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https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/5191
Title: | Midlife career transitions of male scientists and engineers | Contributor(s): | Liu, Yosen (author) | Publication Date: | 2009 | Open Access: | Yes | Handle Link: | https://hdl.handle.net/1959.11/5191 | Abstract: | This article summarizes the results of a qualitative study of career-transition experiences of male scientists and engineers in the current socioeconomic environment. The participants were selected from research and development organizations, industry, and academic fields in the United States. Examples of career transitions are job reassignment, relocation, being laid off, leaving the corporate world to become a consultant or establish own business, and taking an early retirement. The study addresses the challenges these professionals faced and the impact of these challenges from psychosocial perspectives. A narrative approach was used to collect data from 12 male scientists and engineers. The data was then analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Helpful strategies for a successful career transition were found to be self-efficacy, resilience, optimism, adaptation, and flexibility. The major factors that describe the dynamics in the career transition experiences were identified to be personhood, relationship, lifestyle, workplace environment, and corporate culture. The findings and their implications are discussed in reference to developing appropriate counseling strategies for this population. Coping skills are described to support the tasks of reappraising the past, modifying the structure, and completing the transition process as a life-enhancing transformation. These strategies are useful for helping recognize midlife transitions as both developmental crises and opportunities for scientist and engineers. | Publication Type: | Conference Publication | Conference Details: | Bridging the Gap between Ideas and Doing Research 2008: 3rd Annual Postgraduate Research Conference, Armidale, Australia, 15th - 18th July, 2008 | Source of Publication: | Bridging the Gap between Ideas and Doing Research: Proceedings of the 3rd Annual Postgraduate Research Conference, p. 130-139 | Publisher: | University of New England | Place of Publication: | Armidale, Australia | Fields of Research (FoR) 2008: | 119999 Medical and Health Sciences not elsewhere classified | Socio-Economic Objective (SEO) 2008: | 970116 Expanding Knowledge through Studies of Human Society | Peer Reviewed: | Yes | HERDC Category Description: | E1 Refereed Scholarly Conference Publication | Publisher/associated links: | http://www.une.edu.au/faculties/professions/Resources/2008proceedings.pdf |
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Appears in Collections: | Conference Publication |
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open/SOURCE03.pdf | publisher version (open access) | 262.21 kB | Adobe PDF Download Adobe | View/Open |
open/THUMBNAIL.jpg | THUMBNAIL.jpg | 24.02 kB | JPEG | View/Open |
open/JHOVESOURCE03.xml | JHOVE Technical Metadata | 542 B | Unknown | View/Open |
open/PREMISSOURCE03.xml | PREMIS Metadata | 919 B | Unknown | View/Open |
open/FULLTEXTSOURCE03.txt | Full Text of Source | 30.01 kB | Text | View/Open |
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