Today's dynamic and constantly changing business environment is a catalyst for change in the subjective career. These subjective career transitions are an important aspect of career development, and failure to manage them effectively carries profound consequences for both the individual and the organization. This review examines the current status of research on subjective career transitions, and seeks to encourage ongoing research by: (I) identifying gaps in current understandings of subjective career transitions; (2) integrating existing theory on work role transitions with a model of career stages as an illustration of theory-based research on subjective career transitions; and (3) developing research propositions based on this integration as a partial guide for future research.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Ackerman, R. J. (1990). Career developments and transitions of middle-aged women. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 14: 513-530.
2.
Allen, V. L. & van de Vliert, E. (1982). A role theoretical perspective on transitional processes. Pp. 3-18 in V. L. Allen & E. van de Vliert (Eds.), Role transitions: Explorations and explanations. New York: Plenum.
3.
Arthur, M. B. & Lawrence, B. S. (1984). Perspectives on environment and career: An introduction. Journal of Occupational Behaviour, 5(l): 1-8.
4.
Bailyn, L. (1989). Understanding individual experience at work: Comments on the theory and practice of careers. Pp. 477-489 in M. B. Arthur, D. T. Hall & B. S. Lawrence (Eds.), Handbook of career theory. New York: Cambridge University Press.
5.
Berger, P. L. & Luckmann, T. (1966). The social construction of reality. New York: Doubleday.
6.
Betz, N. E. (1991). Twenty years of vocational research: Looking back and ahead. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 39: 305-310.
7.
Black, J. S. (1988). Work role transitions: A study of American expatriate managers in Japan. Journal of International Business Studies, 19: 277-294.
8.
Black, J. S. (1992).! Coming home: The relationship of expatriate expectations with repatriation adjustment and job performance. Human Relations, 45: 177-192.
9.
Black, J. S. & Gregersen, H. B. (1990). Expectations, satisfaction, and intention to leave of American expatriate managers in Japan. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 14: 485-506.
10.
Black, J. S. & Gregersen, H. B. (1991). Antecedents to cross-cultural adjustment for expatriates in Pacific Rim assignments. Human Relations, 44: 497-515.
11.
Black, J. S. & Mendenhall, M. (1990). Cross-cultural training effectiveness: A review and a theoretical framework for future research. Academy of Management Review, 15: 113-136.
12.
Black, J. S. & Stephens, G. K. (1989). The influence of the spouse on American expatriate adjustment and intent to stay in Pacific Rim overseas assignments. Journal of Management, 15: 529-544.
13.
Bonnet, M. H. (1990). Dealing with shift work: Physical fitness, temperature, and napping. Work and Stress, 4: 261-274.
14.
Brett, J. M., Feldman, D. C. & Weingart, L. R. (1990). Feedback-seeking behavior of new hires and job changers. Journal of Management, 16: 737-749.
15.
Braithewaite, V. A., Gibson, D. M. & Bosly-Craft, R. (1986). An exploratory study of poor adjustment styles among retirees. Social Science and Medicine, 23: 493-499.
16.
Buonocore, A. J. (1992). Older and wiser: Mature employees and career guidance. Management Review, 81(9): 54-57.
17.
Bycio, P., Hackett, R. D. & Alvares, K. M. (1990). Job performance and turnover: A review and meta-analysis. Applied Psychology An International Review, 39: 47-76.
18.
Cohen, A. (1991). Career stage as a moderator of the relationships between organizational commitment and its outcomes: A meta-analysis. Journal of Occupational Psychology, 64: 253-268.
19.
Covin. T. J. & Brush. C. C. (1991). An examination of male and female attitudes toward career and family issues. Sex Roles, 25: 393-415.
20.
Cox, T. H. & Harquail, C. V. (1991). Career paths and career success in the early career stages of male and female MBAs. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 39: 54-75.
21.
Cude, R. L. & Jablin, F. M. (1992). Retiring from work: The paradoxical impact of organizational commitment. Journal of Managerial Issues, 4: 31-45.
22.
Cui, G. & Awa, N. E. (1992). Measuring intercultural effectiveness: An integrative approach. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 16: 311-328.
23.
Dalton, G. W. & Thompson, P. H. (1986). Novations: Strategies for career management. Glenview, IL: Scott, Foresman.
24.
Dalton, G. W., Thompson, P. H. & Price, R. L. (1977). The four stages of professional careers: A new look at performance by professionals. Organizational Dynamics, 6: 19-42.
25.
Dawis, R. V. & Lofquist, L. H. (1984). A psychological theory of work adjustment: An individual-differences model and its applications. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press.
26.
Derr, C. B. (1988). Managing the new careerists. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
27.
Deshpande, S. P. & Viswesvaran, C. (1992). Is cross-cultural training of expatriate managers effective: A meta analysis. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 16: 295-310.
28.
Doehrman, S. R. (1984). Stress, strain, and social support during a role transition. Pp. 253-262 in V. L. Allen & E. van de Vliert (Eds.), Role transitions: Explorations and explanations. New York: Plenum Press.
29.
Dunbar, E. (1992). Adjustment and satisfaction of expatriate U.S. personnel. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 16: 1-16
30.
Edstrom, A. & Galbraith, J. R. (1977). Transfer of managers as a coordination and control strategy in multinational organizations. Administrative Science Quarterly, 22: 248-263.
31.
Epstein, C. F. (1970). Women’s place: Options and limits in professional careers. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
32.
Erikson, E. H. (1959). Identity and the life cycle. Psychological Issues, 1: 1-171.
33.
Feldman, D. C. (1976). A contingency theory of socialization. Administrative Science Quarterly, 21: 433-452.
34.
Feldman, D. C. (1988). Managing careers in organizations. Boston, MA: Scott, Foresman.
35.
Feldman, D. C. & Brett, J. M. (1985). Trading places: The management of employee job changes. Personnel, 62: 61-65.
36.
Feldman, D. C. & Tompson, H. B. (1993). Domestic and international relocation: A comparative study of adjustment to new jobs. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Academy of Management, Atlanta, GA.
37.
Gerpott, T. J. (1991). Intracompany transfers: An exploratory two sample study of the buffering effects of interpersonal support. Preventon in Human Services, 8: 113-137.
38.
Goffee, R. & Scase, R. (1992). Organizational change and the corporate career: The restructuring of managers’ job aspirations. Human Relations, 45: 363-385.
39.
Gregersen, H. B. (1992). Commitments to a parent company and a local work unit during repatriation. Personnel Psychology, 45: 29-54.
40.
Hall, D. T. (1976). Careers in organizations. Pacific Palisades, CA: Goodyear Publishing.
41.
Hall, D. T. (1987). Careers and socialization. Journal of Management, 13: 301-321.
42.
Hall, D. T. (1992). Twenty questions: Research needed to advance the field of careers. Pp. 151-167 in R. F. Morrison & J. Adams (Eds.), Contemporary career development issues. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
43.
Hays, R. D. (1971). Ascribed behavioral determinants of success-failure among U.S. expatriate managers. Journal of International Business Studies, 2: 40-46.
44.
Hays, R. D. (1974). Expatriate selection: Ensuring success and avoiding failure. Journal of International Business Studies, 5: 23-37.
45.
Heckman, N. A., Bryson, R. & Bryson, J. B. (1977). Problems of professional couples: A content analysis. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 39: 323-330.
46.
Hesketh, B. & Shouksmith, G. (1986). Job and non-job activities, job satisfaction and mental health among veterinarians. Journal of Occupational Behavior, 7: 325-339.
47.
Holahan, C. K. & Gilbert, L. A. (1979). Interrole conflict for working women: Careers versus jobs. Journal of Applied Psychology, 64: 86-90.
48.
Huddleston, R. K. & Hawkings, L. D. (1991). The effect of divorce on daily routine. Family and Conciliation Courts Review, 29: 150-159.
49.
Hui, C. H. (1988). Impacts of objective and subjective labour market conditions on employee turnover. Journal of Occupational Psychology, 61: 211-219.
50.
Jablin, F. M. (1987). Organizational entry, assimilation, and exit. Pp. 679-740 in F. M. Jablin, L. L. Putnam, K. H. Roberts & L. W. Porter (Eds.), Handbook of organizational communication: An interdisciplinary perspective. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
51.
Jarecky, R. K. & Sandifer, M. G. (1986). Faculty members evaluations of sabbaticals. Journal of Medical Education, 61: 803-807.
52.
Kets de Vries, M. F. R. (1988). The dark side of CEO succession. Harvard Business Review, 66(1): 56-60.
53.
Kram, K. E. (1985). Mentoring at work. Glenview, IL: Scott Foresman.
54.
Kram, K. E. & Isabella, L. A. (1985). Alternatives to mentoring: The role of peer relationships in career development. Academy of Management Journal, 28: 88-109.
55.
Latack, J. C., Josephs, S. L., Roach, B. L. & Levine, M. D. (1987). Carpenter apprentices: Comparison of career transitions for men and women. Journal of Applied Psychology, 72: 393-400.
56.
Leana, C. R. & Ivancevich, J. M. (1987). Involuntary job loss: Institutional interventions and a research agenda. Academy of Management Review, 12: 301-312.
57.
Lee, T. W. & Mitchell, T. R. (1991). The unfolding effects of organizational commitment and anticipated job satisfaction on voluntary employee turnover. Motivation and Emotion, 15: 99-121.
58.
Leslie, L. A. (1989). Stress in the dual-income couple: Do social relationships help or hinder?Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 6: 451-461.
59.
Levinson, D. J. (1986). A conception of adult development. American Psychologist, 41: 3-13.
60.
Levinson, D. J., Darrow, C. N., Klein, E. B., Levinson, M. H. & McKee, B. (1978). The seasons of a man's life. New York: Knopf.
61.
Levinson, H. (1993). Between CEO and COO. Academy of Management Executive, 7: 71-83.
62.
Lewis, S. N. & Cooper, C. L. (1988). The transition to parenthood in dual-earner couples. Psychological Medicine, 18: 477-486.
63.
Lichter, D. T. (1980). Household migration and the labor market. Social Science Research, 9: 83-97.
64.
London, M. & Greller, M. M. (1991). Demographic trends and vocational behavior: A twenty-year retrospective and agenda for the 1990’s. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 38: 125-164.
65.
Long, L. H. (1974). Women’s labor force participation and the residential mobility of families. Social Forces, 52: 342-348.
66.
Louis, M. R. (1980a). Career Transitions: Varieties and Commonalities. Academy of Management Review, 5: 329-340.
67.
Louis, M. R. (1980b). Surprise and sense making: What newcomers experience in entering unfamiliar organizational settings. Administrative Science Quarterly, 25: 226-251.
68.
Magnus, M. & Dodd, J. (1981). Relocation: Changing attitudes and company policies. Personnel Journal, 60: 638-645, 648.
69.
Majchrzak, A. & Cotton, J. (1988). A longitudinal study of adjustment to technological change: From mass to computer-automated batch production. Journal of Occupational Psychology, 61: 43-66.
70.
Mangum, W. T. (1982). What mortgage rates are doing to executive mobility. Administrative Management, 43(2): 59-60,86-87.
71.
Marsh, L. C. (1981). Hours worked by husbands and wives. Journal of Family Issues, 2: 164-179.
72.
Meglino, B. M., DeNisi, A. S., Youngblood, S. A. & Williams, K. J. (1988). Effects of realistic job previews: A comparison using an enhancement and a reduction preview. Journal of Applied Psychology, 73: 259-266.
73.
Mercer, R. T., Nichols, E. G. & Doyle, G. C. (1988). Transitions over the life cycle: A comparison of mothers and nonmothers. Nursing Research, 37: 144-151.
74.
Mergenhagen, P. (1991). Doing the career shuffle. American Demographics, 13(11): 42-44, 53, 55.
75.
Moen, P. & Smith, K. R. (1986). Women at work: Commitment and behavior over the life course. Sociological Forum, 1: 450-475.
76.
Mueller, C. W. & Price, J. J. (1990). Economic, psychological, and sociological determinants of voluntary turnover. Journal of Behavioral Economics, 19: 321-335.
77.
Munton, A. G. (1990). Job relocation, stress and the family. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 11: 401-406.
78.
Nelson, D. L., Quick, J. C. & Eakin, M. E. (1988). A longitudinal study of newcomer role adjustment in U.S. organizations. Work and Stress, 2: 239-253.
79.
Nicholson, N. (1984). A theory of work role transitions. Administrative Science Quarterly, 29: 172-191.
80.
Nicholson, N. & West, M. A. (1988). Managerial job change: Men and Women in transition. New York: Cambridge University Press.
81.
Oberg, K. (1960). Culture shock: Adjustment to new cultural environments. Practical Anthropologist, 7: 177-182.
82.
O’Connor, D. J. & Wolfe, D. M. (1987). On managing midlife transitions in career and family. Human Relations, 12: 799-816.
83.
Osipow, S. H. (1990). Convergence in theories of career choice and development: Review and prospect. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 36: 122-131.
84.
Phillips, S. D. (1992). Career counseling: Choice and implementation. Pp. 513-547 in S. D. Brown & R. W. Lent (Eds.), Handbook of counseling psychology. New York: Wiley.
85.
Pinder, C. C. & Das, H. (1979). Hidden costs and benefits of employee transfers. Human Resource Planning, 2: 135-145.
86.
Pinder, C. C. & Schroeder, K. G. (1987). Time to proficiency following job transfers. Academy of Management Journal, 30: 336-353.
87.
Pliner, J. (1990). Staying with or leaving the organization. Prevention in Human Services, 8: 159-177.
88.
Poloma, M. M. & Garland, T. N. (1971). The married professional woman: A study in the tolerance of domestication. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 33: 531-540.
89.
Rank, M. R. (1982). Determinants of conjugal influence in wives’ employment decision-making. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 44: 591-604.
90.
Ridley, C. A. (1973). Exploring the impact of work satisfaction and involvement on marital interaction when both partners are employed. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 35: 229-237.
91.
Rotter, J. B. (1966). Generalized expectations for internal versus external control of reinforcement, Psychological monograph 80 (1 Whole No. 609).
92.
Ruhm, C. J. (1989). Why older Americans stop working. Gerontologist, 29: 294-299.
93.
Savich, R. S. & Rodgers, W. (1988). Assignment overseas: Easing the transition before and after. Personnel, (August): 44-48.
94.
Schein, E. H. (1978). Career dynamics: Matching individual and organizational needs. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
95.
Sekaran, U. (1982). An investigation of the career salience of men and women in dual-career families. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 20: 111-119.
96.
Simon, H. A. (1961). Administrative behavior. New York: MacMillan.
97.
Spenner, K. I. & Rosenfeld, R. A. (1990). Women, work and identities. Social Science Research, 19: 266-299.
98.
Starker, J. E. (1990). Psychosocial aspects of geographic relocation: The development of a new social network. American Journal of Health Promotion, 5: 52-57.
99.
Stephens, G. K. & Black, J. S. (1991). The impact of spouse’s career-orientation on managers during international transfers. Journal of ManagementStudies, 28: 417-428.
100.
Suszko, M. K. & Breaugh, J. A. (1986). The effects of realistic job previews on applicant self-selection and employee turnover, satisfaction, and coping ability. Journal of Management, 12: 513-523.
101.
Torbiorn, I. (1982). Living abroad. New York: Wiley.
102.
Tung, R. (1981). Selecting and training of personnel for overseas assignments. Columbia Journal of World Business, 16: 68-78.
103.
Van Maanen, J. & Schein, E. H. (1979). Toward a theory of organizational socialization. Pp. 209-264 in B.M. Staw & L.L. Cummings (Eds.), Research in organizational behavior, Vol. 1. Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.
104.
Vandenberg, R. J. & Scarpello, V. (1990). The matching model: An examination of the processes underlying realistic job previews. Journal of Applied Psychology, 75: 60-67.
105.
Ward, C. & Kennedy, A. (1992). Locus of control, mood disturbance, and social difficulty during cross-cultural transitions. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 16: 175-194.
106.
Watson, D. & Clark, L. A. (1984). Negative affectivity: The disposition to experience aversive emotional states. Psychological Bulletin, 96: 465-490.
107.
Watson, D., Pennebaker, J. W. & Folger, R. (1986). Beyond negative affectivity: Measuring stress and satisfaction in the workplace. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 8: 141-157.
108.
West, M. A. (1987). Role innovation in the world of work. British Journal of Social Psychology, 26: 305-315.
109.
West, M. A., Nicholson, N. & Rees, A. (1987). Transitions into newly created jobs. Journal of Occupational Psychology, 60: 97-113.
110.
West, M. A. & Rushton, R. (1989). Mismatches in the work-role transitions. Journal of Occupational Psychology, 62: 271-286.
111.
Zaleznik, A., Dalton, G. W. & Barnes, L. B. (1970). Orientation and conflict in career. Boston, MA: Division of Research, Harvard Business School.
112.
Zapf, M. K. (1991). Cross-cultural transitions and wellness: Dealing with culture shock. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 14: 105-119.
