Midlife Career Transitions for Male Scientists and Engineers: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

This dissertation presents the results of a qualitative study of career transition experiences of male scientists and engineers. The sample population was selected from organizations in research and development, industrial, and academic fields in geographically diverse locations in the United States. Examples of career transitions from this population include job reassignment, relocation, being laid off, leaving the corporate world to become a consultant or establish one's own business, making a radical change in a career field, and taking an early retirement. The study addresses the challenges the technical professionals faced and the effects of these challenges from psychosocial perspectives. A narrative approach was used to collect data from 14 male scientists and engineers. The collected data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Examples of the emerging themes that helped in a successful career transition were self-efficacy, resilience, optimism, flexibility, adaptation, and spousal support. The factors that described the dynamics in the career transition experiences were identified as personhood, relationships, lifestyle, and workplace environment and corporate culture. The findings and their implications are discussed in reference to developing appropriate counseling strategies for this population. These strategies are focused on helping a professional recognize midlife transitions as both developmental crises and opportunities. Coping skills are provided to support the tasks of reappraising the past, modifying the current life structure, and completing the transition process as a life-enhancing transformation.