Career Management

Chapter 1: Introduction to the study of Careers

THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF WORK AND CAREER

1. Organization cost cutting and the loss of Job security

2. The changing structures of Organizations
3. The changing nature of work
4. Change in the Psychological Contract
5. International competition
6. Technology and the churning of jobs
7. Changes in Workforce Diversity and Demographics
8. Work and family life
 Career Management

Chapter 1: Introduction to the study of Careers

THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF WORK AND CAREER

1. Organization cost cutting and the loss of Job security

The number of incidents and the magnitude of mas layoffs and downsizing that
occurs in 1980s and 1990s. It is estimated 43 millions jobs were lost in the US.
Since 1995 the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has tracked during the 10
years from 1996 to 2005 more than 18 million workers went through a mass
layoff incident. In addition the worldwide economics recession that became
manifest in 2008 and 2009 led to a further acceleration in mass layoffs of
workers around the globe.
Uncertainties in the job market are not limited to the private sector, as local,
state and federal governments are also under severe financial strains. Clearly
the prospects of an continuous, lifetime career with one employer has faded. As
a consequence job security has declined significantly over the last three
decades. The decline in job security has major implications for career
management as individuals must be on constant alert for abrupt changes in
their jobs and career direction.
 Career Management

Chapter 1: Introduction to the study of Careers

THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF WORK AND CAREER

2. The changing structures of Organizations

To meet the challenges of a highly competitive, global marketplace, many
organizations have made significant changes in their internal structures.
Organizational have become flatter and more decentralized than the
bureaucratic forms . Customer driven horizontal organizational structures
contain few levels of management and use cross-functional autonomous work
teams to manage virtually every processes from manufacturing to marketing.
In addition organizations use network structures to form partnerships or
network with other organizations and individuals outside their formal
boundaries. Some scholars have used the term boundaryless to describe the
characteristics of these organizations.
 Career Management

Chapter 1: Introduction to the study of Careers

THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF WORK AND CAREER

3. The changing nature of work

Another significant philosophical shift in organizational management over the
past two decades is the widespread adoption of team-based structure as a
mechanism for task accomplishment, decision making and problem solving.
Team based structure involve the structural empowerment of worker, meaning
that employees and teams of employees are given decision making
responsibility for an entire job or project and for knowing how that job fits
within the organizational purpose and mission.
 Career Management

Chapter 1: Introduction to the study of Careers

THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF WORK AND CAREER

4. Change in the Psychological Contract

A Psychological contract is an implicit, unwritten understanding that specifies the
contribution an employee is expected to make to the organization and the reward the
employee believes the organization will provide in exchange for his or her
contributions. Up until 1980s a traditional contract was prevalent whereby the employee
received job security in exchange for satisfactory performance and loyalty to the
organization.
However because of highly competitive environment most organizations have adopted
transactional psychological contract in their relationship with employees. A
transactional psychological contract is usually shorter term and involves performance
based pay, lower level of commitment by both parties and an allowance for easy exit
from implicit agreement. Employees are expected to be flexible in accepting new work
assignments and be willing to develop new skills in response to the organization’s
needs. In return, organization does not offer promises for future employment but rather
employability by providing opportunities for continued professional growth and
development. This shift in the psychological contract from rational to transactional-
from employment to employability has major implications for employee’s careers
 Career Management

Chapter 1: Introduction to the study of Careers

THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF WORK AND CAREER

5. International competition
Evolving global economy reflects another major change in the world of work.
The emergence of new world markets, foreign competition and political
realignments has force to adopt more global business strategies as a mean to
optimize competitiveness.
In general all managers must learn to understand foreign markets, consumer
perferences, and the new management style if they are to be effective in today’s
multinational corporation.
 Career Management

Chapter 1: Introduction to the study of Careers

THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF WORK AND CAREER

6. Technology and the churning of jobs

Technology advancement have affected every phase of business from
operations to sales to financial management. Computer technology has
upgraded the skill requirements of many jobs and eliminated the existence of
others. Rapidly changing technologies have created new career path for
employees with the proper mix of skills, while their less adoptable colleagues
have often found themselves out of tune with their employers’ future plans. In
addition technology in combination with shifting demands for product and
services will continue to create new occupations. As a technology driven
process, the churning of jobs produces new but unpredictable options, thereby
making career management even more crucial in the years ahead.
 Career Management

Chapter 1: Introduction to the study of Careers

THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF WORK AND CAREER

7. Changes in Workforce Diversity and Demographics

A more culturally diverse workforce has produced changes in the way
organizations functions. These changes are significant as the changes arising
from economic competition and technological change. The labor force has and
will become older, more female and more diverse. The increasing proportion of
women, racial minorities and immigrants in the workforce has put pressure on
organizations to manage this sexual, racial and ethnic diversity effectively. But
it has challenged employees to understand different cultures, and to work
cooperatively with others who might hold different values and perspectives.
 Career Management

Chapter 1: Introduction to the study of Careers

THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF WORK AND CAREER

8. Work and family life

The management of work and family lives has posed a substantial challenge to
employee and employer alike. The neat separation of work and family where
neither role interferes with the others now seems like a distant memory.
 Career Management

Chapter 1: Introduction to the study of Careers

DEFINITION OF CAREER CONCEPTS

What is a Career?
One approach sees a career as a structural property of an occupation or an
organization. The other primary approach views a career as a property of an
individual rather than an occupation or an organization.

Def: The pattern of work related experiences that span the course of a person’s
life

In our definition work related experience are broadly constructed to include a)

Objective events or situations such as job positions, job duties or activities,
and work related decisions and b) subjective interpretations of work related
events such as work aspirations, expectations, values, needs and feelings about
particular work experiences
 Career Management

Chapter 1: Introduction to the study of Careers

DEFINITION OF CAREER CONCEPTS

Career Management

Def: a process by which individuals develop, implement and monitor career

goals and strategies.
Career Management can be briefly described as an ongoing process in which
an individual
 Gathers relevant information about himself or herself and the world of
work
 Develops an accurate picture of his or her talents, interest, values and
preferred lifestyle as well as alternative occupations, job and organization
 Develop realistic career goals based on this information
 Develops and implements a strategy designed to achieve the goals
 Obtain feedback on the effectiveness of the strategy and the relevance of
the goals
 Career Management

Chapter 1: Introduction to the study of Careers

DEFINITION OF CAREER CONCEPTS

Career Development

Def: an ongoing process by which individuals progress through a series of

stages, each of which is characterized by a relatively unique set of issues,
themes and tasks

If individuals understand the developmental tasks as they progress through

their careers, they can formulate goals and strategies that are most appropriate
for that particular time in their career and life. Moreover organization attuned
to the unfolding of careers can design developmental programs most relevant
to the employee’s career stage.
 Career Management

Chapter 1: Introduction to the study of Careers

THE NEED TO UNDERSTAND CAREER MANAGEMENT

The Individual Perspective

For an individuals point of view, effective career management is particularly

important in light of the turbulent economic, technological, and cultural
environments. Changing and uncertain times, career success and satisfaction
will most likely be achieved by individuals who understand themselves,
know how detect changes in the environment, career opportunities for
themselves, and learn from their mistakes (all elements of effective career
management). Moreover careers have becomes less structured, less
automatics and more unpredictable.

Individuals who define career success in broad terms and who feel the need
to combine different parts of their lives into a satisfying lifestyle have a real
need to understand the nature of careers and manage their careers actively
 Career Management

Chapter 1: Introduction to the study of Careers

THE NEED TO UNDERSTAND CAREER MANAGEMENT

The Individual Perspective

Behavioral scientists have observed the following significant changes in the

workforce in recent years
1. High Expectations
2. Autonomy
3. Weakening of sex-role boundaries
4. A concern for total lifestyle
5. Diversity of Career Orientations
 Career Management

Chapter 1: Introduction to the study of Careers

THE NEED TO UNDERSTAND CAREER MANAGEMENT

The Organizational Perspective

Organizations have incentives for understanding careers. In fact an

organization’s ability to manage its human resource effectively depends on
how well it understands its employees career needs and helps them engage in
effective career management.
1. Selection of Human Resources
2. Development and utilization of Human Resources
3. Management of the Career Plateau
4. The management of Cultural Diversity
5. Family Responsiveness