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The concept of boundaryless careers characterizes emerging career patterns that are less dependent on traditional organizational career management. Based on an evidence-based review of literature on the relationship between career boundarylessness and career success published from 1994 to 2018, we found that boundaryless careers have mixed effects on the various indictors of career success, and these effects depend on the operationalization of career boundarylessness, the motives (voluntary vs. involuntary), career competencies, adaptive capabilities and career resources held by individuals, as well as the structural constraints and institutional support for boundary-crossing behaviors. In addition, career success was also found to predict subsequent career mobility. Based on these findings, we develop an integrative model to understand the complicated and dynamic relationship between boundaryless careers and career success. This review serves as an important step to integrate theories and research on boundaryless careers and career success, and more interdisciplinary work should be done in the future to examine this question.

Several years ago, the editors of Time magazine declared 1989 to be the year that, in retrospect, “Changed the World.” In making this assertion, the magazine documented a number of historic events, including the fall of the Berlin Wall, which effectively ended the cold war and the bloody protests in Tiananmen Square, where more than a million protesters challenged the Chinese government. On a lighter note, 1989 saw the broadcast premier of the iconic television show Seinfeld, which ushered in a new brand of sitcom entertainment. Beyond these memorable events, for researchers interested in the study of careers, 1989 was notable for another reason – it was the year of publication for the Handbook of Career Theory (Arthur et al., 1989).

With this article, we open a special issue of the Journal of Vocational Behavior on “Calling and Careers: New Insights and Future Directions.” Calling has become an important emerging topic of study in vocational psychology and organizational behavior, as the exponentially increasing volume of published studies on the topic indicates. After summarizing the aims of the special issue, we introduce each of the nine studies of calling and careers selected for inclusion. These studies initiate fresh research directions in key domains of calling research, such as: a) the conceptualization of calling, b) the emergence and development of calling, c) positive and negative effects of calling, and d) further theoretical development related to the construct. Together with the authors of these studies, we hope this special issue succeeds in moving the scholarly conversation on calling and careers forward.

The empirical literature on charismatic or transformational leadership demonstrates that such leadership has profound effects on followers. However, while several versions of charismatic leadership theory predict such effects, none of them explains the process by which these effects are achieved. In this paper we seek to advance leadership theory by addressing this fundamental problem. We offer a self-concept based motivational theory to explain the process by which charismatic leader behaviors cause profound transformational effects on followers. The theory presents the argument that charismatic leadership has its effects by strongly engaging followers’ self-concepts in the interest of the mission articulated by the leader. We derive from this theory testable propositions about (a) the behavior of charismatic leaders and their effects on followers, (b) the role of followers’ values and orientations in the charismatic relationship, and (c) some of the organizational conditions that favor the emergence and effectiveness of charismatic leaders.

This chapter examines sustainable careers within an historical context. We begin with a group of 1970s scholars who believed that studying careers required sensitivity to both psychological experiences and social context over time. Their approach provided a foundation for the interdisciplinary perspective reflected in our Handbook of Career Theory (1989), an explicit recognition that career theory’s home involves many disciplines, at many levels of analysis. Much has changed since then. Sustainable careers require that individuals recognize responsibility for their work within, across and outside organizations. They also require that organizations find innovative solutions for helping individuals reach their full potential while maximizing their institutions’ performance. However, much of the earlier work on careers can still inform the sustainable careers’ dialogue: we have a durable definition of career, everyone has a career, careers are interdependent with people’s lives, and an interdisciplinary approach is more important than ever. We see the sustainable career as an ‘ideal type’. It may never be fully realized, but it should be a goal in future careers research and responsible human resource management. Van der Heijden and de Vos’ (2015) four elements of sustainable careers – time, social space, agency and meaning – represent important components in framing this research agenda.

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to reflect on a broad body of work that responds to the boundaryless career concept, first introduced in 1993, and to anticipate new theory-building and research.Design/methodology/approach– Covers the origination of the concept, its meaning and definition, the underlying influence of an earlier group of careers scholars from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and the importance of an interdisciplinary perspective.Findings– Identifies three categories of activity – involving internal debates, fresh theoretical contributions, and new collaborative opportunities – that have occurred citing boundaryless career scholarship.Research limitations/implications– Suggests how scholars can build on the legacy of both organizational and boundaryless careers research in their future work.Originality/value– Links between foundational MIT work on careers, boundaryless careers and current debates to suggests future research directions.

Industry-specific, innovation-driven regional clusters have become a central focus for economic development and government intervention, and invite a deeper understanding of cluster participants' careers. In the extant research on careers and clusters, most studies have focused on examining employment mobility levels of the individuals involved. However, so far little research has tried to understand the psychological mechanisms and processes behind those careers. This paper aims to contribute to the research gap by investigating how individuals' participation in regional inter-firm collaborations affects their careers, and with what consequences for their employment mobility. Based on two-wave qualitative data from a French competitiveness cluster, we identify a set of psychological constructs, and offer a model depicting links that describe the career consequences of individuals' inter-firm collaborations. The paper concludes with a discussion of these findings in light of their contributions for future research. © 2014 Elsevier Inc.

This is the opening article in a Human Relations special issue on ‘Interdisciplinary approaches to contemporary career studies’. After introducing a story of an ‘exceptional — but real’ career, we argue for an urgent shift toward greater interdisciplinary inquiry. We reflect on the story to describe differences in the way each of psychology, sociology, social psychology, and economics views the concept of career. We turn to explore what career researchers, representing each of the above social sciences, might not see on their own. In contrast, we highlight how social scientists can move toward a) appreciating the limitations of our separate approaches, b) introducing more appropriate research methods, c) maintaining a wider cross-disciplinary conversation, and d) better serving the client — the person — in our future research. We continue with a preview of the remaining five articles in this special issue, and propose that these can serve as stimuli for a wider conversation.

In this symposium, we present four examples of ways in which an exploration of interactions between careers and cities can enhance our understanding of both individual and institutional dynamics re...

This article describes an urgent need for interdisciplinary careers research in the emerging global knowledge economy. It begins by identifying a range of traditions in careers research, including both occupational and organizational research traditions from professional schools of education and management. It proceeds by offering a view on contemporary careers, and examining three directions for contemporary careers research — reflecting what organizational careers scholars see, what other organizational scholars see, and what is suggested by evidence on the knowledge economy — while leaving the door open for others to join the conversation by suggesting further research directions. The article then turns to propose three topics for future interdisciplinary research collaboration: a more accessible definition of career, application of contrasting methodologies and adoption of wider research agendas. The overall message is for careers scholars to become both more collaborative and more `imaginative' in their further research endeavors.

PurposeThis paper aims to study careers across cultures, distinguishing among international career, cross‐cultural and globalization perspectives.Design/methodology/approachThe conceptual development is based on a review of four empirical papers in this special issue with a focus on “Careers in cross‐cultural perspective” and other recent research in this area.FindingsWork on international careers has traditionally looked at careers that cross national boundaries, such as those involving expatriate career assignments or self‐initiated international careers. Research into cross‐cultural careers reflects the primary work of this special issue's articles, primarily by looking at differences between two or more cultures. Career research into globalization is more recent and more tentative. It covers how careers interact with the economic, political, social and environmental changes commonly associated with the term globalization.Research limitations/implicationsThe proposed framework is a reflection of current theoretical and empirical debates.Originality/valueThe framework offers new guidance for both interpreting existing and developing new research.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate career change intention and its predictors among career change seekers interested in a career opportunity in the information technology (IT) industry.Design/methodology/approachAjzen's theory of planned behavior (TPB) was used to predict career change intention in this group. In addition, we examined the role of professional identity in predicting career change intention. Data were collected in a sample of 225 aspiring IT professionals from four European countries: Austria, Greece, Italy and The Netherlands.FindingsThe findings showed that among four variables assumed to predict career change intention, only professional identity appeared to be a significant predictor.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is limited by the use of career change seekers registered in one web‐based recruiting system.Originality/valueThe paper suggests a higher importance of professional identity in prediction of career change intention compared to other factors that constitute Ajzen's theory of planned behavior.

Although there has been increased interest in the boundaryless career since the publication of Arthur and Rousseau’s book (1996) , there is still some misunderstanding about what the concept means. This article examines the boundaryless career and presents a model that attempts to visually capture Arthur and Rousseau’s suggestion that the concept involves six underlying meanings. Rather than considering whether or not an individual has a boundaryless career, the model focuses on the degree of mobility reflected in a career along two continua: one psychological, one physical. Based on the model, we suggest five propositions and a series of directions for future research.

This paper compares contemporary career theory with the theory applied in recent career success research. The research makes inconsistent use of career theory, and in particular neglects the interdependence of the objective and subjective careers, and boundaryless career issues of inter-organizational mobility and extra-organizational support. The paper offers new guidelines for bringing about a rapprochement between career theory and career success research. These guidelines cover adequacy of research designs, further dimensions of career success, broader peer group comparisons, deeper investigation of the subjectively driven person, and seeing new connections between boundaryless career theory and career success research.

Change, ambiguity and shifting relationships are recurrent themes in contemporary career development. In turn, personal success in the unfolding knowledge economy calls for self-awareness, adaptability and the ability to work with others. A challenge in career coaching is to help people better develop these kinds of skills, and in turn to help people to contribute better to the contemporary knowledge-driven organisation (Drucker, 1999). A similar coaching challenge applies when working with current or aspirant leaders, namely those charged with helping or seeking to help the knowledge-driven organisation succeed. These leaders need to be successful in their own careers, and to simultaneously encourage and support other people's contributions to the organisation. In the knowledge economy, a different, more relational, style of leadership is required (Shamir, 1999).

Changes in the nature of careers, and also of families, mean new challenges for the increasing number of dual-career couples in society. Each couple faces multiple concerns, including two individual careers, a shared relationship and the interdependence among all of these elements. This paper contributes to the counselling literature by reporting two case studies in which a new methodological approach was adopted, intended to make a couple's concerns explicit and provide a platform for further action. Using the holistic model of the intelligent career, a facilitated process was used to elicit first subjective, then inter-subjective career data, enabling the partners to make sense of their individual careers within a context of their shared relationship. The preliminary results suggest the methodology may provide a novel and useful way to give 'voice' to—and in turn facilitate action by—the dual-career couple.

This paper examines a new kind of career odyssey, namely that into the relatively uncharted territory of the world wide web. It extends recent ideas about personal and communal career investments by exploring people's web-enabled career behaviour, based on Tapscott et al.'s (2000) typology of web roles. MBA students completed a preliminary career exploration instrument and then met in different focus groups according to the web role with which each student most identified. The reported career investments varied depending on the web role involved. An attempt was made to corroborate these findings through practitioner interviews, but there were problems in reconciling the two kinds of data. The implications of these findings are discussed, and a series of observations is offered concerning the further study of the increasingly virtual journeys anticipated for careers of the future.

Our careers are woven into the fabric of our lives, providing structure, meaning and purpose. Defined as “the unfolding sequence of a person’s work experiences over time” (Arthur, Hall, & Lawrence, 1989, p. 8), a career is personal, often focusing on paid employment yet extending beyond that to include any aspect of life that connects people and the societies in which they live.

This article proposes a merger between the traditionally separate worlds of occupational and organisational career counselling. It is suggested such a merger can be achieved through a self-organising view of careers, and of helping people exercise greater influence over their own career directions. This view is supported by describing the combined application of ‘intelligent career’ theory and ‘active engagement’ practice, and by illustrating that application through a complementary career counselling tool called the Intelligent Career Card Sort. The article proceeds with a brief report on how a related approach might be used within ‘career communities’, where these are self-organising phenomena in which people find career support. The conclusion invites career counsellors to develop a career community of their own, in order to pursue the proposed merger of counselling approaches.

Traditional views of industry evolution focus on the company as their principal unit of analysis. We offer an alternative view that links between workers' careers and successive community, company and industry effects. We apply this view to evidence from independent film-making, and suggest a conception of the career, involving three "ways of knowing", to underlie these links. We next explore two more industry examples, the New Zealand boat building industry and the Linux operating system in the software industry, which provide further support for the alternative view proposed, as well as extending it to consider the influence of the World Wide Web. We see all three industry examples as illustrating a range of ideas in complexity theory. We propose that a career-centric view provides a useful basis for the further exploration and application of complexity theory to industrial life.

In this article, the project is a potential learning episode for both project participants and the project-sponsoring company. People's past learning experiences are the `career capital' they invest in their current project activity. The project-sponsoring company's past learning experience is non-financial `company capital' it invests in the project activity. At the project's conclusion, learning disperses within or beyond the project-sponsoring company, as people's careers progress. Four case studies illustrate ideal-typical patterns of a proposed topology of learning outcomes, and some principles for promoting effective project-based learning are suggested.

Expatriate assignment (EA) and overseas experience (OE) models of international career experience are compared. Analysis of recent case study data suggests OE's advantages over EA for people's development and its consequences. In turn, the analysis suggests both human resource management and national policy-making shift from planning toward knowledge-centered approaches.

The shift from circumscribed careers to boundarylessness confronts us with a problem outside our previous experience. No norms and few models exist to tell how to evaluate, plan, review, analyze, promote, or otherwise live out a boundaryless career. Change dominates over stability. But of all changes, the most fundamental are changes in assumptions about the way the world works, and what we mean by the terms we use.

This paper seeks to provide some practical insights into how smaller firms can grow. At the same time, it questions the current emphasis on entre preneurship as 'the relentless pursuit of opportunity without regard to resources currently controlled'. To achieve its objective, the paper locates the growth challenge for small firms in the initial resource conditions they set up for themselves through successful start-up, and suggests that more radical product-market initiatives are generated in response to internal resource issues. Primary orientation to the external environment drives only incremental development.

This paper deals with the choice of methodological approach within strategic network research. Network-oriented research approaches indicate a broader set of organizational and environmental variables. the issue of trust in network relations implicates contextual aspects such as the socio-cultural foundation of people's interaction. the striving toward more complex, multi-level models of strategy is seen to put a heavy burden on the development of adequate strategy research methods. the paper reports and interprets experience from a case study of inter-organizational exchange governance in small firms. the discussion suggests a need for more in-depth knowledge of cultural contexts, and of socio-economic relations of actors within strategic networks. the paper recommends a search for new methodological inputs from other academic disciplines more experienced with human interaction research. In particular, methodological tools found within the field of social anthropology are recommended.