enrolled in community colleges within Orange
County, and the treatment of the data received by the investigator.
The chapter described the development of the criterion statements,
the selection of a jury to validate the criterion statements, and the
procedures for evaluating the returned check 1 ist.
44
CHAPTER IV
INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this chapter was to report and analyze the
questionnaires returned from work experience students enrolled in
selected community colleges within Orange County; to report and
analyze the criterion check 1 ist returned by members of the jury;
and to provide a summary of the information presented.
Findings of the Questionnaire
There were 342 questionnaires returned to the investigator
(100'/o) of which 300 were usable. The results of the survey were
broken down and compared between and within four age ranges as shown
in Tables 1 to 7: 25 to 32, 33 to 39, 40 to 48, and 49 to 55.
Table l which follows presents the descriptive characteristics of the
respondents discussed in the next three sections.
Age range
Of the 300 questionnaires, 194 of the respondents were between
25 and 32; 43, between 33 and 39; 48, between 40 and 48; and 15,
between 49 and 55. Throughout the analysis of the questionnaire, it
was important to take into consideration the disproportionate repreÂ
sentation of women in the final age group. For the first three age
ranges, ap pr ox imately one-fourth of the sample was w omen; however,
45
TABLE 1
DESCRIPTIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF RESPONDENTS
Percent of response by age group
Questionnaire Item
25-32 33-39 40-48
49-55
19. What level of worker
are you?
a) Blue collar 45 .36 20.93 33.33 13.33
b) Clerical 20. 10 37.20 16.66 6.66
c) Mid-management 28.86 34.88 47.91 46.66
d) Top-management 5.67 6.97 2.08
33.33
20. Age range
a) 25-32 64.66
b)
33-39 14.33
c) 40-48 16.00
d)
49-55 05. 00
21 . Marital status
·a) Married 70.61 62.79 75 .00 60.00
b) Single 20.61 6.97 2.08 0.00
c) Divorced 6. 18 25.58 16.66
33.33
d) Widowed 0.00 0.00 2.08 6.66
e) Separated 2 .57 4.65 4. 16 0.00
22. Sex
a) Male
79.89 62.79 75 .00 46.66
b) Female 20. 10 37.20 25.00 53.33
46
for the 49 to 55 years of age group, 53.33% of the sample consisted
of women. In a manual review of this last age group, it was found
the larger representation of women influenced comparisons with each
of the other groups as will be discussed throughout this chapter.
Level of worker
Similarly, levels of workers were unevenly represented in all
four age groups. Not unexpectedly those persons 25 to 32 years of
age were primarily blue collar workers (45%); those 33 to 39 years
of age were equally represented in the clerical and mid-management
levels of work; those between 40 and 48 were concentrated in midÂ
management work; and those between the ages of 49 and 55 were repreÂ
sented in the mid- and top-level management positions.
Marital status
Although approximately 7Cflo of all the respondents were married,
a higher incidence of divorce occurred in two age groups. There was
a higher percentage of persons divorced in the 33 to 39 age range
(25%) and the 49 to 55 age group (33%). As Erikson postulated,
therefore, marital change was greater in this sample population at
the critical reexamination periods.
Job and lifestyle change
Job and 1 ifestyle change became more prevelant during the
reevaluation periods of adult development, presented in Tables 2 and
3. Those respondents between the ages of 33 and 39 changed jobs
every 8.24 years and 1 ifestyles each 7.94 years; those between 40 and
48 changed jobs every 7.41 years and lifestyle every 5.11 years.
47
TABLE 2
JOB CHANGE PATTERNS OF RESPONDENTS
Questionnaire
Percent of response by age group
Item
25-32 33-39 40-48
49-55
1 . Have you changed or
considered changing
jobs within the last
five years?
a) Yes 98.96 97.67 97.91
100.00
b) No 1 . 03 0.00 2.88 0.00
2. If you have changed,
how many times have
you changed?
a) 0-2 31 .44 20.93 39.58
20.00
b)
3-5 43.29 46.51 33.33
6.66
c)
5-7
10. 30 16.27 14.58 26.66
d) Over
7
14.43 16.27 12 .so 46.66
3. Indicate a job history.
(See Appendix B)
Average number of
years between each
change. l • 82 8.42 7.41 33.30
4. What was the reason
for your change(s)?
a) Marriage, divorce,
separation
9.27 30.23 16.66 40.00
b) Change of jobs
39. 17 48 .83 25. 00 60.00
c) Advancement in jobs
55. 15 55.81 39 .58 73.33
d) Other {Veteran) 42.79 39.52 70.83 40.00
48
TABLE 3
LIFESTYLE CHANGE PATTERNS OF RESPONDENTS
Questionnaire
Percent of response by age group
Item
25-32 33-39
40-48
49-55
5.
Have you changed the
way you 1 ive within
the last five years?
a} Yes 94.84 95 .34 79. 16 86.66
b) No 4.63 4.65 20.83 13.33
6. If you have changed,
how many times have
you changed?
a} 0-2 3 7 .62 25.58 29. 16 20.00
b)
3-5
44.84 51 . 16 43.75 26.66
c)
5-7
8.24 11 . 62 8.33 26.66
d) Over
7
4.63 6.97 4. 16 13.33
8. Indicate a 1 ifestyle
history
(See Appendix B)
Average number of
years between each
change. 1 .42 7.94 5 . 11 22.20
7. What was the reason
for your change(s)?
a) Marriage, divorce,
separation 60.30 69.76 47.91 66.66
b) Change of jobs 56. 18 74.41 43. 75
60.00
c} Advancement in jobs 48.45 46.51 31 . 25 25 .66
d) Health
5.67 5.97
4. 16 13.33
e} Change in values 53.60 60.46 35.41 40.00
f) Increase leisure
13. 91 18.80 8.33 6.66
g} Other 32.98 37.20 35.41 53.33
49
The highest rate of change occurred in the youngest age group
at the first crisis period, 25 to 32 years of age. This group changed
jobs every 1 .82 years and 1 ifestyles every 1 .42 years.
Number and reasons for job change. Respondents between the
ages of 33 and 39, 40 and 48, and 25 and 32 changed jobs every three
to five years around 33% to 46% of the time. The last age group,
49 to 55 years of age, followed a much different pattern. While the
trend of job changes for this group was only once every 33.30 years
and every 22.20 years, a 1 ifestyle change, 47% of these respondents
changed jobs over seven times. It is significant that 53% of these
individuals consisted of women with interrupted career patterns.
Marriage, divorce, change of jobs, and advancement in jobs
were fairly evenly reported to be reasons for job changes at all
ages. A large proportion indicated other as a reason for job change:
42% of those between 25 and 32 years of age; 39% of those between
33 and 39; 70% of those between 40 and 48; and 73% of those between
49 and 55. A manual review of the responses written in by
11
other
11
J
\
identified "honorable discharge from the service" as the major reason.
Number and reasons for 1 ifestyle change. Lifestyle changes
occurred every three to five years among 43% of the respondents in
all age groups. The major reasons, however, varied. In addition,
fewer respondents changed 1 ifestyles as the age increased. Further,
analysis by age indicates all age groups changed around the critical
ages of 29 to 32, 39 to 43, and around 50; however, the difference in
the change was by degree. All groups made marital change, job changes,
job advancement, and changes of values.
50
As expected, in the five year time period preceding this
survey, 60'/o of those individuals between 25 and 32 years of age
changed 1 ifestyles because of marital status change while only 47%
of those between 40 and 48 years of age made such changes. This perÂ
centage increased once again to 66% of those between 49 and 55 years
of age.
Major reasons for 1 ifestyle change throughout the lifetime
were concentrated in the reasons discussed above. The difference was
again one of intensity. For those 25 to 32 years of age, for instance,
12.37'/o of the respondents changed lifestyles as a result of marital
changes at 32 years of age while those 40 to 48 years of age made
minimal changes (4.16%).
Similarly, percentage of 1 ifestyle changes due to job changes
decreased as the respondents aged from 7.21% as the highest response
of those between 25 and 32 to the highest of 6.66% of those between
49 and 55. The influence of job advancement on 1 ifestyle changes
decreased from 11.62% of the respondents between 25 and 32 and 33 to
39 to 4.16% of those between 40 and 48 and 49 and 55.
Changes in values were reported to be primary determinants to
changes in 1 ifestyle by 6.66% of the respondents between 49 and 55
years of age when they were 38, 43, 45, and 49; not reported at all by
those between 40 and 48; reported by 11 .62% of those between 33 and
39 years of age when they were 30 and 32; and a 5.15% response by
those between 25 and 32 years of age. Leisure was not considered an
important factor by any age group except those between 25 and 32 in
51
which only 2.51% of the individuals made changes due to priorities
in 1 e is u re.
A good percentage of the respondents also indicated
11
other
11
as a reason for 1 ifestyle change. Once again, a manual review of the
responses written in by
11
other
11
identified "honorable discharge from
the service" as the major reason.
Career control
Table 4 depicts the feelings of the respondents concerning
the degree of control they felt over decisions. Individuals who
made changes between 25 and 32 years of age felt they had more control
over their decisions (86%). This percentage decreased in each age
group until the individuals of the last age group felt 40"/o of their
decisions were in reaction to initiations of others.
When asked the degree of contentedness with their present
1 ife, most stated they were slightly contented but were considering
a change. It was important to note, however, the increased feelings
of being trapped in a unsatisfying career pattern as the respondents
agedo Of the individuals between 25 and 32 years of age, 10.07% felt
trapped while 26.66% of those between 49 and 55 had such feelings.
Training selection
As illustrated by Table 5, over 90'/o of all the groups but
those between 40 and 48 years of age had taken courses or had had
counseling within the last five years; for those between 40 and 48,
85% so ;ndicated. Of the services that were utilized, self-enrichment
and job advancement were the two basic purposes.
52
TABLE 4
FEELINGS OF CAREER CONTROL PERCEIVED BY RESPONDENTS
Questionnaire
Percent of response by age group
Item
40-48
49-55 25-32 33-39
9.
In a 11 the changes
which reason seems
to be most common?
a) A result of per-
sonal decision to
make a change. 86.08 72.69 64.58 60.00
b) A reaction to a
decision
. .
1n1-
tiated by someone
else. 13. 91 27.90 35.41 40.00
13 . How content are you
with your career
development?
a) Very, I plan to
stay.
15.97
11 . 62 22.91 20.00
b) S1 ight, but fee 1
there is room
for growth. 27.83 23. 25 29. 16 20.00
c) Little, but con-
sidering change. 36.08 41 .86 25.00 26.66
d) Not at all, but
do not wish to
change. 1 . 03 2.32 6.25 6.66
e) Not at all, feel
trapped. 10.07 20.03 16.66 26.66
53
TABLE 5
PARTICIPATION OF RESPONDENTS IN PROGRAMS,
ACTIVITIES, AND SERVICES
Questionnaire
Percent of response by age group
Item
25-32 33-39
40-48 49-55
l O. Are you taking any
classes, involved
in any activities,
or usin g any services
within or outside the
company?
a) Yes 94.84 95.34 85 .41 93.33
b) No 5. 15 4.65 14.58 6.66
l 1 • What kinds of
classes, activities,
.
or services are you
involved in?
a) Self-enrichment
59.27 53.48 35.41 66.66
b) Job advancement 61 .34 44.83
33.33
26.66
c) Job change 28.35 37.20 35 .41 26.66
d) Counseling 12.88 30.23 16.66
13.33
e) Social clubs 6.70 9.30 6.25 0.00
f) Seminars
9.27 11 • 62 14.58 6.66
g) Personal 13. 91 9 .30 12 .so 20.00
h) Other 14.43 18.60 12 .50 26.66
1 2. Where do the programs,
activities, and ser-
vices take place?
a) Community college 92.26 93.02 83.33 73.33
b) Business 21. 64 27.90 6.25 6.66
c) Adult education 16.49 25 .58 37 .so 40.00
54
Community college was the primary source of classes and
counseling at a 73% 1evel and better (91% of those between 25 and 32;
93% of those between 33 and 39). Business and industry was not a
common place of assistance for mid-career individuals: 16% of those
between 25 and 32, 25% of those between 33 and 39, 6% of those between
40 and 48 and those 49 to 55 years of age took courses at a business
site or through a business offering. A larger proportion of indiÂ
viduals took courses through adult education: 25% of those between
25 and 32, 27% of those between 33 and 39, 3 7% of those betv,een 40
and 48, and 40'/o of those between 49 and 55 years of age.
Perceived barriers and change options
Table 6 portrays barriers and options desired as perceived
by the respondents. Lack of education seemed to be the major perÂ
ceived barrier for ~hange. The other variables of lack of opporÂ
tunities, lack of ambition, and fear of risk were fairly equally
reported as barriers to change. Health was not an important conÂ
sideration for any group but those between 49 and 55 years of age.
When asked what change options they would 1 ike, over 50'/o of
all the groups wished to make a professional growth change, have more
income, and meet more people. Those between 33 and 39 and 49 and 55
wished to make a marital change within the next five years at a much
greater percentage than the other individuals: 25% of those in these
age ranges in comparison with only 6% of those between 25 and 32 and
40 and 48 years of age.
Over 50'/o of the individuals in all groups also reacted they
55
TABLE 6
BARRIERS AND CHANGE OPTIONS AS PERCEIVED BY RESPONDENTS
Questionnaire
Percent response by age group
Item
25-32 33-39
40-48 49-55
14. What makes a career
development change
difficult?
a) Lack of opportunity 9_79 18.60 22.91 13.33
b) Lack of education
39.69 16.27 16.66 13.33
c) Health 1 . 03 2 .32 0.00 6.66
d) Lack of ambition 8.76 9 .30 4. 16 0.00
e) Risk 9.24 11 . 62 16.66 13.33
f) Other 18.04 20.93 20.83 26.66
g} Nothing 10.70 11 . 62 14.58 0.00
15 . What changes would
you 1 ike to make if
you could?
a) Professional growth 61 .85 65. 11 52.08 53.33
b) Geographic change 11 . 34 13.95 8.33 6.66
c) More
.
70.61 65. 11 50.00 66.66 income
d) Meet more people 42.26 41 .86
33.33
46.66
e} Mari ta l status l 7. 01 25 .58 6.25 20.00
f) Other 19.07 23.25 37.50 13.33
16. What career development
services are offered
by your company?
a) Courses
19 .58 34.88 22.91 33.33
b) Counsel i ng 8.24 6.97 8.33 13.33
c) Other 23. 71 17.60 25. 00 26.66
d) I am not aware of
any. 69.07 23.25 60.41 46.66
1 7. What services are you
taking advantage of?
a) None 4. 12
5.97 8.33 26.66
b) Counse 1 i ng 21. 64 30.23 33.33
l?.33
c) Classes 94.32 88.37 87 .so 66.66
d) Other 23. 71 30.23 25~00 20.00
56
were not aware of courses and counseling services offered by the
company for which they worked. More than 6% were taking classes and
more than 13% ~,ere in counse 1 i ng through the company, however, this
is a small percentage when compared with the 5Q°lo who were not aware
of company activities.
Concerns and desired options
Selected and frequently occurring comments to three t:,!strucÂ
tured questions were examined with respect to age range and level of
worker. The reactions were, for the most similar; yet, distinct
differences were noted.
Individuals in the 25 to 32 age group were more concerned
with overchoice, lack of education, geographic location, and leisure
time than the other age groups. Needs expressed by blue-collar
workers in this group included time, challenge on the job, and the
"intense desire to move to a more wide open, fresh-aired area.
11
Lack
of money, family ties,
11
a good, steady, unrewarding, stagnant job"
and a wife who "doesn't want to gamble" were cited as barriers to
meeting desired needs. It was felt job and personal counseling
offered at the company site as well as short, intensive apprenticeship
courses were services which would help overcome the perceived barÂ
riers.
Clerical workers in this age range stressed a desire for more
leisure time, educational attainment, and marital change (divorce).
This level of worker felt career counseling at a community college
and courses on 1 istening offered in business, adult education, and
51
community college programs would assist with overcoming the perceived
barriers of culture, values, religious convictions, and improper time
utilization.
The mid-management level of worker also perceived a need for
more leisure time and marital change. Career goals, a need for more
leisure time, self-actualization, and direction, this group felt was
hindered by "too many paths" to choose, age (
11
1 am looked upon as a
Kid.
11
), lack of work skills, and lack of communication skills.
Recommendations of services were leisure counseling, career planning,
cooperative work programs, encouragement, mid-career courses, comÂ
munication courses, courses on compa,1y political maneuvering, selfÂ
confidence services, and an organization for men with problems during
divorce,
11
not marriage counsel ing.
11
There were no top-level managers
in this group.
Those individuals at mid-career between the ages of 33 and 39
were fairly stable in their 1 ives. Few expressed dissatisfaction
with jobs and/or 1 ifestyle, and those which were expressed were at the
beginning of the second reevaluation period (mid-life crisis) which
initiates at 39. Most of these respondents perceived a need for
advancement, more friends, and a sense of self-satisfaction. They
did suggest crash, intensive courses for job improvement and
advancement and courses organized around "human factors."
Between the ages of 49 and 55, the perceived need for job and
marital change once again occurred. As expected, there were no blueÂ
collar workers in this group; however, clerical, m"d-management and
58
I
top-management expressed a need for increased job satisfaction and
social 1 ife satisfaction. As one individual in this group stated,
11
a meaningful relationship with an intelligent and interesting mer ber
of the opposite sex" would make my 1 ife more satisfying. Knowledge
of options, viable friends, and leisure time were other basic needs
expressed by this group.
Barriers included employer directed moves, fear of change,
and lack of priorities. A perceived lack of appropriate educational
programs was clearly summarized by a woman in this group when she
stated
11
R. 0 . P. , God, do we have to compete with the teen i e
boppers? I will work for free in exchange for a taste of the job
market.
11
Recommended services to be offered by business, community
college, and adult education were preference tests, skills analysis
workshops, job search (occupational field survey exercises) seminars,
centrally located Career and Resource Centers, leisure counseling,
job counseling, personal counseling, and social referral and resource
agencies.
Finally, individuals between the ages of 49 and 55 were
relatively stable. Dissatisfaction was expressed, through, by those
around 50 years of age. A need for new personal relationships and
opportunities were thwarted by fear of safety and
11
Theory X
11
manageÂ
ment. In addition, a social life for the older person was a perceived
need--not the
11
Swinging Singles" scene. Life decision-mak!ng and
financial planning were recommended services to be offered by comÂ
munity colleges and adult education programs.
59
It would appear all age groups and levels of workers perceived
a need for job and personal counseling which is offered in a different
way from which rt is currently being offered. A centrally located
Center and company based services which are interrelated seemed to be
a common recommendation.
Findings from the Jury
The table which follows presents the findings from the criÂ
terion check 1 ist which was sent to each member of the jury. The criÂ
terion check 1 ist contained eight criterion statements, each of which
was based on review of the 1 iterature. The jury members were
instructed to mark
11
agree,
11
"undecided," or "disagree" in response to
each criterion statement.
If a 60'/o level of consensus were achieved, the criterion
statement was to be accepted for use in the development of the quesÂ
tionnaire. All eight criterion statements achieved the requesite
60'/o consensus; six statements received 100'/o agreement, the remaining
two were judged val id at the 80'/o level of consensus. All criterion
statements were accepted as val id for use in the development of the
questionnaire.
Summary
Chapter IV presented the findings from both the questionnaire
and the Criterion Check List which were developed to gain information
concerning the needs of and problems encountered by individuals at
mid-career. The responses are presented in paragraph form in
60
I
TABLE 7
SUMAARY OF RESPONSES AND COMMENTS OF PANELl cTs
REGARDING CRITERION STATEMENTS
Mid-Life Career
Development
Statements Comments Number-Percent
1. Career development is self-development
over the 1 ife span, consisting of a 1 ifeÂ
long series of work, leisure, and 1 ifeÂ
style choices.
Agree
Undecided
Disagree
"If you agree, does that mean career
development is distinguished only by the
fact that it adds self-development to
1 i f e p 1 an n i n g ?
11
2. Life-long choices affect the 1 ifestyle of
an organization and influence such factors
as job satisfaction.
Agree
Undecided
Disagree
3. Employees at mid-career need assistance
with career growth, adjustment, and
change skills.
Agree
Undecided
Disagree·
11
••• is mid-1 ife (separate from midÂ
career) to denote an age range (including
satisfied and dissatisfied career people}?"
4. There is a need for relevant career infor-
mation for employees at mid-career.
Agree
Undecided
Disagree
"Do you intend career information to
differ from career counseling?"
5
0
0
4
0
1
5
0
0
5
0
0
100.0
0.0
0.0
80.0
0.0
20.0
100.0
0.0
0.0
100.0
0.0
0.0
61
Mid-Life Career
Development
Statements
TABLE 7--Continued
Comments
''Does a person who pl ans to make a
career change have an easier task
when evaluating alternative careers
with the assistance from an objective
source?"
5. There is a need for innovative materials,
practices, and services by community colÂ
leges and business to meet the needs of
employees at mid-career.
Agree
Undecided
Disagree
60 There is a need for recognition of patterns
of adult development stages of which emÂ
ployees at mid-career and practitioners
working with these individuals are aware.
Agree
Undecided
Disagree
7. There is a need for increased personal
satisfaction with career development
among employees at mid-career.
Agree
Undecided
Disagree
8. There is a tendency among employees at
mid-career to change jobs, or wish to
change jobs.
Agree
Undecided
Disagree
Number-Percent
5
0
0
4
0
1
5
0
0
5
0
0
100.0
0.0
0.0
80.0
0.0
20.0
100.0
0.0
0.0
1 00. 0
0.0
0.0
62
Chapter IV and in tabular form in the Appendix. The responses from
the jury to each criterion statement are included in Table 1.
63
CHAPTER V
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The purpose of this chapter was to summarize the problems,
procedures, and findings of the study, and from this summary to draw
conclusions, make recommendations, and suggest possible offerings for
individuals at mid-career.
Brief Review of the Investigation
The study was concerned with the needs of and problems
encountered by individuals at mid-career and was directed toward
determining career development services that should be offered by
adult education programs, community colleges and/or business and
industry.
Purpose of the study. The purpose of this study was to
identify the needs of and problems encountered by individuals at
mid-career and to briefly review programs, materials, and services
currently being offered them by adult education, community college,
and business and industry.
Procedures used. After extensive study of 1 iterature and
programs of adult education, community college, and business and
industry, a questionnaire was developed. The questionnaire was
administered to 342 work experience students in selected community
colleges within Orange County.
64
Review of the Questionnaire
All of the usable questionnaires administered to work experiÂ
ence students were returned. Job and 1 ifestyle change was found to
have occurred at the critical stages postulated by Erikson: 29-32,
39-43, and around 50.
As was expected, women and levels of workers were not evenly
represented, thereby influencing analysis of the results. Change
occurred more frequently in the younger age groups as the feelings of
more control over their decisions increased.
Most of the respondents had taken courses or had had counÂ
seling primarily for self-enrichment and job advancement. The comÂ
munity college was the primary source of such offerings. Finally,
the majority of the participants were slightly satisfied with their
present career and were considering making a change. Lack of eduÂ
cation was the major perceived barrier to change.
The overwhelming message received from answers to these quesÂ
tions was the existence and need for change and the cry for assistance
with problems encountered when attempting change.
Review of the Criterion Statements
At the outset, a consensus level of 600/o was adopted as suffiÂ
cient to validate the criterion statements, since the subject of midÂ
career development is a recent area of concern and research.
The jury reached consensus of 1000/o on eight of the ten criÂ
terion statements. The areas of full agreement were:
Statement 1--Career development is self-development over
65
the 1 ife span, consisting of a life-long series of work , leisure, and
lifestyle choices.
Statement 3--Employees at mid-career need assistance with
career growth, adjustment, and change skills.
Statement 4--There is a need for relevant career information
for employees at mid-career development.
Statement 5--There is a need for innovative materials, pracÂ
tices, and services by adult education programs, community colleges,
and business and industry to meet the needs of employees at mid-career.
Statement 7--There is a need for increased personal satisÂ
faction with career development among employees at mid-career.
Statement 8--There is a tendency among employees at mid-career
to change jobs, or wish to change jobs.
The statements on which there were less than 10<1/o agreement,
in each case non-agreement was not more than 2<1/o, were:
Statement 2--Life-long choices affect the lifestyle and
influence such factors as job satisfaction of the organization.
Statement 6--There is a need for recognition of patterns of
adult development stages of which employees at mid-career and pracÂ
titioners working with the individuals are aware.
Conclusions
1. Individuals at mid-career have expressed the need for
assistance with problems encountered when attempting change. This
information has been gathered through responses to questionnaires
and through extensive review of the 1 iterature.
66
2. Adult education, community college, and business need
to expand course, seminar, and workshop offerings and counseling
services to individuals at mid-career.
3. A large portion of the materials, programs, and services
currently being offered meet only segmental ized needs of individuals
at mid-career.
4. Individuals at mid-career in the 25 to 32 age range made
the same changes as those in the older groups but at a higher rate.
5. There is an accelerated trend toward change as evidenced
by the increasing rate of change in the younger age groups.
60 Individuals at mid-career perceive a wider acceptance by
employers, and society in general, toward change as represented by
the feeling of more control over decisions in the younger age groups
as well as the increasing rate of change.
]. Change is more prevalent in occurrences rather than a
new trend for basic changes. The appearance of leisure as a priority
in the 25 to 32 age group, however, indicated a possible new area of
consideration.
8. Social activities should be coordinated so that adult
education, community college, and business may offer services sepÂ
arately and jointly which are easily utilized.
9. Training programs should be short, intensive, and offered
for college credit.
10. Reevaluation and change in this target population occurred
around the ages postulated by Erikson.
67
11. The larger representation of women in the last age group,
49 to 55 years of age, influenced the findings and analysis of the
survey as a result of interrupted career patterns of women in the
labor market.
Recommendations
1. Programs, materials, and services for individuals at
mid-career should be designed to meet the needs of each person.
Curriculum should be developed, primarily by community colleges, but
need to be offered by adult education, community college and business
separately and jointly. Classes should be day and evening to assist
those who might not otherwise be able to attend.
2. Seminars, conferences, and workshops should be held,
offering college credit, for those needing referesher and updated
skills.
3. Materials, programs, and services for potential blueÂ
collar workers should include short, intensive apprenticeship
training.
4. Leisure and job counseling should be offered by adult
education and community college primarily for those persons 25 to 32
years of age and those 49 to 55 years of age.
5. Career counseling should be offered in a centrally located
center for all age groups and coordinated by community colleges.
6. Courses on listening and communication should be offered
primarily by business for clerical and mid-management workers.
68
7. Cooperative work programs should be offered jointly by
business, adult education, and community college for mid-level
managers in all age groups.
8. Job restructuring and redesign should be developed by
business and industry for those persons 49 to 55 years of age who do
not necessarily wish to advance.
9. Mid-career change courses should be offered by community
colleges and adult education programs at faci1 ities which are easily
accessible.
10. Career and Resource Centers should be located in a central
part of the community for ease of accessibi1 ity and open day and
evening hours for those who may not be able to 2ttend otherwise.
11. Organizations should be formed for men and women who are
experiencing marital and/or job change problems. Social groups should
be formed for older groups which do not emphasize the "Swinging
Singles" attitude.
12. Experiences should be made available to assist indiÂ
viduals with development of self-confidence and to provide encourÂ
agement for change and growth.
69
APPENDIX A
THE JURY
70
THE JURY
John Crystal, International authority on career change, Crystal
Management Consultants.
Dr. Sidney Fine, leader of career education involved with analysis
of worker traits and labor market in Washington, D.C.
Bendetti Greco, Professor of Business Administration, University of
Southern California and author and consultant in the field
of mid-career change.
John Lowe, Director of Work Experience and developer of a Career
Planning Center, Santa Ana College.
Dr. Robert Swan, Professor of Education with national prominence
in Career Center and Career Specialist training, California
State University, Long Beach.
71
APPENDIX B
THE QUESTIONNAIRE
72
As a result of the complexity of the questionnaire, it was
necessary to computerize the results. The interim steps, therefore,
will not be indicated. The percentage for each question as printed
out by the computer will be shown. Answers to questions three and
eight will present the average number of years between each change
as computation was too complex to show.
Comments to three unstructured questions on the questionnaire
were presented in Chapter IV. Those questions are presented on the
last page of the questionnaire.
73
. '
MID-CAREER DEVELOPMENT
I am attempting to survey and identify the needs of and problems
encountered by workers at mid-career to determine those factors
necessary to develop materials, programs, and services which will
meet those i4entified needs and problems. A questionnaire is being
given to work experience students enrolled in selected community
colleges within Orange Cotmty.
1. Have you changed or considered changi. ng
full-time, permanent jobs; including
changes within as well as outside the
company; within the last five (5) years?
2. If you answe_ red "yes" to question 1,
how many times have you changes
(full-time, permanent jobs; including
changes within the company as well
as outside the company) within your
worklife?
a) 0-2
b) 3-5
c) 5-7
d) Over 7
3. Indicate a job ~istory.
31.44
43.29
10.30
14.43
Yes No
98.96 1.03
Number of years you
held each job
How old you were
when you left each job
4. If you have changed jobs, what was
the reason for your change (s)?
a) Marriage, divorce,
9.27
separation
b) Change of jobs
39.17
c) Advancement
•
jobs 55.15
in
d) Other
42.79
Aveqige number of years
between each change.
1.82
. ,
5. Have you changed the way ·you live--made
major changes in the way you spend your
time and money, the kind of relationships
you have--within the last five(?) years?
6. If you answered "yes" to question 5,
how many times have you changed. the
way you live within your lifeti:.rne?
a) 0-2
b) 3-5
c) 5-7
d) Over 7
37.62
44!84
8.24
.. 4.63
7. If you have changed the way you live,
what was the reason for yoµr change(s)?
a) Marriage, divorce,
60. - 30
separation
b) Change of jobs 56.18
c) Advanc-ement in jobs 48.45
d) Health 5.67
e) Change in values 53.-60 .
f) Increase leisure 13.91
g) Other _______ 3_2_. _98_
8. Indicate a lifestyle history.
Reason for each
Yes ·No
94.84 4.63
•··
Age each time you
changed the way you
live.
change (Use the letters
to ·answers in question 7)
9. In all the job changes and/or changes in
the way you live, which reason seem to be
the most common?
a)
A result
of personal
86.08
decision to make the
change.
b)
A reaction to a
13.91
decision initiated
by someone else.
Average number of years
between each change.
·1. 42
•
10. Are you taking any classes, involved
in any activities, or using ~ny
services such as counseling within or
outside the company?
11. If your answer to question 10 was
"yes" in what kinds of classes,
activities, or services are you involved?
a) Self-enrichment 59:27
b) Job advancement ·61.34
c) Job change ~~~
d) Counseling 12.88
e) Social clubs 6.70
f) Seminars · 9:27
g) Non-group personal 13.91
h) Other 14.43
______________ .;..;;;-
12. Where do the programs, activities, and
·services take place?
a) Conmnmity college
b) Adult education
c) Business
92.26
21.64
16.49
13. How ccntent are you with your career
development_? .
a) Very, I . plan to
15.97
stay.
b) flight, but feel
27..83
there is room
for growth.
c) Little, ·but
36.08
considering change.
d) Not at all, but do
1.03
not wish to
change. -.
e) Not at all, feel
10.07
""
trapped.
14.
What makes a career development change
difficult?
(Check with two checks (v0
the most significant reason; with one
(/) any others) •
Most Other
a) Lack of opportunity.
9.79 26.28
b) Lack of education.
39.69 27.83
c) Health 1.03 4.12
d) Lack of ambition. 8.76 14.43
e) Risk is
too great. 8.24 31.95
f) Other
18.04 20.10
g) Nothing,
I could make
a change
if I wantedJ0.70 0.51
Yes No
94.84 5.15
-
•
15. If you -could, would you like to make any
of the following changes? (Check all that
are appropriate)
a) Professional growth 61 .85
b) Geographic change 11 .34
c) More income 70.61
d) Meet more people 42.26
e) Change marital statuA17.0l
f) Other 19.07
16. What career development services are
· offered by the company for which you
work?
a) Courses
b) Counseling
c) Other
d) I am not aware of
any.
19.58
8.24
23. 71
69.07
· 17. Which career development services are
You taking advantage of through adult
education, connn11nity college, or business?
a) None 4.12
b) Counseling 21.64
c) Classes 94.32
d) Ot:her ______ ---=2=---3'"-ll.._z 1.
19. · What level of worker are you?
a) Blue collar
b) Clerical
c) Mid-management
d) Top-management
20. Age range
a) 25-32
b) 33-39
c) 40-l~B
d) 49-55
21. Marital status
a) Married
b) Single
c) Divorced
d) Widowed
e) Separated
45 .36
20 t 10
2~LB6
5 .6· 7
64.66
70.61
io.61
6. · 18
0.00
2 .57
'
'
I
'
22. Sex
a) Male
b) Female
79.89
20.IO ·
Please comnent on the following three questions:
18. What career development services would you like to be offered
that do not exist and that y~u .would .like to take? ✓
23. What do you need to make your total life direction more
satisfying?
24. What problems or. barriers are you encountering which keep
you from -developing a satisfying life direction?
. ,
•
(33 to 39 Age Group)
MID-CAREER DEVELOPMENT
I am attempting to survey and identify the needs of and problems
encountered by workers at mid-career to determine those factors
necessary to develop materials, programs, and services which will
meet those identified needs and problems. A questionnaire is being
given to work experience students enrolled in selected community
colleges within Orange County.
1. Have you changed or considered changing
full-time, permanent jobs; including
changes .within as well as outside the
company; within the last five (5) years?
·2. If you answered "yes" to question 1,
how many times have you changes
(full-time, permanent jobs; including
changes within the company ·as well
as outside the company) within your
worklife?
a) 0-2
b) 3-5
c) 5-7
d) Over 7
3. Indicate a job history.
20.93
46.51
16.27
16.27
Yes No
97.67 0.00
Number of years zou
held each job
How old you were
when you left each job
4. If you have changed jobs, what was
.the reason for your change (s)?
a) Marriage, divorce,
30.23
separation
b) Change of jobs
48.83
c) Advancement in jobs
55.81
d) Other
39.52
Aveni,ge number of-years
between each change.
8,42
. ,
5. Have you changed th~ way you live--made
major changes in the way you spend your
time and money, the kind of relationships
you have-within the last five (5) years?
6. If you answered "yes" to question 5,
how many times have you changed the
way you live within your lifetime?
a) 0-2
b) 3-5
c) 5-7
d) Over 7
.:
. 25.58
51.16
11.62
. 6. 97
7. If you have changed the way you live,
what .was the reason for your ·change(s)?
a) Marriage, divorce, . 69.76
separation
b) Change of jobs 74.41
c) Advanc· ement in jobs 46.51 .
d) Health 5.97
e) Change in values 60.46
f) Increase leisure 18.80
g) Other . 37. 20
8. Indicate a lifestyle history.
·Yes · ·No
95.34 4.65
-
Age each time· you
changed the way you
live.
Reason for each
change ·(use the letters
to answers in question 7)
9. In all the job changes and/or changes in
the way you live, which reason seem to be
the .most common?
a) A result of personal 72.69
decision to make the
change.
b) A reaction to a 27.90
decision initiated
by someone else.
Average number of years
between each change.
. · · 7. 94
. ---
'
10. Are you taking any classes, involved
in any activities, or using any
services such as counseling within or
outside the company?
11. If your answer to question 10 was
"yes" in what kinds of classes, ·
activities, or sezyices are you involved?
a) Self-enrichment
b) Job advancement
c) Job change-
d) Counseling
e) Social clubs
f) Seminars
g) Non-group persona_+
53.48
44.83
37.20
30.23
9.30
11.62
9.30
·18. 60 h) Other
----------
12. Where do the programs, activities, and
services take place? .
a) Community college
b) Adult education
c) Business
93.02
27.90
25.58
13. How content are you •with your career
development?
a) Very, I . plan to 11.62
stay. .
b) Slight, but feel 23.25
there is room
for growth.
c) Little, but 41.86
considering change.
d) Not at all, but do 2 o32
not wish to change. ·
e) Not at all, feel 20 ..-03
trapped.
14. What makes a career development change
difficult? (Check with two checks (//)
the most significant reason; with one
(./2 any others) •
Most
a) Lack of opportunity. 18.60
b) Lack of education. 16.27
c) Health 2.32
d) Lack of ambition. 9.30
e) Risk is too great. 11.62
f) Other 20.93
g) Nothing, I could make
a change if I wanted.11.62
Other
20.93
30.33
2.32
13.95
20.93
25.58
9.30
Yes No
95.34 4.65
•
15. If you could, would you like to make any
of the following changes? (Check all that
are .appropriate)
,
a) Professional growth ~5.1~
b) Geographic change 13.95
c) More income 65.11
d) Meet more people 41.86
e) Change marital statuR25.58
f) Other 23.25
16. What career development services are
offered by the company for which you
work?
a) Courses
b) Counseling
c) Other
d) I am not aware of
any.
34.88
6.97
17.60
58. 13
17. Which career development services are
you taking advantage of through adult
education, community college, or business?
a) None 5.97
'
b) Counseling 30.23
c) Classes 88.37
d) Othe. r 30. 23
___________ _,;;;.
19. What level of worker are you?
a) Blue collar
b) Clerical
c) Mid-management
d) Top-management
20. Age range
a) 25-32
b) 33-39
c) 40-48
d) 49-55
21. Marital status
a) Married
b) Single
c) Divorced
d) Widowed
e) Separated
20.93
37.20
3lt;88
6.97
14.33
62.79
6.97
25.58
0.00
4.65
I
I
. ,
22. Sex
a) Male
b) Female
62.79
37.20
Please connnent on the following three questions:
18. What career development services would you like to be offered
that do not exist and that you would like to take?
23. What do you need to make your total life d➔rection more
satisfying?
24. What problems or _ barriers are you encountering which keep
you from developing a satisfying life direction?
I
I
,
.
(40 to 48 Age Group)
MID-CAREER DEVELOPMENT
I am attempting to survey and identify the needs of and problems
encountered by workers at mid-career to determine those factors
necessary to develop materials, programs, and services which will
meet those identified needs and problems. A questionnaire is being
given to work experience students enrolled in selected community
colleges w~thin Orange County._
1. Have you changed or considered changing
full-time, permanent jobs; j_ncluding.
changes within as well as outside the
company; within the last five (5) years?
2. If you ·answered "yes" to question 1,
how many times have you changes
(full-time, permanent jobs; including
changes within the company as_ well
as outside the company) within your
work.life?
a) 0-2
b) 3-5
c) 5-7
d) Over 7
3. Indicate a job history.
39.58
33.33
14.58
12.50
Yes No
97.91 2.88
Number of years you
held each job
How old you were
when you left each job
4. If you have changed jobs, what was
the reason for your change (s)?
a) Marriage, divorce,
16.66
separation
b) Change of jobs
25.00
..---- ..
c) Advancement in jobs 39.58
d) Other 70.83
Averpge number of years
between each change.
7.41
· ··•
5.
Have you changed
the way
you live--made
major changes in
the way
you spend your
time an· d money,
the kind of relationships
you have-within the last f~ve (5) years?
6. If you answered "yes" to question 5,
how many times have you changed the
way you live within your life~ime?
a) 0-2
b) 3-5
c) 5-7
d) Over 7
29.16
. 43. 75
8.33
4.16.
7. If you have changed the way you live,
what was the reason for your change(s)?
a) Marriage, divorce,. ~
separation
b) Change of jobs
c) Advancement in jobs
d) Health
e) Change in vaiues
f) Increase leisure
47.91
43,.. 75
31.25
4.16
35.41
8.33
35.41
g) Other
-----------
8. Indicate a lifestyle history.
Reason. for each
Yes
·No
-
79.16 20.83
Age each time you
changed the way you
live.
change (Use .the letters
to ·answers in question 7)
9. In all the job changes and/or changes in
the way you live, which reason seem to be
the most common?
a) A result of personal 64.58
decision to make the
change.
b) A reaction to a 35,41
decision initiated
by someone else.
Average number of years
between each change.
5 .. 11
10. Are you taking any classes, involved
in any activities, or using any
services such as counseling within or
outside the company?
11. If your answer to question 10 was
"yes" in what kinds of classes,
activities, or services are you involved?
a) Self-enrichment 35,41
b) Job advancement 33.33
c) Job change 35.41
d) Counseling 16.66
e) Social clubs 6.25
f) Seminars 14.58
g) Non-group personal 12.50
h) Other 12.50
------------;....;.
-
12. Where do the programs, activities, and
services take place?
a) Community college
b) Adult education
c) _ Business
83.33
6.25
37.50
13. How content are you with your career
development?
14.
a) Very, I . plan to 22.91
stay.
b) Slight, but .feel 29.16
there is room
for growth.
c) Little, but 25.00
considering change.
d) Not at all, but do 6.25
not· wish to _change.,
e) Not at all, feel 16.66
trapped.
What makes a career development change
difficult? (Check with two checks (/✓)
the most significant reason; with one
(~/) any others).
Most
opportunity.22.91
education. 16.66
a) Lack of
b) Lack of
c) Health
0.00
Lack of ambition. 4.16
Risk is too great. 16.66
Other 20.83
d)
e)
f)
g)
--------=-.......;;;..;;:;..
Nothing, I ould make
a change if I wantedl4.58
Other
25.00
18.75
6.25
14.58
18.75
16.66
6.25
Yes No
..a5.,.. 41 .llL. 5 8
,.,.
,
15. If you could, would you like to make any
of the following changes? (Check all that
are appropriate)
I
a) Professional growth 52.08
b) Geographic change 8.33
c) More income 50.00
d) Meet more people 33.33
e) Change marital status 6.25
f) Other 37.50
16. What career development services are
offered by the company for which you
work?
a) Courses
b) Counseling
c) Other
d) I am not aware of
any.
22.91
8.33
25 .00
60.41
17. Which career development services are
You taking advantage of through adult
education, community college, or business?
a) None ~.33
b) Counseling 33.33
c) Classes 87.50
d) Other 25.00
--------~-
19. What level of worker are you?
a) Blue collar
b) Clerical
c) Mid-management
d) Top-management
20. Age range
a) 25-32
b) 33-39
c) 40-48
d) 49-55
21. Marital status
a) Married
b) Single
c) Divorced
d) Widowed
e) Separated
33.33
16.66
4Z..91
2,08
16.00
75 .00
2.08
--
16.66
2.08
4. 16
22. Sex
a) Male
b) Female
75.00
25.00
Please comnent on the foilowing three questions:
18. What career development services would you like to be offered
. . . .
that do not exist and that ou would like to take?
23. Wha~ do you need to make your total life direction more
satisfying?
24. What problems or barriers are you encountering ·which keep
you from developing a satisfying life direction?
•
,,....
(49 to 55 Age Group)
MID-CAREER DEVELOPMENT
I am attempting to survey and identify the needs of and problems
encountered by workers at. mid-career to determine those factors
necessary to develop materials, programs, and services which will
meet those identified needs and problems. A questionnaire is being
given to work experience students enrolled in selected community
colleges within Orange Comity.
1. Have you changed or considered changing
full-time, permanent jobs; including
changes ~thin as well as outside the
company; within the last five (5) years?
2. If you answered "yes" to question 1,
how many times have you changes
(full-time, permanent jobs; including
changes within the company as well
as outside the company) within your
worklife?
a) 0-2
b) 3-5
c) 5-7
d) Over 7
3. Indicate a job history.
20.00
6.66
26.66
46.66
Yes No
100.00 0.00
- .
Number of years ·you
held each job
How old you were
when you left each job
4. If you have changed jobs, what was
the reason for your change (s)?
a) Marriage, divorce,
40.00
separation
b) Change of jobs
60.00
c) Advancement in jobs 73.33
d) Other
40.00
Ave~ge number of years
between each change.
33.30
5. Have you changed the way you live--made
major changes in the way you spend your
time and money, the .kind of relationships
you have--within· the last five (5) years?
6. If you answered "yes" to question 5,
how many times have you changed the
way you live within your lifetime?
a) 0-2
b) 3-5
c) 5-7
d) Over 7
20.00
26.66
26.66
13.33
7. If you have changed the way you live,
what was the reason for your change(s)?
a) Marriage, divorce, 66.66
separation
b) Change of jobs 60.00
c) Advancement in jobs 25.66
d) Health 13.33
e) Change in values 40.00
f) Increase leisure 6.66
g) Other _______ 5_3_._3_3
8. Indicate a lifestyle history.
Reason for each
Yes ·No
86.66 13.33
- -
Age each time you
changed the way you
live.
change (Use the letters
to answers in question 7)
9. In all the job changes and/or changes in
the way you live, which reason seem to be
the most common?
a) A result of personal 60.00
decision to make the
change.
b) A reaction to a 40.00
decision initiated
by someone else.
Average number of years
between each change.
· · 22. 20
10. Are you taking any classes, involved
in any activities, or using any
services such as counseling within or
outside the company?
11. If your answer to question 10 was
"yes" in what kinds of classes,
activities, or services are you involved?
a) Self-enrichment 66.66
b) Job advancement · 26.66
c) Job change 26.66
d) Counseling 13.33
e) Social clubs O.QO
f) Seminars 6.66
g) Non-group personal 20.00
h) Other 26.66
--------...-------
12. Where do the programs, activities, and
services take place?
a) Community college
b) Adult education
c) Business
73.33
6.66
40.00
13. li.ow content are you with your career
development?
a) Very, I . plan to
20.00
stay.
b) Slight, but feel
20.00
there is room
for growth.
26.66
c) Little, but
considering change.
d) Not at all, but do
6.66
not wish to change.
-
e) Not at all, feel
26.66
trapped.
14. "What makes a career development change
difficult? (Check with two checks (//)
the most significant reason; with one
(./) any others).
Mos·t Other
a) Lack of
opportunity.13.33
6.66
b) Lack of education.
13.33 40.00
c) Health
6,66 6.66
d) Lack of ambition.
0.00
13.33
e)
Risk · is too great.
26,66 13.33
f) Other
26,66 40.00
g) Nothing, I could make
a change if I wanted.Q.00
6.66
Yes No
93.33 6.66
- -
....
•
15. If you could, would you like to make any
of the following changes? (Check all that
are appropriate)
I
a) Professional growth 53.33
b) Geographic change 6.66
c) More income 66.66
d) Meet more people 46.66
e) Change marital statuR20.00
f) Other · 13.33
16. What career development services are
offered by the company for which you
work?
a) Cou• ~· ...;es
b) Counseling
c) Other
d) I am not aware of
any.
33.33
13.33
26.66
46.66
17. Which career development services are
you taking advantage of through adult
education, community college, or business?
a) None
b) Counseling
c) Classes
d) Other
26.66
13.33
66.66
20.00
----------
19. What level of worker are you?
·a) Blue collar
b) Clerical
c) Mid-management
d) Top-management
20. Age range
a) 25-32
b) 33-39
c) 40-48
d) 49-55
21. Marital status
a) Married
b) Single
c) Divorced
d) Widowed
e) Separated
13.33
6 . ...66
46,.66
33.33
OS.00
60.00
0.00
33.33
6.66
0.00
l
I
22. Sex
a) Male
b) Female
46.66
53.33
Please comment on the following three questions: ·
·1s. What career development services would you like to be offered
that do not exist and that you would like to take? . ,
23. What do you need to make your total life direction more
satisfying?
24. What problems or barriers are you encountering which keep
you from developing a satisfying life direction?
I
I
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Asset Metadata
Creator
Klinge, Clella Jane (author)
Core Title
An analysis of the needs and problems of individuals at mid-career for career development
School
School of Education
Degree
Doctor of Education
Degree Program
Education
Degree Conferral Date
1977-06
Publication Date
06/01/1977
Defense Date
06/01/1977
Publisher
University of Southern California
(original),
University of Southern California. Libraries
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Counseling in higher education,OAI-PMH Harvest,Vocational guidance
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