P7 – Career
Arnold 2005 – Careers and career management
Type of study: book chapter
The boundaryless career
Boundaryless career: a range of career forms that defy traditional employment assumptions (ppl move
across boundaries between organizations and departments or organizational levels)
- Offers opportunities for marketability and affirmation outside of one's present employer
- Can be threatening and disadvantageous for many individuals
- Bounded careers are still prevalent in certain industries
Career anchors
Career anchors: areas of the self-concept that a person would not give up even when faced with difficult
choice
- Career anchors are central aspects of a person's identity that remain consistent even in
challenging situations.
- Identifying one's career anchor is crucial for effective career management and personal
fulfillment.
- Organizations need to consider different career anchors when making HR decisions to ensure
alignment with employees' values and needs.
, Career success
- Traditional measures of career success:
status hierarchy and earnings growth
(objectively verifiable indicators)
- Alternative criteria for assessing career
success: measures of career satisfaction,
personal influence, recognition for
achievements, a sense of accomplishment,
enjoyment, integrity in work, and achieving
work-life balance.
- Factors influencing career success can be
categorized into:
o Structural/social factors (labor
market, biases)
o Individual features (human capital)
o Personal behavior (networking,
effort)
- Objective career success, such as salary and
status, is often prioritized and easier to
measure than subjective career success.
- Career tournaments, where progress up the hierarchy is determined by competitions, can
create significant barriers for individuals who fail in early rounds, even if they have high ability.
- Factors such as marriage, industry, education, ambition, and work hours can influence salary
and career satisfaction, highlighting the connection between subjective and objective career
success.
- Personality traits like proactive behavior and social network characteristics, such as having
structural holes and weak ties, can impact salary progression, promotion rates, and career
satisfaction.
The psychological contract
Psychological contract: an individual's belief regarding the terms and conditions of a reciprocal
exchange agreement between that focal person and another party . . . a belief that some form of a
promise has been made and that the terms and conditions of the contract have been accepted by both
parties.
- An informal agreements between employers and employees about mutual expectations and
contributions in the workplace
- Changes in the job market, such as globalization and downsizing, have disrupted the traditional
psychological contract based on long-term relationships and trust
- The new transactional psychological contract emphasizes short-term economic exchanges,
where employees offer increased flexibility and responsibility in exchange for high pay and
rewards
- Violations of the psychological contract can lead to negative reactions from employees,
including decreased loyalty and commitment to the organization.