Existing research primarily highlights the positive role of living a calling in career development and success. However, it often neglects the challenges faced by individuals even if they successfully live their callings and rarely considers opportunities for those who still do not live their callings well. Therefore, we conduct two studies to explore the (in)congruence between living a calling and career success and its impact on employees’ career crafting. Through a qualitative research design, Study 1 gathers data from interviews with employees who possess a strong sense of calling. This approach enables the formulation of four theoretical propositions: Employees exhibit: (1) expansive career crafting behavior under a “high living a calling and high career success” (i.e., High-High) congruence; (2) focused career crafting behavior under a High-Low incongruence; (3) relocation career crafting behavior under a Low-High incongruence; and (4) avoidant career crafting behavior under a Low-Low congruence. Furthermore, Study 2 employs polynomial regression with response surface analysis to test these propositions with data from 289 employees. This research enhances understanding of the synergistic effects of living a calling and career success on employee behavior, and provides crucial insights for employee career management.
