How Social Class Shapes Job Search Experiences and Career Development Among Employees
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2025-12-01
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en
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While social class is an important factor in social sciences, its implications in organisational science are under-researched. Therefore, knowledge on how social class effects employees’ job search behaviour is also limited. This thesis explores how employees from different social classes engage in job search behaviour and how they view its impact on their career development. The relevance of this topic is evident as global developments deteriorate social mobility and equality of opportunity, leaving valuable human capital unused. By integrating Bourdieu’s capital theory and dimensions of job search behaviour, a qualitative research design is adopted. Thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with job searching employees from different social classes shows class-based differences. These differences are shaped by the unequal distribution of the capitals of social class. The upper class engages in structured and strategic job search behaviour, the middle class shows more exploratory behaviour, and the lower-class engages in pragmatic, necessity-driven behaviour. Nevertheless, results show that job search helps all classes in clarifying their career development. Overall, the findings suggest that social class in the context of organisational science requires more attention. Besides, pathways should be created where opportunities are equally distributed, and less human capital is wasted.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen