The purpose of this study for ex-managers who stepped down the positions based on the position retirement policy was to define the re-adaptation process to the current new roles and exploring process to the next career, and examine the interrelationship between these processes. A one-year longitudinal semi-structured interview was conducted with 17 ex-managers in major manufacturing industries and the data collected from each participant were analyzed according to the modified grounded theory approach. As a result, 56 concepts, 4 subcategories, 15 categories, and 8 category groups were created based on the data. The main findings are as follows: Ex-managers are trying to redesign their next careers with moving their thoughts and emotions back and forth about their past experiences as managers, their current new roles as ex-managers, and their future careers to explore. The most important temporal perspective of the past, present and future is the current new roles after stepping down their positions. Re-recognizing one’s own value in the current new roles is the driving force of the next career development. However, stepping down the positions based on the position retirement policy will be able to make the feelings toward the company and the organizations negative and reduce the motivation to work and career development.

This paper focuses on mentors and cross-boundary developmental networks (DNs). It aims to identify differences in the mentors’ motivation and benefits in mentoring within and outside their organization. Previous studies have shown that in organizational DNs, mentors engage in mentoring because of their prosocial motivation and to exercise influence in their organization. Moreover, the mentoring process enables them to re-evaluate their pasts. In this paper, we qualitatively investigated the motivations and benefits of adult mentors who participate in mentoring for the career development of university students in a cross-boundary DN. Mentors’ motivation to participate in cross-boundary DN was found to stem from a sense of stagnation in their organizations. Further, their motivation in career development support for university students results from prosocial motivation. Additionally, the mentoring process in a cross-boundary DN was found to broaden their perspectives as well as to return the learning to their organizations.

This study aimed to develop a Japanese-language version of McAllister’s affect- and cognition-based trust measure (ACTM) and test its reliability and validity among Japanese workers. The ACTM was translated into Japanese and reviewed through a back-translation process involving the original author to produce the Japanese version (ACTM-J). Data on 291 Japanese workers obtained through internet research were used to investigate the reliability (internal consistency) and construct validity (factor analysis and correlation analysis) of the ACTM-J. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the two-factor model of the ACTM-J, the same as the original version, fitted the data well. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients (.94 for affect-based trust; .89 for cognition-based trust), indicated high internal consistency. Correlation analysis showed that both types of trust were positively related to leader-member exchange, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and organizational citizenship behavior, and negatively related to turnover intention. These results suggest that the ACTM-J has an acceptable level of reliability and validity and is an appropriate measure for evaluating subordinates’ affect- and cognition-based trust in their supervisors in Japanese workplaces.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors associated with irrational career beliefs among university students to establish an understanding of clients’ behavior and formulate a counseling hypothesis based on the beliefs. Participants were 231 undergraduates attending universities all over Japan. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was used to examine the factors associated with irrational career beliefs, including sex, personality traits, university life fulfillment, and career readiness. Results revealed that male students are likely to have an “unrealistic optimism” belief while female students are likely to have a “feelings of helplessness” belief. Moreover, students who exhibit neuroticism as one of the Big Five personality traits seemed to have more of “feelings of helplessness” belief and less of an “unrealistic optimism” belief. Furthermore, university life fulfillment was positively associated with “unrealistic optimism” and negatively with “feelings of helplessness.” In addition, career autonomy of career readiness was negatively associated with “feelings of helplessness.” On the other hand, associations between irrational career beliefs and personal attributes such as sex and personality traits were disappeared by input of university life fulfillment and career readiness. The implications of this study could be used as information to help in further examination of career assessment and career support addressing irrational career beliefs.