Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Career Anchors as a Meta-Capacity in Organizational Career Development

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Psycho-social Career Meta-capacities

Abstract

The contemporary career paradigm acknowledges the unpredictable, turbulent and globally market-sensitive context within which individuals’ careers unfold (Savickas, Journal of Career Assessment 19:251–258, 2011) . Individuals are drawing on their personal resources and capacities (i.e. strengths, intrinsic motivation, values, aspirations, and coping capacities) to be more resilient and adaptable in negotiating the person-environment fit harmonics in a more turbulent employment context (Ferreira, Constructing a psychological career profile for staff retention, 2012) . The research literature furthermore suggests that individuals will increasingly have to rely on internal definitions and measures of career success in the construction of their careers (Savickas, Journal of Career Assessment 19:251–258, 2011; Schreuder and Coetzee Careers: An organisational perspective, 2011) . Schein’s (Career dynamics: Matching individual and organizational needs, 1978, Journal of Occupational Behavior 5:71–81, 1984, Career anchors: Discovering your real values, 1990, Academy of Management Executive 1, 80–88, 1996, Encyclopedia of career development, 2006) exploration of the dynamics of the internal career, through his career anchor concept, poses interesting implications for career counseling and guidance in the contemporary career paradigm. Individuals’ subjective measures of career success are generally driven by their need for meaningful work that matches their personal motivations, career interests, abilities, motives , and values (internal career anchors). Career anchors act as the motivational forces (meta-capacities) that guide individuals’ career decisions and preferences for work and work environments (Schein Career anchors: Discovering your real values, 1990). Achieving a harmonic fit between their internal career needs and the characteristics of the external occupational environment results in enhanced levels of career well-being and career and life satisfaction (Coetzee et al. South African Journal of Human Resource Management 8:13, 2010). This chapter explores the relevance of Schein’s career anchor theory to contemporary career development by presenting an overview of various research findings that show how people’s career anchors influence their subjective experiences of their work and careers.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Cerdin, J., & Le Pargneux, M. (2010). Career anchors: A comparison between organization-assigned and self-initiated expatriates. Thunderbird International Business Review, 52(4), 287–299.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chang, I., Hwang, H., Liu, C., & Siang, S. (2007). A study of career anchors and job characteristic preferences of IS students. Journal of Computer Information Systems, Spring, 24–33

    Google Scholar 

  • Chang, C. L., Jiang, J. J., Klein, G., & Chen, H. (2012). Career anchors and disturbances in job turnover decisions: A case study of IT professionals in Taiwan. Information & Management, 49, 309–319.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coetzee, M. (2008). Psychological career resources of working adults: A South African survey. South African Journal of Industrial Psychology, 34(2), 32–41.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coetzee, M. (2012). Distance learning students’ graduateness as predictors of their job satisfaction and optimism about future career prospects. Journal of Social Sciences, 33(3), 305–313.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coetzee, M., & De Villiers, M. A. (2010). Sources of job stress, work engagement and career orientations of employees in a South African financial institution. Southern African Business Review, 14(1), 27–57.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coetzee, M., & Schreuder, A. M. G. (2008). A multi-cultural investigation of students’ career anchors at a South African higher education institution. South African Journal of Labour Relations, 32(2), 45–65.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coetzee, M., & Schreuder, A. M. G. (2009a). Using the Career Orientations Inventory (COI) for measuring career orientations in the South African organisational context. South African Journal of Industrial Psychology, 35(1), 13. doi:10.4102/sajip.v35i1.806. (Article #806)

    Google Scholar 

  • Coetzee, M., & Schreuder, A. M. G. (2009b). Psychological career resources as predictors of working adults’ career anchors: An exploratory study. South African Journal of Industrial Psychology, 35(1), 13. doi:10.4102/sajip.v35i1.833. (Article #833)

    Google Scholar 

  • Coetzee, M., & Schreuder, A. M. G. (2011). The relation between career anchors, emotional intelligence and employability satisfaction among workers in the service industry. Southern African Business Review, 15(3), 76–97.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coetzee, M., Schreuder, A. M. G., & Tladinyane, R. (2007). Career anchors and its relation to organisational commitment. Southern African Business Review, 11(1), 65–86.

    Google Scholar 

  • Coetzee, M., Bergh, Z. C., & Schreuder, A. M. G. (2010). The influence of career orientations on subjective work experiences. South African Journal of Human Resource Management, 8(1), 13. doi:10.4102/sajhrm.v8i1.279. (Article #279)

    Google Scholar 

  • Coetzee, M., Schreuder, A. M. G., & Tladinyane, R. T. (2013). Career anchors as moderators in the relation between employees’ work engagement and job commitment. South African Journal of Human Resource Management (in review)

    Google Scholar 

  • DeLong, T. J. (1982). Reexamining the career anchor model. Personnel, 59(3), 60–61.

    Google Scholar 

  • Derr, C. B., & Briscoe, J. P. (2007). The catalytic 1970s: Lessons for the 2000s. In H. Gunz & M. Peiperl (Eds.), Handbook of career studies (pp. 528–541). London: Sage.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Du Toit, D. (2010). The relationship between archetypal values, career orientations, perceived career success and meaningfulness (Unpublished Masters dissertation). Pretoria: University of South Africa

    Google Scholar 

  • Du Toit, D., & Coetzee, M. (2012). Exploring the perceived career success of staff in a South African science and engineering company. Journal of Psychology in Africa, 22(1), 96–105.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ellison, J. A. (1997). The relation between career anchors, occupational types and job satisfaction of midcareer employees (Unpublished masters dissertation). Pretoria: University of South Africa

    Google Scholar 

  • Erdoğmus, N. (2003). Career orientations of salaried professionals: The case of Turkey. Career Development International, 9(2), 153–175.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Feldman, D. C., & Bolino, M. C. (1996). Careers within careers: Reconceptualising the nature of career anchors and their consequences. Human Resource Management Review, 6(2), 89–112.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferreira, N. (2012). Constructing a psychological career profile for staff retention (Unpublished doctoral thesis). Pretoria: University of South Africa

    Google Scholar 

  • Gerber, M., Wittekind, A., Grote, G., Conway, N., & Guest, D. (2009). Generalizability of career orientations: A comparative study in Switzerland and Great Britain. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 82, 779–801.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guillaume, C., & Pochic, S. (2009). What would you sacrifice? Access to top management and the work-life balance. Gender, Work and Organizations, 16(1), 14–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haley-Lock, A. (2008). Happy doing good? How workers’ career orientations and job satisfaction relate in grassroots human services. Journal of Community Practice, 16(2), 143–163.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Herrbach, O., & Mignonac, K. (2012). Perceived gender discrimination and women’s subjective career success: The moderating role of career anchors. Relations Industrielles, 67(1), 25–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ibarra, H., & Deshpande, P. H. (2007). Networks and identities: Reciprocal influences on career processes and outcomes. In H. Gunz & M. A. Peiperl (Eds.), Handbook of career studies (pp. 268–282). London: Sage.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Igbaria, M., & Baroudi, J. J. (1993). A short-form measure of career orientations: A psychometric evaluation. Journal of Management Information Systems, 10(2), 131–154.

    Google Scholar 

  • Igbaria, M., Greenhaus, J. H., & Parasuraman, S. (1991). Career orientations of MIS employees: An empirical analysis. MIS Quarterly, June, 151–169

    Google Scholar 

  • Igbaria, M., Kassiech, S. K., & Silver, M. (1999). Career orientations and career success among research and development and engineering professionals. Journal of Engineering and Technology Management, 16, 29–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jiang, J. J., Klein, G., & Balloun, J. L. (2001). The joint impact of internal and external career anchors on entry-level IS career satisfaction. Information and Management, 39, 31–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kanye, B., & Crous, F. (2007). Graduate interns’ experiences: A career success orientations approach. South African Journal of Industrial Psychology, 33(3), 84–93.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kniveton, B. H. (2004). Managerial career anchors in a changing business environment. Journal of European Industrial Training, 28(7), 564–573.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lopa, J. M., Beck, J., & Ghiselli, R. (2009). The role of biodata and career anchors on turnover intentions among hospitality and tourism educators. Journal of Culinary Science & Technology, 7, 196–206.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marshall, V., & Bonner, D. (2003). Career anchors and the effects of downsizing: Implications for generations and cultures at work. A preliminary investigation. Journal of European Industrial Training, 27(6), 281–291.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meister, J. C., & Willyerd, K. (2010). The 2020 workplace: How innovative companies attract, develop, and keep tomorrow’s employees today. New York: HarperCollins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nieuwenhuizen, C., & Groenewald, D. (2006). Level of creativity and risk among successful entrepreneurs. Southern African Business Review, 10(1), 70–90.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pearson, C. S. (1991). Awakening the heroes within: Twelve archetypes to help us find ourselves and transform our world. New York: Harper Collins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Peiperl, M., & Jonsen, K. (2007). Global careers. In H. Gunz & M. Peiperl (Eds.), Handbook of career studies (pp. 350–372). London: Sage.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Quesenberry, J. L., & Trauth, E. M. (2012). The (dis)placement of women in the IT workforce: And investigation of individual career values and organisational interventions. Information Systems Journal, 22, 457–473.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ramakrishna, H. V., & Potosky, D. (2003). Structural shifts in career anchors of Information Systems Personnel: A preliminary empirical analysis. Journal of Computer Information Systems, 42(2), 83–89.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rodrigues, R., & Guest, D. (2010). Career anchors of professional workers: Extending Schein’s framework. Symposium paper presented at the 27th international congress for applied psychology, 16 July, Melbourne

    Google Scholar 

  • Savickas, M. L. (2011). New questions for vocational psychology: Premises, paradigms, and practices. Journal of Career Assessment, 19(3), 251–258.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schein, E. H. (1978). Career dynamics: Matching individual and organizational needs. Reading: Addison-Wesley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schein, E. H. (1984). Culture as an environmental context for careers. Journal of Occupational Behavior, 5, 71–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schein, E. H. (1990). Career anchors: Discovering your real values. San Diego: Pfeiffer & Company.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schein, E. H. (1996). Career anchors revisited. Implications for career development in the 21st century. Academy of Management Executive, 1, 80–88.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schein, E. H. (2006). Career anchors. In J. H. Greenhaus & G. A. Callanan (Eds.), Encyclopedia of career development (pp. 63–69). New Delhi: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schenk, H. (2003). Changing career orientations in higher education: Can HE be a breeding ground for entrepreneurial careers? South African Journal of Higher Education, 17(2), 86–93.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schreuder, A. M. G. (1989). Die verwantskap tussen loopbaananker, beroepstipe, organisasietipe en gehalte van werklewe/The relationship between career anchor, occupational type, organization type and quality of work life (Unpublished doctoral thesis). Pretoria: University of South Africa

    Google Scholar 

  • Schreuder, A. M. G., & Coetzee, M. (2011). Careers: An organisational perspective. 4th edn. Cape Town: Juta

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwartz, S. H. (1992). Universals in the content and structure of values: Theoretical advances and empirical tests in 20 countries. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 25, 1–65.

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh, M. K., Bhattacharjee, V., & Kodwani, A. D. (2009). Mapping career anchors in a large engineering company: A study. Paradigm, XIII(2), 50–56

    Google Scholar 

  • Smola, K., & Sutton, C. (2002). Generational differences: Revisiting generational work values for the new millennium. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 23, 363–382.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steele, C., & Francis-Smythe, J. (2010). Investigating the role of career anchor congruence. Symposium paper presented at the 27th international congress for applied psychology, 16 July, Melbourne

    Google Scholar 

  • Tan, H., & Quek, B. (2001). An exploratory study on the career anchors of educators in Singapore. Journal of Psychology, 135(5), 527–545.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Valcour, M., & Ladge, J. J. (2008). Family and career path characteristics as predictors of women’s objective and subjective career success: Integrating traditional and protean career explanations. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 73(2), 300–309.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van Rensburg, S., Rothmann, J. C., & Rothmann, S. (2003). The relationship between personality characteristics and career anchors of pharmacists. Management Dynamics, 12(3), 24–33.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weber, K., & Ladkin, A. (2009). Career anchors of convention and exhibition industry professionals in Asia. Journal of Convention & Event Tourism, 10, 243–255.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wils, L., Wils, T., & Tremblay, M. (2010). Toward a career anchor structure: An empirical investigation of engineers. Industrial Relations, 65(2), 236–256.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zikic, J., Bonache, J., & Cerdin, J. (2010). Crossing national boundaries: A typology of qualified immigrants’ career orientations. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 31, 667–686.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of South Africa, Pretoria, South Africa

    Melinde Coetzee & Dries (A.M.G.) Schreuder

Authors
  1. Melinde Coetzee
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Dries (A.M.G.) Schreuder
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Melinde Coetzee .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Industrial and Organisational Psychology, University of South Africa, Muckleneuk, Gauteng, South Africa

    Melinde Coetzee

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Coetzee, M., Schreuder, D. (2014). Career Anchors as a Meta-Capacity in Organizational Career Development. In: Coetzee, M. (eds) Psycho-social Career Meta-capacities. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-00645-1_8

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation