Torn between individual aspirations and the family legacy – individual career development in family firms

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore individual career management by family members in the context of their family firms.Design/methodology/approachThe interpretative interview study of family members active in family businesses explores how this context affects the choice, planning, goals and development of family members' careers in their family business.FindingsThe authors find that career management in the family business setting focuses on fulfilling the family business goals rather than the personal goals of family members. Career management is rather reactive and less self-directed than current literature on career development recommends. Based on the results, the authors develop a process model for individual career management in the family business context.Originality/valueLittle is known about individual career management of family members in a family business context, as research on careers in family firms has so far focused mainly on transgenerational succession. The authors explore how in family firms, the trend towards self-directed, individual career planning is in tension with a commitment to the family business and its legacy.

A Review of Organizational and Individual Career Management: A Dual Perspective

This paper views career management as a combination of both organizational career management (OCM) and individual career management (ICM). It highlights the important impact of career management on personal and organizational successes. It also emphasizes on the effective career management which fosters personal career growth and sustains organizational competitive advantages. At the personal level, the notion of career management brings forth the employee’s capability to develop a career in the workplace. Likewise, it provides organizations with the ability to proactively respond to the rapidly changing organizational environments. This paper differentiates between OCM and ICM that could lead to a clearer understanding of the two terms. The concept of career management is important to academics and practitioners who are involved in this area.

Von der Kaminkarriere zur boundaryless und protean career? Zum Verhältnis von organisationaler und individueller Karrieresteuerung am Beispiel von Auslandseinsätzen / From organization career to boundaryless and protean career? Analysis of relations between organizational and individual career management in assignments abroad

Michael Arthur und Douglas Hall haben mit ihren Thesen zur boundaryless und zur protean career eine Debatte über einen Wandel des für westliche Industriegesellschaften typischen Karrieremusters postuliert, und zwar eine Umstellung von der Organisation und des in ihr und von ihr institutionalisierten Karrieremusters der sogenannten ,Kaminkarriere’ auf den einzelnen Erwerbstätigen und seine individuellen Strukturierungs- und Selbst-Managementleistungen. Der hier vorliegende Beitrag vertritt die These, dass hier die Rolle der Organisation für Karrieren zu stark heruntergespielt und zu wenig nach dem Verhältnis von organisationalem und individuellem Karrieremanagement gefragt wird. Der Beitrag macht deshalb einen differenzierenden Vorschlag zur Analyse eines Formwandels von Karriere.

Understanding Proactive Behaviours and Career Success: Evidence From an Emerging Economy

This article explores the relationship between proactive career behaviours and both objective and subjective career success. The study was conducted on a sample of managers within the public sector of an emerging economy (Malaysia). A sample of 288 managers reported on their proactive career behaviours and career success. Results show that managers who engage in individual career management and networking behaviours report more subjective career success. Networking is positively related to both objective and subjective career success. We discuss the implications for managers' career in emerging economies.