Marilyn Clarke

Understanding and managing employability in changing career contexts

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the concept of employability as it has evolved over time and to propose a new definition which reflects the critical variables that contribute to employability at an individual level. It also offers suggestions for how to manage employability and careers at both an individual and an organisational level.Design/methodology/approach – The paper reviews the literature on employability. It considers why employability has become a topic of interest, examines how the concept has evolved over time, and seeks to develop a working definition. It suggests a range of practical strategies for individual and organisations to ensure that employability is managed successfully.Findings – Employability is as dependent on context as on the individual. Therefore the current emphasis on individual responsibility for employability needs to be re‐examined and a greater emphasis placed on how organisations can support employees to manage careers and employability. This shift in ...

The new covenant of employability

Purpose – Changing career patterns and the erosion of job security have led to a growing emphasis on employability as a basis for career and employment success. The written and psychological contracts between employer and employer have become more transactional and less relational, and loyalty is no longer a guarantee of ongoing employment. Individuals are thus expected to take primary responsibility for their own employability rather than relying on the organisation to direct and maintain their careers. The purpose of this paper is to identify and examine the assumptions underpinning the concept of employability and evaluate the extent to which employability has been adopted as a new covenant in the employment relationship.Design/methodology/approach – Through a review of relevant literature the paper discusses current research on careers and employability and examines the available evidence regarding its adoption as a basis for contemporary employment relationships.Findings – The paper finds that the tr...

Plodders, Pragmatists, Visionaries and Opportunists: Career Patterns and Employability.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore individual approaches to career and employability through the career stories of a group of mid‐level to senior managers in career transition. Career patterns are identified and then compared with traditional, boundaryless and protean models of career. The study aims to consider the extent to which individuals in this group had adopted behaviours supportive of future employability as opposed to behaviours more in line with traditional careers.Design/methodology/approach – The research adopted an interpretive and qualitative approach. In‐depth interviews were conducted with people currently going through a career transition program. The interviews were recorded and then transcribed, coded and analysed using NVivo, a qualitative research software tool.Findings – Career patterns appeared to be shifting away from traditional careers and more towards protean and boundaryless models. There was evidence of increased responsibility for career self‐management and of...

The organizational career: not dead but in need of redefinition

The organizational career has been portrayed as increasingly irrelevant in a world where organizations are either unwilling or unable to offer job security, and where individuals are seeking greater independence and flexibility with regard to career development. In theory, new models of career, such as boundaryless or protean career, offer a better fit for both individuals and organizations. This paper argues, however, that not only does the organizational career still exist, but it is also still relevant and desirable. Rather than simply discarding it there is much to be learned from exploring how it has evolved and then redefining it to meet the needs of contemporary organizations.

Advancing women's careers through leadership development programs

Purpose – Women continue to be under‐represented at higher levels of management in organisations and on boards throughout Western industrialised countries despite more than 30 years of government policies and organisational practices designed to redress this imbalance. The problem is how to ensure that more women make it to senior positions. This paper seeks to explore one approach to advancing womens careers through a women‐only development program designed for those identified as high‐potential leaders.Design/methodology/approach – Telephone interviews were conducted with participants from two intakes of the development program. Qualitative data analysis methods were used to identify common words and themes as well as divergent opinions.Findings – Women‐only development programs provide a safe and supportive environment for improving self‐confidence, learning new skills, and learning from the experiences of successful role models. They are a useful addition to other strategies designed to increase the ...

Teaching Critical Management Skills: The Role of Problem-Based Learning.

This paper explores problem-based learning (PBL) as a vehicle for developing critical management skills and preparing students for their future careers. Using student reflections and facilitator observations the paper presents the nature of individuals’ experiences with learning and teaching in a PBL setting in the management discipline. The study investigates: (1) how students engage in and experience the learning process in a PBL context, particularly in relation to the development of group processes; and (2) the skills developed through both learning and assessments in a PBL course. The paper concludes that, for management educators, successful PBL requires adequate structure and support to ensure that students move through the PBL cycle identified by Hmelo-Silver.

Rethinking graduate employability: the role of capital, individual attributes and context

ABSTRACT Graduate employability has become a key driver for universities in Australia and the UK. In response to increasing pressure from governments and employer groups, universities have adopted a range of generic skill-based learning outcomes which, when embedded into degree programs, are expected to increase graduate employability and therefore improve graduate employment outcomes. In addition, many universities are now including internships, work placements and international study in their programmes with the aim of enhancing graduate employment prospects. This somewhat instrumental approach to graduate employability does not, however, take into account other critical factors. Drawing on the broader employability literature, this article develops a framework that incorporates six key dimensions – human capital, social capital, individual attributes, individual behaviours, perceived employability and labour market factors – to help explore and explain the concept of graduate employability.

To what extent a “bad” job? Employee perceptions of job quality in community aged care

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore how community aged care workers evaluate job quality using a job quality framework. Design/methodology/approach – The study uses a qualitative approach. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and focus groups from a large aged care organisation. Findings – Perceptions of job quality are influenced by individual motivations, match between life-stage and work flexibility, as well as broader community views of the value of this type of work. Intrinsic factors (e.g. autonomy, job content) moderate the impact of extrinsic factors such as pay and job security. Research limitations/implications – The sample is relatively small and the study is based on data from one aged care organisation which may not reflect employment conditions in other organisations. Practical implications – Attraction and retention of community care workers can be improved by addressing factors associated with remuneration (including employment contracts and hours of work) and...

Dual careers: the new norm for Gen Y professionals?

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to use the kaleidoscope career model as a lens through which to explore the career choices and decisions of young professional couples and the strategies that they use to facilitate successful dual careers while attempting to balance their work and non-work lives. Design/methodology/approach – Data were gathered through face-to-face interviews with 18 couples. Couples were interviewed separately to explore how individual career values and choices shape decisions in partnership. Template analysis was used to identify career patterns as defined by the kaleidoscope career model. Findings – Gender-based patterns suggested by the kaleidoscope career model appear to be giving way to different patterns based on individual career aspirations, earning capacity and motivation within a dual career (as opposed to simply dual income) household. For some young professionals challenge and balance are equally important and so unlike the original interpretation of the KCM their caree...

Building employability through graduate development programmes: A case study in an Australian public sector organisation

Purpose Graduate development programmes are a well-established strategy for recruiting graduates into the sector at the start of a lifetime public service career. There are indications, however, that public sector careers are becoming less secure and less long term in keeping with overall career trends across all sectors, a trend that has seen the emergence of employment contracts based on employability rather than job security. The purpose of this paper is to explore a graduate development programme offered by a state-based Australian public sector organisation to identify the extent to which it reflects and supports the shift to an employability-based contract from the perspective of programme participants. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 participants from three intakes of a public sector graduate development programme. Data were analysed through identification of first- and second-order themes as well as cross-case comparison. Findings Findings indicate that the one-year development programme partially supports an employability-based contract. The organisation could not promise ongoing employment and job security but did assist participants to develop skills and competencies for the future through its formal training and development programme. Work unit support for employability was, however, much more variable and depended to a large extent on line managers. Research limitations/implications The study was conducted in a single organisation and only included current and past programme participants who were still employed in the public sector. Practical implications The success of the programme was largely dependent on job placement and level of line manager support. Addressing these areas through better programme design and management can support the development of future leaders through opportunities for enhanced employability. Originality/value The study extends current research on employability by exploring how a public sector organisation provides support for graduates in a developmental programme from a participant perspective.