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Are you a protean talent? The The influence

of protean
influence of protean career career attitude
attitude, learning-goal orientation
and perceived internal and 753

external employability Received 18 April 2015

Revised 22 July 2015
25 September 2015
Yi-chun Lin Accepted 19 October 2015

Graduate Institute of International Human Resource Development,

National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan

Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between protean career attitude and
perceived internal and external employability, along with the mediating effect of learning-goal orientation.
Design/methodology/approach Data were collected by distributing paper-based questionnaires
to 527 workers in private banking sectors in Taiwan. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to
examine the results of the relationships.
Findings The results supported the idea that protean career attitude is a significant antecedent of
perceived internal and external employability. Protean talents with a higher degree of protean attitude
toward value-driven career orientation and self-directed career management have an external
employability that is greater than their internal employability. Learning-goal orientation fully
mediated the effect of protean career attitude on perceived internal employability, but only partially
mediated external employability.
Practical implications The findings can help human resource managers gain a better
understanding of the use of an appropriate strategy to influence an employees perceived internal and
external employability, which can increase the motivation and improve employer-employee relationships
that contribute to organizational success and performance. Employees should recognize the increased
importance of continuous learning with goal-setting in order to deal with changes at work.
Originality/value This paper empirically establishes the association between protean career
attitude and perceived internal and external employability. The protean career concept may provide
organizations with a valuable perspective in the evolution of careers. Valuable and protean talents
place an emphasis on individuals core values, and while learning goals are meant to suit employer
organizations, they may also establish opportunities that could cross-organizational boundaries.
Keywords Learning-goal orientation, Perceived external employability,
Perceived internal employability, Protean career attitude, Protean talent
Paper type Research paper

Introduction
Due to an increasingly volatile economy, todays organizations face numerous
challenges such as organizational mergers and acquisitions, downsizing, restructuring,
flattening, outsourcing, and layoffs, and have been forced to reduce the promise of
long-term employment relationships (Bremner et al., 1991; Greenhaus et al., 2008;
Arthur and Rousseau, 1996; Sullivan, 1999). Organizations are now looking for new
managerial concepts and ideas that will enable the use of talent management as a Career Development International
strategic tool for attracting protean talents and retaining valuable ones who can Vol. 20 No. 7, 2015
pp. 753-772
contribute to the competitive advantage of the organization (Silzer and Dowell, 2010; Emerald Group Publishing Limited
1362-0436
Lepak and Snell, 1999). DOI 10.1108/CDI-04-2015-0056