Thesis
Self development in job adaptation : action research approach
Southern Cross University, Graduate College of Management
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Southern Cross University
2002
Metrics
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Abstract
Over the past decade, the economic situation of the world has undergone dramatic changes. This has resulted in organizational re-structuring due to which hundreds of thousands of layoffs have occurred. As a result of these changes in employment patterns people are experiencing multiple job transitions in their own fields of profession or into fields of other professions. The traditional career development concept - that people are expected to progress in linear career stages within one or two organizations - is no longer applicable. The concept of 'Boundaryless career' and 'Protean career' have emerged, in which career is viewed as a series of discontinuous job transitions across functions, organizations, and other work boundaries. In adapting to the new career pattern, people are experiencing many difficulties: requirement of multi-skilling, cultural shock at work and incompetence in job adaptation. The objective of this research study is to develop a 'Job Adaptation Model' and a 'Job Management Model' for helping people to build up their competency at work in to cope with the high job mobility environment. These two types of models are necessary because in the high job mobility environment, the adaptation model increases people's ability to manage the changes while the management model enhances people's ability to perform in nevi work setting, Lacking either one of them decreases the adaptability and employability of workers in this salient situation.
In this research study, an empirical study of my personal job adaptation experience, interviews in the public domain and a focused literature search have resulted in the development of a 'Job Adaptation Model' and a 'Job Management Model'. The integrative nature of the 'Job Management Model' can enhance both the employability and the adaptability of people in job transitions. The research contributes significantly to the career literature knowledge in three aspects:
1. The greater evidence base of this research in the new career paradigm
A search of the job adaptation literature revealed that there is little work done about the salient situation of a 'protean career'. Most researchers in the field have limited their work to certain aspects of self-adjustment during job adaptation. To meet the high demands at work in this salient situation, the 'Job Adaptation Model' derived from this research calls for a holistic self-development approach including psychological, behavioural and technical development.
2. Practicability of the 'Job Management Model' to the workers
With the emergence of the new career concept, demands at the workplace are high and difficult requiring multi-skilling, effective inter-personal skills, teamwork and self-reliance. Models available in the literature meet only some of these demands. However, the research outcome of the 'Job Management Moclei' provides an integrative approach to address all these demands in today's work place. The demands of multi-skilling and self-reliance can be met by the psychological component of the model that calls for the trait of optimism and the strategy component that calls for the trait of life-long learning. The demand of teamwork can be met by the social component of the model that calls for good human relationship. The model is practical in its ability to solve many kinds of problem at work because of its integrative approach that eni1.ances self-competency at work to overcome the b2miers of a different working culture and to become an effective team player.
3. Derivation of the model from the combination of several methods
The two models are derived from real world data by combining several research methods including personal job adaptation experience, interviews in the public domain and a focused literature search in terms of employability, adaptability and emotional intelligence. The coherent integration of these methods increases the practicability and the rigour of the models. The models are practical because they are derived from real world data from different professional fields. The rigour of the data is increased because the data are validated by a focused literature search.
Details
- Title
- Self development in job adaptation : action research approach
- Creators
- Yiu Lun Chung
- Contributors
- Bob Dick (Supervisor) - Southern Cross UniversityStewart Hase (Supervisor) - Southern Cross University
- Awarding Institution
- Southern Cross University; Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
- Theses
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Southern Cross University
- Publisher
- Southern Cross University, Graduate College of Management
- Number of pages
- xi,247
- Identifiers
- 991013313628802368
- Copyright
- © Yiu Lun Chung 2002
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Business, Law and Arts
- Resource Type
- Thesis