2013.10.27.

Major Topics for Today

International Careers and
Development
CHRM
Week 6

Introduction on careers

Discussion on career interviews

Career anchors: self-assessment exercise

Career planning and development

What is a career?

What is a career?

Stakeholders of career development

A linear, future-oriented trajectory
versus a collage of experiences
Career choices
Matching people to jobs
Management of careers in organisations

Objective versus subjective career

Traditional Theories of Career

Development

Perspectives on Careers

Continuity and coherence while the

individual moves through time and
social space

Theories on external influencing factors:

Theories on internal influencing factors

Economic systems, labour markets

Social structure, social mobiltiy
Organisational and occupational structure
age, gender, personality traits, self-concept

Theories on interaction of internal and

external factors

decision-making, social learning, career choice

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The Changing Nature of

Careers

Shifts affecting jobs/ careers

From fat to lean: new staffing principles

From tall to flat: new organisations
From homogeneity to diversity: the new
workforce
From status to expertise and relationships: new
power source
From company to project: new loyalty
From organisational to reputational capital: new
career asset

Career Planning and

Development

Threat to the traditional onward and

upward form of career
Bureaucratic careers
Professional careers: knowledge and
reputation
Entrepreneurial careers
Protean career: frequently changes, full
responsibility of employee for employability

Career Development

Organisation-centered

Individual centered

Organization-centered
Career Planning

Individual-centered career
planning

identify future organizational staffing needs

plan career ladders, career path

assess individual potential and training

needs

match organizational needs with individual

abilities

identify personal abilities and interests

plan life and work goals
assess alternative career paths inside and
outside the organization
note changes in interest and goals as
career and life stage changes

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Career management
interventions in organisations

Career Planning

performance

STARS

High

Low

Low

High

potential

Internal vacancy notification (job posting)

Career paths
Career workbooks
Career planning workshops
Computer assisted career management
Training and development
Personal development plans
Career action centres (councelling)
Development centres
Mentoring programmes
Job rotation
Outplacement

Towards a Global Labour

Market?

The Europass Mobility

An initiative of the European Commission

to enhance mobility within the countries
of the EU
http://europass.cedefop.eu.int/img/dynamic/c1386/typ
e.FileContent.file/MobExamples_en_US.pdf
http://europass.cedefop.eu.int/img/dynamic/c1344/typ
e.FileContent.file/CVTemplate_en_GB.doc

Labour mobility is subject to a myriad of

restrictions
Winners and losers of the global labour
market
Need for international labour standards: is
the ILO up to the task?

2 Perspectives on the Global

Mindset

What is a global mindset?

1) The Psychological Perspective

abiltiy to accept and work with cultural
diversity
2) The Strategic Perspective
a way of thinking that reflects conflicting
strategic orientations
a set of attitudes that predispose individuals
to balance competing business, country and
functional priorities

2013.10.27.

What is a Career Anchor?

Career Anchors

The one element in the persons selfconcept that he or she will not give up,
even in the face of difficult choices. It is
the self-image.

Edgar Schein

Career Anchors
A combination of:

percieved areas of competence

motives and values

Types of Career Anchors

Technical / Functional Competence

General Managerial Competence
Autonomy /Independence
Security/Stability
Entrepreneurial Creativity
Service/Dedication to a Cause
Pure Challenge
Lifestyle

Self-Concept

What are my talents, skills, and areas of

competence? Strengths and weaknesses?
What are my main motives, needs, drives
and goals in life? What do I want?
What are my values the main criteria by
which I judge what I am doing? How good
do I feel about what I am doing?

Technical / Functional
Competence

Strong motivation to become expert on a

particular field
Commitment to specialisation
Their work needs to be challenging
Need for autonomy in their work

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General Managerial
Competence

Autonomy /Independence

Ambition and need to participate in

major policy decisions
Ability to influence, supervise, lead and
control people
Emotional competence to delegate to
subordinates, leaving them the
responsibility for what they do

Security/Stability

Job tenure is the main attraction

They prefer stable, predictable work
Steadily increasing payment based on
length of service
Want to be recognised for loyalty

Entrepreneurial Creativity

Service/Dedication to a Cause

Characterised by a need to improve the

world
Want to have the power to have things
done for a good cause
Seek recogniition for what they do and
support

Clearly delineated, time-bound type

of work within one area of expertise
Cannot stand close supervision
Promotion: more autonomy

They are convinced that they can create

business
They tend to become bored easily
Accumulating wealth is a proof of their
success
They want the power and the freedom to
move into any roles
Seek high visibility

Pure Challenge

Success defined as overcoming

impossible obstacles
Constant opportunity for self-test,
otherwise they get bored and irritable
Variety in their career is important

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Lifestyle

Career should be integrated with total

lifestyle
Work-Life balance is crucial
They are ready to work for an
organisation which make their lives
more enjoyable: traveling, part-time
work, family friendly policy, etc.