This explores the career attitudes among undergraduate students in the UK and Australia. Pringle and Mallon (2003) suggest that new career forms are most applicable to professional and managerial occupations and, therefore, have particular resonance for graduates who are most likely to enter such professions. Moreover, given contemporary patterns of youth unemployment and underemployment (GCA, 2012; Purcell et al., 2013) in many developed economies and an increasingly competitive and volatile graduate labour market, the adoption of the flexible mindset associated with new career forms would seem critical for recent and future graduates. Deepening our understanding of career attitudes among contemporary undergraduates will inform both employers and Higher Education Institutions (HEI) in developing appropriate strategies to ensure emerging professionals are equipped with the attributes necessary for career success. Specifically, this paper: (i) explores the adoption of protean and boundaryless attitudes to career management; (ii) examines the relationships among protean and boundaryless attitudes to career management; and (iii) identifies variations in career attitudes by demographic, background and/or employment characteristics. The research objectives are addressed by exploring career attitudes among Business undergraduates, in the UK and Australia. The paper is structured to first provide a background review of literature relating to career management attitudes and the influential role of individual characteristics. Second, the study’s methodology is outlined, followed by a summary of results, based on descriptive and hierarchical multiple regression analyses. Findings and the implications for education and human resource practitioners are discussed and, finally, the limitations and directions for future research set out. Background
This explores the career attitudes among undergraduate students in the UK and Australia. Pringle and Mallon (2003) suggest that new career forms are most applicable to professional and managerial occupations and, therefore, have particular resonance for graduates who are most likely to enter such professions. Moreover, given contemporary patterns of youth unemployment and underemployment (GCA, 2012; Purcell et al., 2013) in many developed economies and an increasingly competitive and volatile graduate labour market, the adoption of the flexible mindset associated with new career forms would seem critical for recent and future graduates. Deepening our understanding of career attitudes among contemporary undergraduates will inform both employers and Higher Education Institutions (HEI) in developing appropriate strategies to ensure emerging professionals are equipped with the attributes necessary for career success. Specifically, this paper: (i) explores the adoption of protean and boundaryless attitudes to career management; (ii) examines the relationships among protean and boundaryless attitudes to career management; and (iii) identifies variations in career attitudes by demographic, background and/or employment characteristics. The research objectives are addressed by exploring career attitudes among Business undergraduates, in the UK and Australia. The paper is structured to first provide a background review of literature relating to career management attitudes and the influential role of individual characteristics. Second, the study’s methodology is outlined, followed by a summary of results, based on descriptive and hierarchical multiple regression analyses. Findings and the implications for education and human resource practitioners are discussed and, finally, the limitations and directions for future research set out. Background
Career%20Attitudes%20among%20Business%20Undergraduates%20-%20Jackson%20%26%20Wilton.docx