Sustainable Careers in Education: Exploring how educational institutions can foster teachers’ sustainable careers through stimulating affective commitment and proactive career behaviors

Abstract

Contemporary careers, including those of teachers, are becoming increasingly dynamic and longer. Simultaneously, the education sector faces personnel shortages and increasing aging. This dissertation investigates how educational institutions can support teachers' sustainable careers, focusing on strengthening affective commitment and stimulating proactive career behavior (job crafting and career crafting), essential for maintaining person-career fit over time. Four empirical studies among teachers in the Netherlands (MBO/HBO) and Flanders (secondary education) provided the following insights. Servant leadership positively relates to affective commitment, mediated by leader-member exchange (LMX) and the social climate within the school. Servant leadership also positively relates to job crafting (specifically seeking resources), mediated by the satisfaction of basic psychological needs for autonomy and relatedness. The relationship between subjective career success (satisfaction) and proactive career reflection appears U-shaped, with both low and high satisfaction correlating with more reflection. However, dissatisfied teachers seem less likely to take action to realize goals, possibly due to a lack of resources. Finally, inclusion within the team (experiencing uniqueness and belongingness) positively correlates with proactive career construction. Findings suggest that educational institutions benefit from investments in servant leadership, providing resources, and promoting inclusion.