Life Transitions Career Decisions and the Workplace Changing Workplace and Psychological Contract Psychological Contract A relationship between employer and employee Set of mutual expectations (often unstated) Relationship continues when "contributions" are met by both employer and employee: o Employee: performance o Employer: pay, benefits

Life Transitions Career Decisions and the Workplace Changing Workplace and Psychological Contract Psychological Contract: Two Forms Relational - – long term mutual commitment – trust over time – temporary imbalances of contribution even out over time Transactional – short-term exchange of benefits and services. – value is in usefulness of what exchanged rather than the relationship. A shift from relational to transactional contract: – short term – performance based –

Life Transitions Career Decisions and the Workplace Changing Workplace and Psychological Contract Implications of Contract Shift 1.Changes in your own relationship to the organization, your own perception of the changing contract 2.Changes in the organization’s commitment and view of the contract 3.Shift in loyalty From: loyalty based on length of service To: loyalty based on performance 4.Need for ongoing change and development

Life Transitions Career Decisions and the Workplace Changing Workplace and Psychological Contract Key Questions Why has the contract been changing? What is the new workplace like? –What are the demands? –What skills are needed to work productively and manage career / professional development?

Life Transitions Career Decisions and the Workplace Changing Workplace and Psychological Contract Changing Work Context Baby boom Flatter organizations Pace of change and organizational life Dual careers Mergers and break-ups Downsizing Impact of changing technology on work processes More diverse workforce More information Globalization of economy Outsourcing

Life Transitions Career Decisions and the Workplace Changing Workplace and Psychological Contract The Shamrock Organization (Charles Handy, The Age of Unreason ) The first leaf:- core workers - professionals, technicians, managers - have organizational knowledge The second leaf:- contractors - specialized knowledge and services - not part of core technology and competence of the organization The third leaf:- flexible or contingent workforce - part-time and temporary workers - fast growing sector of work population

Life Transitions Career Decisions and the Workplace Changing Workplace and Psychological Contract How Is Work Changing ? Working in teams Need for relationship building skills Ambiguity of work environment Greater demand for knowledge skills, subject matter experts Contingent work force: contract and part-time employees Need for creativity and adaptability

Life Transitions Career Decisions and the Workplace Changing Workplace and Psychological Contract Protean Career Protean = “versatile” or “capable of assuming many forms” From linear and vertical paths to more flexible, varied options and career patterns. From concept of a path to an individualized, idiosyncratic "fingerprint." From contract with organization to contract with self Free agency; decoupling from organizations. Overlap and balance of work / life. A larger "career space."

Life Transitions Career Decisions and the Workplace Changing Workplace and Psychological Contract Escher

Life Transitions Career Decisions and the Workplace Changing Workplace and Psychological Contract Internal vs. External Career External or Objective Career is the unfolding sequence of: - jobs - work histories - social roles - organizational patterns of work Internal or Subjective Career focuses on the individuals experience of change including: - meaning - values - competence - perceptions of success - satisfaction A distinction between the development of a career and the individual "having the career."

Life Transitions Career Decisions and the Workplace Changing Workplace and Psychological Contract Developmental Demands Skills for self-awareness Continuous learning and adaptability Career self-management and ownership Fluidity of self that recognizes complexity and ambiguity Understanding that flexibility is not necessarily indecision or randomness. Greater and more differentiated concept of self formed by various "sub-identities" (worker, parent, spouse), but..... Threat of "social saturation" where many roles obscure an "authentic self"

Life Transitions Career Decisions and the Workplace Changing Workplace and Psychological Contract Course Focus Personal change and development Organizational responses Respecting the inevitability of change Importance of managing career expectations Adult development + organizational behavior

Life Transitions Career Decisions and the Workplace Changing Workplace and Psychological Contract Course Flow Individual Factors Motivation Development Cycles Learning Styles Work Preferences Values Skills/Competencies Success Expectations Organizational Factors Development Cultures Management Role Career Systems Interaction Change & Transition Career Patterns Generational Influences Work / Life Balance Career Management Strategies

Life Transitions Career Decisions and the Workplace Changing Workplace and Psychological Contract Introductions Name Attraction to course Educational path Work background “Career Development” ?? Key questions