Author(s)

Charles H. Van Wijk, Marilize Fourie

Department of Psychology, Institute for Maritime Medicine, Simon’s Town, South Africa.

In contested labour markets in developing countries, vocational interest inventories could potentially match applicants to speciality occupations. This descriptive study investigated the appropriateness of career interest, represented by the SDS, to guide vocational placement in a developing country. The study applied Holland’s concepts of congruence, differentiation, and consistency of vocational profile to South African Navy divers as a case study. The 81 navy divers generated an S/R/E code, but with questionable congruence, and poor differentiation and consistency. The results suggested that the profile might reflect socioeconomic dynamics rather than the expression of personality-vocational matching, and such scales might not be useful for vocational placement in local environments. The study cautions the use of vocational guidance instruments in context of developing countries, where socio-economic considerations may outweigh personality characteristics in career choices.

South Africa, Navy Diving, Career Motivation, Vocational Placement, Developing Countries, Socio-Economic Status

Wijk, C. and Fourie, M. (2017) The Appropriateness of Using the Self-Directed Search Questionnaire in Developing Countries: A Pilot Study with South African Navy Divers. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 5, 60-69. doi: 10.4236/jss.2017.52007.