The world of work continues to change, with potentially dire predictions for the future as technology, work intensification, and workplace inequities impinge on careers, suggesting a need for increased attention on how to sustain them. This article focuses on the concept of sustainable careers: what they are, why they matter now, and what other disciplines are doing to address this phenomenon. The authors conclude with how human resource development can play a significant role in research and practice to develop both systems that foster career sustainability and individuals who are ready to embrace an evolving career climate.
AkkermansJ.TimsM. (2017). Crafting your career: How career competencies relate to career success via job crafting. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 66, 168-195. doi:10.1111/apps.12082
2.
ArdichviliA. (2013). The role of HRD in CSR, sustainability, and ethics: A relational model. Human Resource Development Review, 12, 456-473. doi:10.1177/1534484313478421
3.
ArdichviliA. (2015). Organizational sustainability, corporate social responsibility and business ethics. In PoellR. F.RoccoT. S.RothG. L. (Eds.), The Routledge companion to human resource development (pp. 298-306). London, England: Routledge.
4.
ArthurM. B.HallD. T.LawrenceB. S. (1989). Generating new directions in career theory: The case for a transdisciplinary approach. In ArthurM. B.HallD. T.LawrenceB. S. (Eds.), Handbook of career theory (pp. 7-25). Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
5.
ArthurM. B.RousseauD. M. (1996). The boundaryless career: A new employment principle for a new organizational era. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
6.
BaruchY.SzűcsN.GunzH. (2015). Career studies in search of theory: The rise and rise of concepts. Career Development International, 20, 3-20. doi:10.1108/CDI-11-2013-0137
7.
BednallT. C.SandersK.RunhaarP. (2014). Stimulating informal learning activities through perceptions of performance appraisal quality and human resource management system strength: A two-wave study. Academy of Management Learning & Education, 13, 45-61. doi:10.5465/amle.2012.0162
8.
BergJ. M.WrzesniewskiA.DuttonJ. E. (2010). Perceiving and responding to challenges in job crafting at different ranks: When proactivity requires adaptivity. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 31, 158-186. doi:10.1002/job.645
9.
BiglanA. (2009). The role of advocacy organizations in reducing negative externalities. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 29, 215-230. doi:10.1080/01608060903092086
10.
BlusteinD. L. (2008). The role of work in psychological health and well-being: A conceptual, historical, and public policy perspective. American Psychologist, 63, 228-240. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.63.4.228
11.
BlusteinD. L.McWhirterE. H.PerryJ. C. (2005). An emancipatory communitarian approach to vocational development theory, research, and practice. The Counseling Psychologist, 33, 141-179. doi:10.1177/0011000004272268
12.
BlusteinD. L.OlleC.Connors-KellgrenA.DiamontiA. J. (2016). Decent work: A psychological perspective. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 1-10. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00407
13.
BristolR. L.TisdellE. J. (2010). Leveraging diversity through career development: Social and cultural capital among African-American managers. International Journal of Human Resources Development and Management, 10, 224-238. doi:10.1504/IJHRDM.2010.033584
14.
CallananG. A. (2003). What price career success?Career Development International, 8, 126-133. doi:10.1108/13620430310471032
15.
CasioW. F. (2007). Trends, paradoxes, and some directions for research in career studies. In GunzH.PeiperlM. (Eds.), Handbook of career studies (pp. 549-557). Los Angeles, CA: SAGE.
16.
ChalofskyN. (2014). Introduction: The profession and the discipline. In ChalosfskyN. E.RoccoT. S.MorrisM. L. (Eds.), Handbook of human resource development (pp. xxxvii-lv). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
17.
ChandraV. (2012). Work-life balance: Eastern and western perspectives. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 23, 1040-1056. doi:10.1080/09585192.2012.651339
18.
ClutterbuckD. (2012). The talent wave: Why succession planning fails and what to do about it. London, England: Kogan Page.
19.
CooperriderD. L.FryR. (2012). Mirror flourishing and the positive psychology of sustainability. Journal of Corporate Citizenship, 2012(46), 3-12.
20.
CummingsT. G.WorleyC. G. (2015). Organization development and change. Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning.
21.
DesJardinsJ. (2016). Is it time to jump off the sustainability bandwagon?Business Ethics Quarterly, 26, 117-135. doi:10.1017/beq.2016.12
22.
DeVosA.Van der HeijdenB. I. J. M. (2017). Current thinking on contemporary careers: The key roles of sustainable HRM and sustainability of careers. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 28, 41-50. doi:10.1016/j.cosust.2017.07.003
23.
DochertyP.KiraM.ShaniA. B. (2009). What the world needs now is sustainable work systems. In DochertyP.KiraM.ShaniA.B. (Eds.), Creating sustainable work systems. Developing social sustainability (2nd ed., pp. 1-21). Abingdon, UK: Routledge.
24.
DrewE.MurtaghE. M. (2005). Work/life balance: Senior management champions or laggards?Women in Management Review, 20, 262-278. doi:10.1108/09649420510599089
25.
DuffyR. D.BlusteinD. L.DiemerM. A.AutinK. L. (2016). The psychology of working theory. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 63, 127-148. doi:10.1037/cou0000140
26.
EhnertI. (2009). Sustainable human resource management: A conceptual and exploratory analysis from a paradox perspective. Berlin, Germany: Physica-Verlag.
27.
EhnertI. (2014). Paradox as a lens for theorizing sustainable HRM. In EhnertI.HarryW.ZinkK. J. (Eds.), Sustainability, and human resource management: Developing sustainable business organizations (pp. 247-271). Berlin, Germany: Springer-Verlag.
28.
EhnertI.HarryW. (2012). Recent developments and future prospects on sustainable human resource management: Introduction to the special issue. Management Revue, 23, 221-238. doi:10.1688/1861-9908_mrev_2012_03_Ehnert
29.
EhnertI.HarryW.ZinkK. J. (2014). Sustainability and HRM: An introduction to the field. In EhnertI.HarryW.ZinkK. J. (Eds.), Sustainability, and human resource management: Developing sustainable business organizations (pp. 3-32). Berlin, Germany: Springer-Verlag.
30.
ElkingtonJ. (1998). Cannibals with forks: The triple bottom line of 21st century business. Gabriola Island, BC: New Society Publishers.
FleisherC.KhapovaS. N.SchipperM. M. (2017). Career capital acquisition through corporate volunteering. In DeVosA.Van der HeijdenB. I. J. M. (Eds.), Handbook of research on sustainable careers (pp. 83-98). Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar.
34.
FloreaL.CheungY. H.HerndonN. C. (2013). For all good reasons: Role of values in organizational sustainability. Journal of Business Ethics, 114, 393-408. doi:10.1007/s10551-012-1355-x
35.
GaravanT. N.McGuireD. (2010). Human resource development and society: Human resource development’s role in embedding corporate social responsibility, sustainability, and ethics in organizations. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 12, 487-507. doi:10.1177/1523422310394757
36.
GrattonL. (2011). Workplace 2025—What will it look like?Organizational Dynamics, 40, 246-254. doi:10.1016/j.orgdyn.2011.07.002
37.
GreenhausJ. H.KossekE. E. (2014). The contemporary career: A work–home perspective. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 1, 361-388. doi:10.1146/annurev-orpsych-031413-091324
38.
GuerciM.PedriniM. (2014). The consensus between Italian HR and sustainability managers on HR management for sustainability-driven change—Towards a “strong” HR management system. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 25, 1787-1814. doi:10.1080/09585192.2013.860388
39.
GuoL.BaruchY.RussoM. (2017). Work resources and civic engagement: Benefits to employee physical and mental health. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 100, 56-66. doi:10.1016/j.jvb.2017.02.007
40.
HahnT.PinkseJ.PreussL.FiggeF. (2015). Tensions in corporate sustainability: Towards an integrative framework. Journal of Business Ethics, 127, 297-316. doi:10.1007/s10551-014-2047-5
International Labour Organization. (2016). Global wage report 2016/17: Wage inequality in the workplace. Geneva, Switzerland: Author.
44.
Isopahkala-BouretU. (2008). Developmental leisure: Why work-related learning takes place outside of working hours. Human Resource Development International, 11, 479-491. doi:10.1080/13678860802417619
KelliherC.AndersonD. (2010). Doing more with less? Flexible working practices and the intensification of work. Human Relations, 63, 83-106. doi:10.1177/0018726709349199
49.
KiraM.LifvergrenS. (2014). Sowing seeds for sustainability in work systems. In EhnertI.HarryW.ZinkK. J. (Eds.), Sustainability, and human resource management: Developing sustainable business organizations (pp. 57-81). Berlin, Germany: Springer-Verlag.
KossekE. E.ValcourM.LirioP. (2014). The sustainable workforce: Organizational strategies for promoting work-life balance and well-being. In ChenP. Y.CooperG. L. (Eds.), Work and wellbeing: Wellbeing: A complete reference guide, volume III (pp. 295-318). Chichester, UK: John Wiley.
52.
KramarR. (2014). Beyond strategic human resource management: Is sustainable human resource management the next approach?The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 25, 1069-1089. doi:10.1080/09585192.2013.816863
53.
LawrenceB. S.HallD. T.ArthurM. B. (2017). Sustainable careers then and now. In DeVosA.Van der HeijdenB. I. J. M. (Eds.), Handbook of research on sustainable careers (pp. 432-449). Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar.
54.
LentR. W. (2013). Social cognitive career theory. In BrownS.LentR. (Eds.), Career development and counseling: Putting theory and research to work (2nd ed., pp. 115-145). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
55.
LiebowitzJ. (2010). The role of HR in achieving a sustainability culture. Journal of Sustainable Development, 3(4), 50-57. doi:10.5539/jsd.v3n4p50
56.
MainieroL. A.SullivanS. E. (2005). Kaleidoscope careers: An alternate explanation for the “opt-out” revolution. Academy of Management Executive, 19, 106-123. doi:10.5464/amr.2011.0314
57.
MariappanadarS. (2012). The harm indicators of negative externality of efficiency focused organizational practices. International Journal of Social Economics, 39, 209-220. doi:10.1108/03068291211199378
58.
MariappanadarS. (2014). Stakeholder harm index: A framework to review work intensification from the critical HRM perspective. Human Resource Management Review, 24, 313-329. doi:10.1016/j.hrmr.2014.03.009
59.
MishraP.McDonaldK. (2017). Career resilience: An integrated review of the empirical literature. Human Resource Development Review, 16, 207-234. doi:10.1177/1534484317719622
60.
NewmanK. L. (2011). Sustainable careers: Lifecycle engagement in work. Organizational Dynamics, 40, 136-143. doi:10.1016/j.orgdyn.2011.01.008
61.
NgT. W. H.FeldmanD. C. (2014). Community embeddedness and work outcomes: The mediating role of organizational embeddedness. Human Relations, 67, 71-103. doi:10.1177/0018726713486946
62.
The Ohio State University. (2018). Sustainable + Resilient Economy. Retrieved from sre.osu.edu
PasamarS.Valle CabreraR. (2013). Work-life balance under challenging financial and economic conditions. International Journal of Manpower, 34, 961-974. doi:10.5539/jsd.v3n4p50
65.
PfefferJ. (2010). Building sustainable organizations: The human factor. The Academy of Management Perspectives, 24(1), 34-45. doi:10.5465/amp.24.1.34
PlutaA.RudawskaA. (2016). Holistic approach to human resources and organizational acceleration. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 29, 293-309. doi:10.1108/JOCM-11-2014-0210
68.
PowellG.GreenhausJ. H. (2010). Sex, gender, and the work-to-family interface: Exploring negative and positive interdependencies. Academy of Management Journal, 53, 513-534. doi:10.5465/amj.2010.51468647
69.
RamarajanL.ReidE. (2013). Shattering the myths of separate worlds: Negotiating nonwork identities at work. Academy of Management Review, 38, 621-644. doi:10.5465/amr.2011.0314
70.
RotmanD. (2013). How technology is destroying jobs. Technology Review, 16(4), 28-35.
71.
SavickasM. (2013). Career construction theory and practice. In BrownS.LentR. (Eds.), Career development and counseling: Putting theory and research to work (2nd. ed., pp. 147-183). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
72.
SemeijnJ. H.Van DamK.Van VuurenT.Van der HeijdenB. I. J. M. (2017). Sustainable labour participation and sustainable careers. In DeVosA.Van der HeijdenB. I. J. M. (Eds.), Handbook of research on sustainable careers (pp. 146-160). Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar.
73.
SengeP. M.SmithB.KruschwitzN.LaurJ.SchleyS. (2008). The necessary revolution: How individuals and organizations are working together to create a sustainable world. New York, NY: Doubleday.
74.
ShearmanR. (1990). The meaning and ethics of sustainability. Environmental Management, 14, 1-8. doi:10.1007/BF02394014
75.
ThompsonD. (2015, July-August). A world without work. The Atlantic, pp. 51-61.
76.
TidemanS. G.ArtsM. C.ZandeeD. P. (2013). Sustainable leadership: Towards a workable definition. Journal of Corporate Citizenship, 2013(49), 17-33.
77.
TomlinsonJ.BairdM.BergP.CooperR. (2018). Flexible careers across the life course: Advancing theory, research and practice. Human Relations, 71, 4-22. doi:10.1177/0018726717733313
78.
TorracoR. (2018). Economic inequality, educational inequality, and reduced career opportunity: A self-perpetuating cycle?New Horizons in Adult Education & Human Resource Development, 30(1), 19-29.
79.
ValcourM. (2017). Facilitating the crafting of sustainable careers in organizations. In DeVosA.Van der HeijdenB. I. J. M. (Eds.), Handbook of research on sustainable careers (pp. 20-34). Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar.
80.
ValentinC. (2015). Greening HRD: Conceptualizing the triple bottom line for HRD practice, teaching, and research. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 17, 426-441. doi:10.1177/1523422315599621
81.
Van DamK.BippT.Van RuysseveldtJ. (2017). The role of employee adaptability, goal striving and proactivity for sustainable careers. In DeVosA.Van der HeijdenB. I. J. M. (Eds.), Handbook of research on sustainable careers (pp. 190-204). Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar.
82.
Van der HeijdenB. I. J. M.DeVosA. (2017). Sustainable careers: Introductory chapter. In DeVosA.Van der HeijdenB. I. J. M. (Eds.), Handbook of research on sustainable careers (pp. 1-19). Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar.
83.
VanhoveA. J.HerianM. N.PerezA. L. U.HarmsP. D.LesterP. B. (2016). Can resilience be developed at work? A meta-analytic review of resilience-building programme effectiveness. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 89, 278-307. doi:10.1111/joop.12123
84.
VinkenburgC. J.Van EngenM. L.PetersP. (2017). Promoting new norms and true flexibility: Sustainability in combining career and care. In DeVosA.Van der HeijdenB. I. J. M. (Eds.), Handbook of research on sustainable careers (pp. 116-130). Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar.
85.
WarrenR. (2015). Work-life balance/imbalance: The dominance of the middle class and the neglect of the working class. The British Journal of Sociology, 66, 691-717. doi:10.1111/1468-4446.12160
86.
WeilD. (2014). The fissured workplace. Boston, MA: Harvard University Press.
87.
World Commission on Environment and Development. (1987). Our common future: World commission on environment and development. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
88.
World Economic Forum. (2016, January). The future of jobs: Employment, skills and workforce strategy for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Retrieved from https://www.weforum.org/reports/the-future-of-jobs
89.
ZinkK. J. (2014). Social sustainability and quality of working life. In EhnertI.HarryW.ZinkK. J. (Eds.), Sustainability, and human resource management: Developing sustainable business organizations (pp. 35-55). Berlin, Germany: Springer-Verlag.
