The Entrepreneurship Career Centre (ECC) & Leaders & Entrepreneurs Advanced Development (LEAD) commissioned an Entrepreneurial Career Theory study. Enjoy this contribution!
CAREER THEORY & ENTREPRENEURSHIP
The definition of a career connects central circumstances both internal and external to the individual (Arthur et al., 1989; Goffman, 1961).
The Chicago school asserts careers are created when many people follow a path, and humans identify with socially recognised careers (Goffman, 1961). Therefore, a career is “the evolving sequence of a person’s work experience over time” (Arthur et al., 1989, p. 8). It is “any social strand of a person’s course through life” (Goffman, 1961, p. 127). Likewise, assuming “everybody who works has a career, then the theory is the body of all generalisable attempts to explain career phenomena” (Arthur et al., 1989, p. 9). However, Stumpf (1992) affirms the goal to become an entrepreneur is explored by many between the ages of 17-30 but a paucity of information or studies elucidate the different aspects of the entrepreneurial career.
Social Science Career Concept Viewpoints (Arthur et al., 1989, p. 10)
Psychology
- Career as a vocation: A viewpoint accepting the traditional psychological turn on stability of personality in adulthood; associated theory is intended to help guide individuals and organisations fill job openings in a mutually satisfactory way (e.g., Holland, 1985).
- Career as a vehicle for self-realisation: A humanistic viewpoint focusing on the opportunities a career can provide for further individuals growth and how that growth can in turn benefit organisations and society (e.g., Shepard, 1984).
- Career as a component of the individual’s life structure: From this viewpoint eras and transitions throughout the career are predictable and are to be accommodated in the work arrangements made (e.g., Levinson, 1984).
Social Psychology
- Career as an individually mediated response to outside role messages: A viewpoint that studies particular occupational circumstances, such as those of priests (e.g., Schneider and Hall, 1972) or scientist and engineers (e.g., Bailyn, 1980), for their psychological effects.
Sociology
- Career as unfolding of social roles: This view overlaps with social psychology but places greater emphasis on individual’s reciprocal contribution to the social order (e.g., Hughes, 1958; Van Maanen and Barley, 1984).
- Career as social mobility: Seeing a person’s title as an indicator of social position (Bleu and Duncan, 1967; Featherman and Hauser, 1978; Warner and Abegglen, 1955).
Anthropology
- Career as status passages: A view overlapping with social functional sociology about how rites and ceremonies serve to maintain a society and culture over time (Glaser and Strauss, 1971).
Economics
- Career as a response to market forces: A viewpoint emphasizing the near-term distribution of employment opportunities and long-term accumulation of human capital (e.g., Becker, 1975; Doeringer and Piore, 1971).
Political Science
- Career as the enactment of self-interest: This views individual needs such as power wealth, prestige or autonomy as prominent objects of self-interested behaviour in the context of institutional political realities (e.g., Kaufman, 1960).
History
- Career as a correlate of historical outcomes: Looking at the reciprocal influence of prominent people and period of events on each other (e.g., Schesinger, 1965).
Geography
- Career as a response to geographical circumstances: Focusing on variables such as availability of raw materials, a natural harbour, or a population ready for work or trade as they affect the way working lives unfold (e.g., Van Maanen, 1982).
Career theory is best studied from different disciplinary perspectives (Arthur et al., 1989), especially given the scarcity of an entrepreneurial career theory. However, failure to comprehensively study the entrepreneurship career means its uncertainties continue to exist outside normal practice (Dyer, 1994; Rae, 2000). Furthermore, Carroll and Mosakowski (1987) assert entrepreneurial practice is not new yet research gap exists in trying to answer questions of who becomes self-employed including associative differences, but three questions account for why such studies are important (a) entrepreneurship is not rare but experienced by numerous (b) it involves small and family firm operations which evolve and impact the population of organisations, also relevant to organisational theory; and (c) self-employment is importantly connected to the study of entrepreneurship and social classes.
How do we best study careers? Career studies should address individual and organisational change (Van Maanen, 1977), including societal change (Kanter, 1989) and occupational variables such as job and income, additional to the psychological factors like job satisfaction and associated stress (Sonnenfeld and Kotter, 1982). Hence, subjective career success is evaluated internally based on important personal goals (Van Maanen, 1977). While objective career success explains the external and publicly shared social perspective, these tangibles include profession, family situation, task elements and progress, income, and job status (Van Maanen, 1977, p. 9).
Sources referenced from the below.
JOURNALS
Dr Beem Beeka (MCMI, FHEA) #LEAD #ECC #Career #Entrepreneurship
Twitter @BusinessBee
Sources referenced from the below.
JOURNALS
SHEFFIELD DOCTORAL CONFERENCE: WON BEST PAPER
3. Beeka,
B. (2011) Entrepreneurship as a career choice: Opportunity recognition model
from an emerging economy. In Lee, B
and Palmer, N.J (Eds) Sheffield Doctoral
Conference Proceedings, pp. 19-36. Sheffield: The University of Sheffield
Management School Research Office.
DOCTORATE THESIS
4. Beeka,
B. H (2015) Entrepreneurship as a Viable Career Choice for Nigerian Youth.
Sheffield Business School, Sheffield Hallam University Doctor of Philosophy
Thesis.
Dr Beem Beeka (MCMI, FHEA) #LEAD #ECC #Career #Entrepreneurship
Twitter @BusinessBee
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