The mediating role of career resilience on the relationship between career competency and career success

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the relationships between career competency, career resilience and career success. The study further examines the mediating role of career resilience on the relationship between career competency and career success. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 284 Islamic bank employees across Pakistan through a cross-sectional, self-reporting, online questionnaire. Partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to test the proposed hypotheses using Smart PLS version 3.0. Findings The study’s results indicate that career competency is a significant predictor of career resilience, and that career resilience is subsequently a significant predictor of career success. Further, the results of the structural equation model analyses supported the proposition that career resilience mediates the relationship between career competency and career success. Practical implications Human resource practitioners and managers can increase the likelihood of their employees’ career resilience by focusing on developing career-related competencies – an antecedent of career success. Originality/value The study clarifies prevailing misconceptions that assume a direct linear relationship between career competency and career success by establishing, through empirical evidence, that success is not an ultimate outcome of competence. In addition, it proposes an oversimplified model of the competence–resilience–success relationship.