interests are translated into choice. SCCT has also been extended
to a number of cross-cultural or cross-national applications (for
example, de Bruin, 1999; Kantas, 1997; Nota & Soresi, 2000; Van
Vianen, 1999). Finally, research on school children (Schunk, 1995;
Zimmerman, 1995) and adult workers and managers (Bandura,
1997; Wood & Bandura, 1989) suggests that the SCCT framework
is applicable to academic and career development phenomena
across the lifespan.
Societal and Economic Shifts
A number of recent or anticipated societal, demographic, and eco-
nomic mega-trends have the potential to materially affect or re-
shape the career development climate over the next several decades
(Hesketh, 2000; Lent, in press). A few such trends include the in-
creasing representation of workers of color, advances in technology,
and corporate contractions wrought by global economic presses.
Some economic and technological trends portend far less job secu-
rity for many workers. Although some writers may see such flux as
likely to render existing theories of career development obsolete or
irrelevant, we believe that SCCT’s emphasis on personal agency,
learning experiences, and contextual factors can provide a useful
template for career development across generations and despite
economic shifts. (Of course, SCCT’s temporal validity is ultimately
an empirical question that can best be addressed by cross-sectional
or longitudinal study.)
We concur with those who argue that the new economy will
challenge workers to manage their own careers strategically, with a
premium placed on skill updating, goal setting, and networking
(Hesketh, 2000; Watts, 1996). Rather than being hapless by-
standers to external forces, SCCT views people as capable of self-
reflection, self-regulation, and forethought. These capabilities,
which can be nurtured by career education and work transition pro-
grams, enable people to cultivate new interests and skills, revise
plans, anticipate obstacles, and assemble necessary supports. At the
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