Towards a Grounded Theory of Mid-Career Stuckness
This paper explores the phenomenon of mid-career stuckness through a grounded theory approach to the analysis of in-depth qualitative interviews with five life science professionals in the midst of their career. The study shows that career stuckness is an emotion, a long-lasting, complex sense of pr...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Stockholm University Press
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Nordic Journal of Transitions, Careers and Guidance |
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| Online Access: | https://account.njtcg.org/index.php/su-j-njtcg/article/view/43 |
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| _version_ | 1850024741787664384 |
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| author | Iben Treebak Rie Thomsen |
| author_facet | Iben Treebak Rie Thomsen |
| author_sort | Iben Treebak |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper explores the phenomenon of mid-career stuckness through a grounded theory approach to the analysis of in-depth qualitative interviews with five life science professionals in the midst of their career. The study shows that career stuckness is an emotion, a long-lasting, complex sense of professional unfulfilment and stagnation in a job or career path. At the same time, however, it is also a situation, in that the individual is subject to labour market conditions and discourses regarding successful or expected career development – external circumstances which they cannot control, but to which they must actively relate. The experience of career stuckness is rooted in corporate and labour market structures and an understanding of ‘a good career’ as a linear and upward process. Abstrakt Denne artikel undersøger fænomenet fastbrændthed. Artiklens analyse bygger på grounded theory og analyserer dybdegående, kvalitative interview med fem life science akademikere midt i karrieren. Studiet viser, at fastbrændthed i karrieren er en emotion; en langvarig, kompleks oplevelse af faglig uforløsthed og stagnation i et job eller et karrierespor. Samtidig er det en situation; idet individet er under indflydelse af vilkår på arbejdsmarkedet for mennesker midt i karrieren, og påvirket af diskurser om, hvad der udgør succesfuld karriereudvikling. Det er ydre omstændigheder, som de ikke kan styre, men som de må forholde sig aktivt til. Fastbrændthed er forbundet til forståelse af ‘en god karriere’, som en lineært opadgående proces, og til arbejdsmarkedsstrukturer og lokal organisering i virksomheder. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-01db26e7d5cd49649ae0cd1ac1611470 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2003-8046 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | Stockholm University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nordic Journal of Transitions, Careers and Guidance |
| spelling | doaj-art-01db26e7d5cd49649ae0cd1ac16114702025-08-20T03:01:02ZengStockholm University PressNordic Journal of Transitions, Careers and Guidance2003-80462022-01-0121445610.16993/njtcg.4316Towards a Grounded Theory of Mid-Career StucknessIben Treebak0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3963-8004Rie Thomsen1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5054-6800University of CopenhagenAarhus UniversityThis paper explores the phenomenon of mid-career stuckness through a grounded theory approach to the analysis of in-depth qualitative interviews with five life science professionals in the midst of their career. The study shows that career stuckness is an emotion, a long-lasting, complex sense of professional unfulfilment and stagnation in a job or career path. At the same time, however, it is also a situation, in that the individual is subject to labour market conditions and discourses regarding successful or expected career development – external circumstances which they cannot control, but to which they must actively relate. The experience of career stuckness is rooted in corporate and labour market structures and an understanding of ‘a good career’ as a linear and upward process. Abstrakt Denne artikel undersøger fænomenet fastbrændthed. Artiklens analyse bygger på grounded theory og analyserer dybdegående, kvalitative interview med fem life science akademikere midt i karrieren. Studiet viser, at fastbrændthed i karrieren er en emotion; en langvarig, kompleks oplevelse af faglig uforløsthed og stagnation i et job eller et karrierespor. Samtidig er det en situation; idet individet er under indflydelse af vilkår på arbejdsmarkedet for mennesker midt i karrieren, og påvirket af diskurser om, hvad der udgør succesfuld karriereudvikling. Det er ydre omstændigheder, som de ikke kan styre, men som de må forholde sig aktivt til. Fastbrændthed er forbundet til forståelse af ‘en god karriere’, som en lineært opadgående proces, og til arbejdsmarkedsstrukturer og lokal organisering i virksomheder.https://account.njtcg.org/index.php/su-j-njtcg/article/view/43career stucknesscareer guidancemid-careergrounded theorycareer development |
| spellingShingle | Iben Treebak Rie Thomsen Towards a Grounded Theory of Mid-Career Stuckness Nordic Journal of Transitions, Careers and Guidance career stuckness career guidance mid-career grounded theory career development |
| title | Towards a Grounded Theory of Mid-Career Stuckness |
| title_full | Towards a Grounded Theory of Mid-Career Stuckness |
| title_fullStr | Towards a Grounded Theory of Mid-Career Stuckness |
| title_full_unstemmed | Towards a Grounded Theory of Mid-Career Stuckness |
| title_short | Towards a Grounded Theory of Mid-Career Stuckness |
| title_sort | towards a grounded theory of mid career stuckness |
| topic | career stuckness career guidance mid-career grounded theory career development |
| url | https://account.njtcg.org/index.php/su-j-njtcg/article/view/43 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ibentreebak towardsagroundedtheoryofmidcareerstuckness AT riethomsen towardsagroundedtheoryofmidcareerstuckness |