Voluntary overqualification: conceptualization, scale development and validation
Abstract
Purpose
With the diversification of professional values, an increasing number of individuals voluntarily choose positions that demand less than their personal knowledge, skills and educational background, a phenomenon known as voluntary overqualification. This study aims to explore the reasons for discerning the motivations driving voluntary overqualification, define its conceptual content and develop the measurement scale for voluntary overqualification.
Design/methodology/approach
Through five phases, and using both qualitative and quantitative approaches, the authors constructed a scale comprising three dimensions: earnings-oriented, life-oriented and meaning-oriented to measure voluntary overqualification. Following the steps of scale development, the conceptual connotation and structural dimensions of voluntary overqualification were systematically coded and mined based on grounded theory. The scale’s reliability and validity were measured through exploratory and validation factor analyses. Finally, the validity of the voluntary overqualification scale was verified through the selection of professional identity and subjective well-being.
Findings
This study defined connotations and structural dimensions of voluntary overqualification based on grounded theory, resulting in a measurement scale with three dimensions and 13 items. These dimensions include earnings-, life- and meaning-oriented voluntary overqualification. Empirical testing of predictive validity used professional identity and subjective well-being as outcome variables.
Originality/value
This study provides a theoretical foundation and an effective measurement tool for subsequent research in voluntary overqualification by focusing on a new type of voluntary overqualification, defining its connotations and developing a complete set of scales.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors confirm that their research has received funding support, which was inadvertently omitted from the original submission.
This research was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC Grant No. 72272110) and Shanghai Educational Science Research Project (Project No. C2022012).
Conflict of interest: All authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
Citation
Li, Y., Yan, M., Fang, J. and Wei, F. (2024), "Voluntary overqualification: conceptualization, scale development and validation", Chinese Management Studies, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/CMS-01-2024-0059
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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