Proactive personality and well-being: The mediating role of career calling and meaning in life

Abstract

We explored whether career calling and meaning in life act as mediators of the link between proactive personality and well-being. Participants were 963 Chinese soldiers, all of whom were men. Results of a survey showed that proactive personality was positively and significantly associated with career calling and meaning in life, and career calling and meaning in life were positively and significantly associated with well-being. Career calling and meaning in life fully and independently mediated the impact of proactive personality on well-being. Furthermore, the serial mediation model showed that proactive personality influenced well-being via the chain effect of career calling on meaning in life. These results indicate that career calling and meaning in life could be important factors for deeper understanding of the links between proactive personality and well-being, especially among male Chinese soldiers.