AUTHOR=Liu Shu-Hui , Hung Jui-Ping , Peng Hsin-I , Chang Chia-Hui , Lu Yi-Jen 

TITLE=Virtue Existential Career Model: A Dialectic and Integrative Approach Echoing Eastern Philosophy

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=7

YEAR=2016

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01761

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01761

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=<p>Our Virtue Existential Career (VEC) model aims at complementing western modernism and postmodernism career theories with eastern philosophy. With dialectical philosophy and virtue-practice derived from the <italic>Classic of Changes</italic>, the VEC theoretical foundation incorporates merits from Holland typology, Minnesota Theory of Work Adjustment, Social Cognitive Career Theory, Meaning Therapy, Narrative Approach Career Counseling, and Happenstance Learning Theory. While modernism considers a matched job as an ideal career vision and prefers rational strategies (<italic>controlling and realizing</italic>) to achieve job security; postmodernism prefers <italic>appreciating and adapting</italic> strategies toward openness and appreciates multiple possible selves and occupations, our model pursues a blending of security and openness via <italic>controlling-and-realizing</italic> and <italic>appreciating-and-adapting</italic> interwoven with each other in a dialectical and harmonious way. Our VEC counseling prototype aims at a secular goal of <italic>living on the earth with ways and harmony</italic> (安身以法以和) and an ultimate end to spiral up to the <italic>wisdom of living up to the way of heaven</italic> (天道) <italic>with mind and virtue</italic> (立命以心以德). A VEC counseling process of five major career strategies, metaphorical stories of <italic>qian</italic> and <italic>kun</italic>, and experiential activities are developed to deliver VEC concepts. The VEC model and prototype presented in this research is the product of an action research following Lewin's (<xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B47">1946</xref>) top-to-down model. Situated structure analyses were conducted to further investigate the adequacy of this version of VEC model and prototype. Data from two groups (one for stranded college graduates and the other for growing college students) revealed empirical supports. Y<italic>ang</italic> type of career praxes tends to induce actualization, which resulting in realistic goals and concrete action plans; <italic>yin</italic> type of career praxes tends to increase self-efficacy, which resulting in positive attitude toward current situatedness and future development. Acceptance and dialectic thinking often result from <italic>yin</italic>-y<italic>ang-</italic>blending career praxes. Growing developers benefit from a strategy sequence of <italic>yang-yin</italic>-synthesized; stranded developers from a strategy sequence of <italic>yin-yang</italic>-synthesized. Our contributions and limitations are discussed in the context of developing indigenous career theories and practices for a globalized and ever-changing world.</p>