We would like to invite you to join us in the following Caucus:
Is Socially Responsible Career Management Feasible within a Global Capitalist Economy?
Scheduled to take place on Tuesday August 13 15.00-16.30
Venue: WDW Swan Resort in Teal
Program Session # 1580
Organized by Nikos Bozionelos & Camilla Quental, Audencia Nantes School of Management
The Caucus aims to discuss career management under the principles of capitalism and under current demands for ethical management and social responsibility. Careers are largely determined by structural factors: Firms adapt their human resource strategies, which encompass career management, according to demands imposed by their industries (e.g., expansion of the industry enables firms to offer employment and advancement opportunities, and vice versa). Given that industries are embedded within the total economy, the general economic conditions have also a stake in career trajectories (Baruch & Bozionelos, 2010). This "career paths generating" mechanism functions according to the principles of the economy. In free market capitalism firms operate under greater pressure and have more latitude in the way they manage their workforce. Hence, they may respond faster with restructuring, which affects internal labor markets, than in social market capitalism, where government and unions have larger stakes into the running of firms. Regardless of the form of capitalism, the past thirty years have witnessed a shift from the "traditional" career, characterized by employment certainty and steady upwards career paths, towards "new" forms of careers. These are characterized by employment uncertainty, unplanned employment changes, and limited advancement opportunities (Reitman & Schneer, 2008). This has been firms' adaptation response to increased competition in the capitalism-ruled global economic environment. However, new forms of careers are liked less by individuals (Dries, Pepermans & De Kerpel, 2008), and are accompanied by reduced workforce well-being (e.g., Cooper, 2006) and impaired attitudes (e.g., Ng & Feldman, 2008). In addition, firms' reluctance to assume responsibility for employees' careers may be at odds with contemporary demands to operate according to socially responsible principles. The above can be summarized as: employers in the capitalist global economy find themselves increasingly under competitive pressure, and to respond they have worsened employment and career deals for the workforce, who subsequently respond with worsened attitudes and cynicism. On the other hand, negative situations that have been arguably caused by unrestricted capitalism, such as the Enron scandal and the 2008 financial crisis, have led to demands for ethical and socially responsible practices across the globe. The above brings a number of issues. Examples include: • can firms sustain themselves in a fiercely competitive global environment while at the same time move "backwards" from the "new career deal" towards the "traditional" career deal, which appears more socially responsible? • is it possible to achieve a global movement towards social market capitalism, which seems more accommodating of the "traditional career". • could state capitalism (where production is controlled by the State, which inevitably results in large bureaucratic structures with tall hierarchies) be a viable alternative? The above are some of the issues this Caucus aims to explore. It intends to bring together experts in careers, but also in globalization, corporate social responsibility and business ethics. The idea is to generate propositions for further research, but also to serve as a starting point for the formation of a long- lasting collaborative network.
Apologies for Cross-Posting
Nikos Bozionelos PhD CPsychol AFBPS
Professor of OB & HRM
Audencia Nantes
Ecole de Management
8 route de la Jonelière
44312 Nantes
France
Tel.: +33(0)240374568
Associate Editor for Career Development International
Senior Editor for Asia Pacific Journal of Management