Please make a note of the following event in Amsterdam.

Kind regards,

Svetlana Khapova

EAWOP Small Group Meeting

Empowering Careers Research in Europe: New Dialogue, Concepts and Studies

Overview

Careers research is rapidly developing around the world responding to the growing evidence that careers play a central role in many knowledge-based global economic processes. European career researchers are active in this global research arena, but so far very few European theories and studies on careers have received sufficient international recognition. Most of the career research that continues to be cited around the world is of USA origin. Moreover, junior researchers who observe this trend are building their work on North American theoretical models, thus promoting the trend even further.

However, recent literature suggests that culture continues to characterize particularities of careers in different countries. This means that theories originating from the USA may not always be applicable to the European cultural context. This in turn may provide for misinterpretations of work and career-related issues and interactions that take place outside the USA.

We posit that new insights about contemporary careers may be obtained from the unique multilingual and multicultural European context. The specific context, in which contemporary careers unfold, combines tension between diversity of European backgrounds, and movement towards unity of the European Union. In addition, European career theory and empirical research have a strong tradition of an interdisciplinary view. As various authors suggest interdisciplinarity provides a fertile ground for future career research.

With this EAWOP Small Group Meeting (SGM) we aim to reinforce the dialogue among European researchers in order to integrate and empower European career research. We will bring together European researchers who are interested in the contemporary career phenomenon as experienced by employees from diverse populations, its related behaviors, and outcomes. We also aim at attaining a better understanding of what is the contemporary European career in terms of behaviors and outcomes, if there is such a phenomenon, and what may be the relevant approaches and measures for its examination. Highly reputable career researchers from outside Europe (i.e., Michael Arthur, Kerr Inkson) will be invited to contribute to our European conversation. Rather than omitting their career perspective in constructing our own European view of careers, we want to learn and build on the existing experience of our non-European peers.

In sum, the objectives of this meeting are:

1.      to exchange ideas about theories and theoretical approaches developed and used to study careers across Europe;

2.      to inform each other about new studies of the contemporary career paradigm in Europe;

3.      to develop a better understanding of what the contemporary career and its related behaviors are, how the European context influences careers, and how this phenomenon should be researched and measured;

4.      to develop a proposal for a new pan-European study on careers that would integrate ideas and expertise of career researchers from different European countries;

5.      to (re-)establish dialogue among the European career researchers empowering their contribution to the global career research arena.

The outcomes of the meeting will appear in the form of a position paper, a special issue for a journal or edited book, and a proposal for a large pan-European career project.

Format of the Meeting

The meeting will be held on 12-14 March 2008 in Amsterdam. The first two days of the SGM will be dedicated to exchange of ideas on what different European groups do with respect to developing new theoretical approaches, and new studies on careers. Conversations will be organized in theme sessions, i.e., a session on new career theories, a session on contemporary career paths and patterns, a session on career orientation of contemporary employees, etc. The third day will begin with a round table discussion aiming at integrating ideas from the sessions into a European model of the contemporary career, and developing a proposal for a pan-European career study that would incorporate shared learning experiences from the past days, and interests of different parties. Our objective is to end our newly established dialogue among European researchers with opening new perspectives for future collaboration.

Participation and Fees

Career researchers who may be interested to participate in this SGM are invited to submit their 800 words abstracts before 30th October 2007. Abstracts should address:

-          New concepts, approaches or elaborations on existing European theories that are helpful for understanding contemporary careers, and/or

-          Fresh empirical insights about contemporary careers in Europe. 

This Small Group Meeting is supported with a  small grant from EAWOP which will help  to  cover some of the meeting expenses (e.g., part of accommodation costs).  Participants are expected to pay their travel expenses and are asked to contribute a fee of 200 Euro to accommodate additional expenses ( e.g., meals, etc.). Participation in the SGM is limited to 25 participants.

Please express your interest to participate by submitting an abstract to Dr. Svetlana Khapova, via email: skhapova@feweb.vu.nl. She is also the contact person for any questions regarding this SGM.