Abstract
While the protean career (Hall, 1976, 2002) has been lauded for its advantages in helping individuals adapt to changing career contexts, it is not clear how this career orientation may impact how others perceive a person's leadership ability. In this study, we hypothesized that those with a protean career orientation would receive higher leadership ratings from subordinates and superiors, but lower leadership ratings from peers, in part based upon social comparison theory. Using structural equation modeling, our hypotheses regarding subordinates and peers were supported, but not with respect to superiors, who, along with peers, rated those with a protean career orientation lower in terms of transformational leadership as measured by the MLQ. We discuss potential reasons for these findings and the consequences for research and theory. Also, we examine the implications of this research for leadership development, workforce recruitment and retention, and possible generational significance.
Highlights
The purpose of this article is to establish whether individuals with a “protean” (Hall, 1976; 2002) or independent orientation toward their careers are perceived by workplace others as effective leaders and to discuss the implications
We examine leadership ratings of full-time employees by their staff, peers, and superiors to see if a protean career orientation on the part of the focal employee is associated with their leadership ratings
We found a positive relationship between protean career orientation and transformational leadership when the employees in question were rated by subordinates
Summary
The purpose of this article is to establish whether individuals with a “protean” (Hall, 1976; 2002) or independent orientation toward their careers are perceived by workplace others as effective leaders and to discuss the implications. Our research seeks to explore whether self-directed career actors are more or less effective leaders. We address practical considerations of whether and how organizations should actively recruit, develop, and promote such employees. These questions are critical but to our knowledge have not been answered by existing research. In the protean career--in contrast to traditional perceptions of the career–the individual rather than the organization establishes the standards upon which success is judged and pursues career management action in a self-directed fashion in order to achieve the desired ends
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