Exploring the role of a firm’s HR practices in maintaining sustainable careers and managing career shocks
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2022-06-22
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en
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Abstract
Current organizational challenges include labour shortages, which can be exacerbated by how throughout an employee’s career they will likely experience career shocks (e.g., a serious illness). Inevitably, organizations and employees require career sustainability to meet the businesses and individual’s needs. However, how firms intervene during career shocks to ensure greater career sustainability is unclear. To explore this further, a qualitative single-case study of one manufacturing MNC site took place. This was achieved by conducting twelve semi-structured retrospective interviews, with managers and HRM practitioners, that were analysed via template analysis.
Results showed the firm’s available HR practices do help employees cope with career shocks and subsequently maintain greater career sustainability. These HR practices protect and generate employee’s resources and produce organizational benefits. Discrepancies between the firms’ intended and actual HR practices were typically associated with policy’s flexible design which empowers line managers to appropriately deviate from the documented policy. Practical findings emphasise the importance of supervisor support and negotiating i-deals to effectively manage employee’s personal circumstances. This study contributes to the literature on how an organization’s human resource practices can promote career sustainability and manage the consequences of career shocks on employee’s career trajectories.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen