A Life Span Perspective for Understanding Employee Career Orientations and Success

Abstract

This longitudinal study documented age differences in careerism from a lifespan perspective. Furthermore, we examined the extent to which the interactive effect of career self-management (CSM) and perceived investment in employee development (PIED) on subjective career success was matched between younger and middle-aged people. Using a sample of Japanese employees working for privately owned firms in Japan, we found a three-way interaction effect between age, CSM, and PIED when predicting subjective career success 6 months later. As hypothesized, the positive relationship between CSM and subjective career success was stronger for younger employees with high PIED than it was for those with low PIED, whereas for middle-aged employees the reverse was true. Using the findings, we discuss the possibility of integrating lifespan theory into the framework of careerism and subjective career success, both within and across organizations.