The Impact of Globalization on Individual Career Paths
1. Introduction
In the globalized and digital world of the 21st century, organizations face new challenges regarding the management of their workforce. In this rapidly changing environment, it is becoming increasingly important for employees to continuously develop and upgrade their skills in order to remain competitive. As a result, the traditional linear career path model, where individuals move up within a single organization over the course of their lives, is no longer sufficient. Instead, today’s workers must manage their own individual career paths, making decisions about when and how to change jobs in order to further their development. This paper will review the literature on individual career paths, examining the concept of an individual career path, the models that have been proposed for understanding these paths, and the decision dynamics involved in choosing a particular path. Additionally, the role of supervisor relationships in influencing individual career paths will be discussed. Finally, implications for future research will be drawn.
2. Individual Career Path
2.1 Conceptualization of an Individual Career Path
The concept of an individual career path has been variously defined in the literature. One common thread running through these definitions is that an individual career path is not constrained by organizational boundaries; instead, it encompasses all the different jobs that an individual holds over the course of his or her working life (Arthur & Rousseau, 1996; Schein, 1980; Super & Veroff, 1993). Arthur and Rousseau (1996) define an individual’s career as “the cumulative sequence of roles occupied by the person during his or her working life” (p. 467), while Schein (1980) describes it as “the totality of experiences, roles, and learning that a person accumulates over a lifetime” (p. 193). Similarly, Super and Veroff (1993) define a career as “the total pattern of repeated behavior related to work and occupations over time” (p. 43). These definitions emphasize that an individual’s career is not limited to a single job or organization; instead, it encompasses all the different experiences and positions that a person holds over time.
While there is no single agreed-upon definition of an individual career path, there are several common elements that are typically included in definitions of this concept. First, an individual career path includes all the different jobs that a person holds over the course of his or her working life (Arthur & Rousseau, 1996; Schein, 1980; Super & Veroff, 1993). Second, an individual’s career is not limited to a single organization; instead, it encompasses all the different organizations where an individual has worked (Arthur & Rousseau, 1996; Schein 1980; Super & Veroff 1993). Third, an individual’s career includes both paid and unpaid work experiences (Arthur & Rousseau 1996; Schein 1980). Finally, an individual’s career is shaped by both external factors such as economic changes and technological advances, as well as internal factors such as personal preferences and abilities (Arthur & Rousseau 1996; Schein 1980).
2. 2 Models of Individual Career Paths
Several different models have been proposed for understanding individual career paths. One early model was proposed by Arthur and Rousseau (1996), who suggested that careers could be conceptualized as either linear or nonlinear. In their view, linear careers are characterized by gradual progression through a series of organizational levels within a single organization, while nonlinear careers involve movement between different organizations or between paid and unpaid work. Arthur and Rousseau (1996) further suggested that nonlinear careers can be further divided into three subtypes: lateral, diversified, and serial. Lateral career paths involve movement to jobs at the same organizational level in different organizations, while diversified career paths involve movement to jobs at different organizational levels in different organizations. Finally, serial career paths involve repeated movement between the same two or more organization types over time.
Another model for understanding individual career paths was proposed by Schein (1980), who suggested that careers can be conceptualized as consisting of three different stages: entry, mobility, and stability. In the entry stage, individuals are just beginning their careers and are exploring different options. During the mobility stage, individuals begin to move up within their chosen field, pursuing promotions and taking on new responsibilities. In the stability stage, individuals settle into a particular job or set of roles and are less likely to make changes. This model emphasizes that careers are not necessarily linear; instead, they may involve periods of both exploration and stability.
A third model was proposed by Super and Veroff (1993), who suggested that careers can be conceptualized as either developmental or terminal. In their view, developmental careers involve continued growth and development over time, while terminal careers involve no further development after a certain point. Super and Veroff (1993) further suggested that developmental careers can be further divided into four subtypes: self-developmental, protean, contextual, and committed. Self-developmental careers involve continual self-improvement regardless of external circumstances, while protean careers involve adaptability to changing circumstances. Contextual careers are shaped by the specific context in which an individual is working, while committed careers involve a long-term commitment to a particular organization or cause.
3. Decision Dynamics in Individual Career Paths
3.1 Factors Affecting Decision Making
Individuals face a variety of factors when making decisions about their career paths. These factors can be classified into three broad categories: personal factors, organizational factors, and environmental factors (Arthur & Rousseau, 1996). Personal factors include an individual’s preferences, abilities, and values. Organizational factors include an organization’s culture, structure, and policies. Environmental factors include economic conditions and technological advances. Each of these categories will be discussed in turn.
Personal factors play a significant role in shaping an individual’s career path. Preferences refer to the types of work that an individual enjoys or finds fulfilling (Arthur & Rousseau 1996). Values refer to the principles that an individual believes are important in life (Arthur & Rousseau 1996). Abilities refer to an individual’s skills and talents (Arthur & Rousseau 1996). All of these personal factors will influence an individual’s decision making about his or her career path. For example, someone who prefers challenge and variety in his or her work is likely to choose a career path that provides opportunities for growth and development. Someone with strong interpersonal skills may prefer a job that involves working with people rather than working alone. And someone with values such as family or community service may prefer a job that allows him or her to make a positive contribution to society. All of these personal preferences will shape an individual’s decision making about his or her career path.
Organizational factors also play a role in shaping an individual’s career path. An organization’s culture refers to the shared values and beliefs of its members (Arthur & Rousseau 1996). An organization’s structure refers to the way in which it is organized, including the distribution of authority and responsibility (Arthur & Rousseau 1996). And an organization’s policies refer to the rules and procedures that it has established for its members (Arthur & Rousseau 1996). All of these organizational factors will influence an individual’s decision making about his or her career path. For example, someone who values teamwork and collaboration is likely to prefer an organization with a culture that encourages these behaviors. Someone who prefers autonomy and independence is likely to prefer an organization with a decentralized structure. And someone who prefers stability and predictability is likely to prefer an organization with well-defined policies and procedures. All of these organizational factors will shape an individual’s decision making about his or her career path.
Finally, environmental factors also play a role in shaping an individual’s career path. Economic conditions refer to the overall state of the economy, including factors such as inflation, interest rates, and employment levels (Arthur & Rousseau 1996). Technological advances refer to new developments in technology that may impact an individual’s ability to do his or her job (Arthur & Rousseau 1996). Both of these environmental factors will influence an individual’s decision making about his or her career path. For example, someone who is concerned about job security may choose a career path that is less likely to be impacted by economic downturns. Someone who enjoys working with new technologies may choose a career path that allows him or her to work with cutting-edge equipment. All of these environmental factors will shape an individual’s decision making about his or her career path.
3. 2 Types of Career Representations
In addition to the factors described above, another important consideration in understanding individual career paths is the way in which people represent their careers. Career representations are mental representations of an individual’s past, present, and future work experiences (Arthur & Rousseau, 1996). These representations can take various forms, including mental maps, timelines, and networks. Mental maps are visual representations of an individual’s past, present, and future work experiences (Arthur & Rousseau, 1996). Timelines are linear representations of an individual’s past, present, and future work experiences (Arthur & Rousseau, 1996). Networks are nonlinear representations of an individual’s past, present, and future work experiences (Arthur & Rousseau, 1996). Each of these three types of representations will be discussed in turn.
Mental maps are visual representations of an individual’s past, present, and future work experiences (Arthur & Rousseau 1996). Mental maps can take various forms, including spatial maps, organizational charts, and flowcharts. Spatial maps are visual representations of an individual’s work history that highlight the geographical locations where he or she has worked (Arthur & Rousseau 1996). Organizational charts are visual representations of an individual’s work history that highlight the different organizations where he or she has worked (Arthur & Rousseau 1996). Flowcharts are visual representations of an individual’s work history that highlight the different jobs that he or she has held over time (Arthur & Rousseau 1996). All of these different types of mental maps can be useful in representing an individual’s career path.
Timelines are linear representations of an individual’s past, present, and future work experiences (Arthur & Rousseau 1996).