Chaotic careers: a narrative analysis of career transition themes and outcomes using chaos theory as a guiding metaphor
Peake, S. and McDowall, Almuth (2012) Chaotic careers: a narrative analysis of career transition themes and outcomes using chaos theory as a guiding metaphor. British Journal of Guidance and Counselling 40 (4), pp. 395-410. ISSN 0306-9885.
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Abstract
In a rapidly changing world of work, little research exists on mid-career transitions. We investigated these using the open-systems approach of chaos theory as a guiding metaphor and conducted interviews with seven mid-career individuals chosen for their experience of a significant mid-career transition. Four common themes were identified through narrative analysis, where 'false starts' to a career were a common experience prior to finding a career 'fit'. Career transitions, precipitated by a trigger state and/or event such as a period of disillusionment, were an important part of this 'finding a fit' process. Overall, career success outcomes were shaped by a combination of chaos elements: chance, unplanned events, and non-linearity of resultant outcomes. We discuss implications for future research and practice. © 2012 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.
Metadata
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Additional Information: | This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis, available online: http://wwww.tandfonline.com/10.1080/03069885.2012.704350 |
| Keyword(s) / Subject(s): | career, chaos theory, change, trigger, metaphor, work, transition |
| School: | Birkbeck Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Science > School of Psychological Sciences |
| Depositing User: | Almuth McDowall |
| Date Deposited: | 12 Nov 2015 13:54 |
| Last Modified: | 07 Aug 2023 16:10 |
| URI: | https://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/id/eprint/13440 |
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