VARIETIES AND COMMONALITIES OF CAREER TRANSITIONS - LOUIS TYPOLOGY REVISITED

This study tests the validity of Louis' (1980a) typology of inter-role transitions and assesses how transition outcomes vary across transiti on types. Data were gathered from 742 U.S. Navy officers who were eith er approaching or had recently completed one of 16 career events commo n to Navy officers. Participants rated each career event along two dim ensions (magnitude and desirability). Cluster analysis of the magnitud e ratings provided evidence that the 16 career events fell into five d istinct inter-role transition types similar to those hypothesized by L ouis. The results of the cluster analysis of the desirability ratings were similar, though less clear. A number of transition outcomes (role ambiguity, adjustment difficulty, transition eagerness, and perceived gains and losses in one's personal life and one's career) varied acro ss inter-role transition type, however, there was no significant diffe rence in strain across transition type. Implications of these findings are discussed. (C) 1994 Academic Press, Inc.