Exploring the Impact of Work as a Calling on Career Development: A Meta‐Analytic Review

Yongxing Guo; Chang Yu; Siqi Wang

doi:10.1002/cdq.70005

Exploring the Impact of Work as a Calling on Career Development: A Meta‐Analytic Review

Yongxing Guo, Chang Yu, Siqi Wang

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

This meta-analysis investigated the relationships among job, career, and calling orientations and examined the impact of calling on various career-related outcomes. Synthesizing results from 98 studies (N = 50,009), we found that calling and job orientations were strongly negatively correlated, while calling and career orientations were not mutually exclusive. Calling was significantly linked to positive career-related outcomes, including career decision-making, proactive career behaviors, and career persistence. We further examined the differences between groups based on calling type (internal vs. external) and sample characteristics (students vs. employees). Our findings indicated no significant differences between internal and external callings in their influence on career-related outcomes, but cultural context played a moderating role. Additionally, calling had a stronger effect on proactive career behaviors in employees compared to students. These results offer implications for career counseling, emphasizing the importance of fostering a sense of calling for career success.

Original language	English
Number of pages	13
Journal	The Career Development Quarterly
Early online date	5 Oct 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/cdq.70005
Publication status	E-pub ahead of print - 5 Oct 2025

Bibliographical note

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Guo, Y., C. Yu, and S. Wang. 2025. “ Exploring the Impact of Work as a Calling on Career Development: A Meta-Analytic Review.” The Career Development Quarterly which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/cdq.70005. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance With Wiley Terms and Conditions for self-archiving. This article may not be enhanced, enriched or otherwise transformed into a derivative work, without express permission from Wiley or by statutory rights under applicable legislation. Copyright notices must not be removed, obscured or modified.

Keywords

career development
career-related outcomes
meta-analysis
sense of calling
work orientations

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abstract = "This meta-analysis investigated the relationships among job, career, and calling orientations and examined the impact of calling on various career-related outcomes. Synthesizing results from 98 studies (N = 50,009), we found that calling and job orientations were strongly negatively correlated, while calling and career orientations were not mutually exclusive. Calling was significantly linked to positive career-related outcomes, including career decision-making, proactive career behaviors, and career persistence. We further examined the differences between groups based on calling type (internal vs. external) and sample characteristics (students vs. employees). Our findings indicated no significant differences between internal and external callings in their influence on career-related outcomes, but cultural context played a moderating role. Additionally, calling had a stronger effect on proactive career behaviors in employees compared to students. These results offer implications for career counseling, emphasizing the importance of fostering a sense of calling for career success.",

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N2 - This meta-analysis investigated the relationships among job, career, and calling orientations and examined the impact of calling on various career-related outcomes. Synthesizing results from 98 studies (N = 50,009), we found that calling and job orientations were strongly negatively correlated, while calling and career orientations were not mutually exclusive. Calling was significantly linked to positive career-related outcomes, including career decision-making, proactive career behaviors, and career persistence. We further examined the differences between groups based on calling type (internal vs. external) and sample characteristics (students vs. employees). Our findings indicated no significant differences between internal and external callings in their influence on career-related outcomes, but cultural context played a moderating role. Additionally, calling had a stronger effect on proactive career behaviors in employees compared to students. These results offer implications for career counseling, emphasizing the importance of fostering a sense of calling for career success.

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Exploring the Impact of Work as a Calling on Career Development: A Meta‐Analytic Review

Abstract

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Keywords

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