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This chapter explores the impact of employee mobility on career sustainability, that is, the extent to which a career enables an individual to remain happy, healthy, and productive over the life course. I argue that whether employee mobility strengthens or weakens career sustainability depends on the extent to which the mobility experience increases (sustainable) or diminishes (unsustainable) person-career fit. I suggest that different forms of mobility (e.g., upward versus lateral) may have different effects on fit and subsequent career sustainability. Moreover, it is possible that a mobility experience can enhance fit in some respects but still have a negative effect on the long-term sustainability of a career. Research is necessary to address these and other questions regarding the relationship between employee mobility and career sustainability.

The purpose of this paper is to examine career engagement and perceived employability during the school-to-work transition. We studied within-person changes in career engagement and perceived employability in the transition from higher education to the labor market. We investigated their dynamic reciprocal relationship to unravel whether career engagement or perceived employability is the leading indicator in the relationship in view of providing adequate support for students during the school-to-work transition.

We conducted latent change score (LCS) analyses on a three-wave sample of 701 graduates in Flanders (Belgium). We collected data in July (right before graduation), November and May. LCS is a novel method allowing to simultaneously test change and reciprocal relationships.

Our findings demonstrated how both career engagement and perceived employability changed (within-person) non-linearly during the school-to-work transition. As for their relationship, we found that perceived employability is the driving force in the relationship. Perceived employability fueled subsequent positive changes in career engagement, whereas career engagement did not lead to subsequent changes in perceived employability.

Our study connects the career development and the graduate employability literature, and examines the school-to-work transition from preparation for the labor market to ten months after graduation. We also make an important methodological contribution, demonstrating the added value of LCS for studying employability in higher education. Our findings provide insights in how higher education institutions may support students in the school-to-work transition.

This bibliometric literature review aims to uncover the (1) intellectual foundations and (2) topical evolution in the field of career aspiration research.

We employed the systematic literature review methodology following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. According to the predetermined criteria, 286 articles were included from the Web of Science database. Then, we employed performance analysis, science mapping and natural language processing to address our research objectives.

Co-citation analysis uncovered four foundational themes: (1) gender and leadership aspiration, (2) Social Cognitive Career Theory, (3) process of career development and (4) adolescents’ career aspiration. Moreover, co-word analysis showed that scholarly foci have shifted from adolescents’ career development to diverse streams. This shift was indicated by the exploration of additional research samples, such as university students, and topics related to specific aspirations (e.g. entrepreneurial and managerial aspirations) and gender issues (e.g. women leadership and gender stereotypes).

Although this review has limitations related to data selection, it presents implications for practice, theory and future research on career aspirations.

The study illuminated the past and development of a research domain, thus advancing the understanding of career aspirations and inspiring future research.

Given the detrimental effects of job content plateau, the paper aims to study the impact of job content plateau on employees’ career commitment. In doing so, the authors examine whether the lapses in job content plateau can be addressed through developmental i-deals. A final purpose is to examine whether proactive employees are better positioned to obtain work arrangements that help them develop and remain committed to their careers.

Data were collected from full-time working executives employed in different organizations. These executives enrolled in a part-time MBA program. Data was collected at different time points and analyzed using the process macro (Preacher and Hayes, 2004).

The results suggest that developmental i-deals mediated the relationship between job content plateau and career commitment. In addition, proactive employees were better disposed to seal the deal and develop themselves – helping them to stay committed to their careers.

Prior studies highlight the negative consequences of job content plateau because it does not provide avenues to learn and develop. This paper addresses the gap in locating opportunities to learn and develop (an aspect that was missing in the job content plateau) through developmental i-deals. First, the study helps answer how to address learning gaps in jobs. Second, who can capitalize on their efforts once the organization sponsors learning opportunities.

By adopting a Social Exchange Theory (SET) lens, this paper aims to integrate the often-fragmented literature streams of Vocational Behavior (VB), Career Development (CD), and Human Resource Management (HRM) to offer a conceptual model for framing sustainable careers.

A conceptual approach is taken whereby eight propositions are developed to integrate the fragmented literature streams of VB, CD, and HRM.

We posit that external factors and career counseling moderate the positive relationship between employability capital and self-perceived employability. We also argue that self-perceived employability is positively associated with career success and that career crafting moderates this relationship. Finally, we propose that career success is positively associated with a sustainable career, which, in turn, is positively associated with a sustainable organization.

The practical contribution comes from informing VB, CD, and HRM policies and practices to maximize sustainable outcomes for individuals and organizations. The paper concludes with recommendations for future research.

The theoretical contribution comes from integrating the three literature streams to offer a conceptual model as the basis for further interdisciplinary collaborations.

The increasing complexity of global labor markets and work environments has made the school-to-work transition more difficult. We explore factors that influence important career outcomes for young adults in China as they transition from their university to the labor market. Specifically, we examine how protean career orientation, self-perceived employability, mother’s and father’s career support and human capital (English language proficiency) may influence career satisfaction and employment status during adulthood.

We collected survey data in two waves, six months apart, and obtained English proficiency ratings from university records.

Father’s and mother’s career support was significantly associated with protean career orientation and protean career orientation was significantly related to self-perceived employability. Self-perceived employability was significantly associated with career satisfaction and employment status. The career support-career satisfaction and career support-employment status relationships were fully mediated by protean career orientation and self-perceived employability. Contrary to expectations, the human capital variable of English language proficiency did not moderate the serial mediation involving either career satisfaction or employment status.

By integrating protean career theory, human capital theory and research on parental support, we offer an interdisciplinary contribution to the school-to-work transition literature. We also advance protean career theory by studying it as a mediating variable and by examining parental support as an antecedent of it.

The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between career competencies and leadership aspiration among women IT/ITeS professionals in South India, examining the mediating effects of work role salience and occupational self-efficacy, along with the moderating effect of achievement aspiration.

The sample consists of 348 women professionals working in the IT/ITeS industry in South India. The study adopts a descriptive methodology and employs a cross-sectional research design.

The result shows that work role salience mediates the relationship between career competencies and leadership aspiration and that this mediation is moderated by achievement aspiration. Additionally, occupational self-efficacy is found to have a supplementary effect on leadership aspiration, further contributing to the model.

Despite the limitations of online data collection, the study showcases adaptability, providing valuable insights into women's career aspirations. It acknowledges opportunities for future research improvements, such as implementing longitudinal frameworks and incorporating a more diverse sample, to enhance the robustness and applicability of findings.

The study offers valuable insights for managers, researchers and academia, aiding in the identification of crucial competencies for women aspiring to leadership roles, and fostering the retention of top talent in a diverse and inclusive work environment. Individuals can leverage these insights for enhanced career development by recognizing and emphasizing strengths while addressing weaknesses through accurate self-assessments.

This study offers a novel perspective by identifying the essential competencies that are crucial for women to achieve leadership positions, thus making a valuable contribution to the existing literature in the field.

The article shows partial proof for the protean paradox existing outside of the Anglo-Saxon part of the world. We pose questions about the impact of each protean career orientation (PCO) dimension on career outcomes, i.e. objective career success (OCS) and subjective career success including career satisfaction (CS) and perceived employability (PE) of studying employees.

We collected data among postgraduate students (N=239) using a paper-and-pencil questionnaire. We estimated the model using structural equation modeling.

The self-direction of PCO improves CS and PE, but only if a person achieves OCS in the organization. We found the same mediation pattern for the values-drive of PCO but in the opposite direction, i.e. greater orientation on personal rather than organizational values – values-drive of PCO was associated with lesser career outcomes. Interestingly, values-drive had a small and direct impact on PE.

This study helps us understand how both dimensions of PCO affect career outcomes differently: objective success and subjective factors like CS and PE among employees who are studying.