Research handbook on vocational behavior / edited by Nadya A. Fouad (distinguished professor emerita, Department of Educational Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, USA), Beatrice I.J.M. van der Heijden (professor of strategic HRM, Institute for Management Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, the Netherlands), and Dora Scholarios (professor of work psychology, Strathclyde Business School, University of Strathclyde, UK).

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Fouad, Nadya A., editor.

Heijden, B. I. J. M. van der, 1967- editor.

Scholarios, Dora, editor.

Edward Elgar Publishing, publisher.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Vocational guidance--Psychological aspects--Handbooks, manuals, etc.

Vocational guidance.

Career development--Social aspects--Handbooks, manuals, etc.

Career development.

Work--Psychological aspects--Handbooks, manuals, etc.

Work.

Genre:

Electronic books.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (450 pages)

Edition:

First.

Place of Publication:

Northampton : Edward Elgar Publishing, 2026.

Summary:

"This Research Handbook provides a novel, integrative approach to the field of vocational behavior. Moving beyond a focus on individual agency, this collection explores how multiple stakeholders and societal and institutional forces shape lives and identities. Leading scholars interrogate the complexities of working life, addressing themes such as changes in contemporary labor markets and radical transformations driven by AI, socio-political shifts, and increasingly volatile and uncertain environmental conditions. Contributing authors discuss a range of concepts and provocative ideas, and offer guided career practice and interventions. The chapters demonstrate how individuals, organizations, and other stakeholders, including family and friends, can shape vocational behavior and foster or endanger individual career sustainability. Drawing on diverse epistemologies and methodologies, they investigate contemporary challenges, such as work precarity and global migration, through socio-economic, political, and decolonial lenses. The Handbook proposes new research directions that embrace global disruption and a social justice agenda, acting as a reference point for theoretically diverse, relevant, and socially responsible approaches to vocational behavior. This Research Handbook is an invaluable reference for students and scholars across the social sciences, particularly those seeking multi- and trans-disciplinary perspectives on vocational behavior. It is a must-have for vocational and career psychologists and counselors, HR professionals, and policymakers who want to increase their knowledge of today's challenges in the world of work and careers"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Contents: 1. Introduction: Rethinking vocational behaviour: Past, present and future directions / Nadya A. Fouad, Beatrice I.J.M. van der Heijden, and Dora Scholarios

Part I: Theoretical contributions for the new world of work

2. Psychology of working: New directions for theory development, practice, and public policy / David L. Blustein, Michael Gordon, Karley Guterres, and Camille M. Smith

3. Psychology of working theory and access to decent work / Haram J. Kim and Ryan D. Duffy

4. Beyond the job: Exploring the career implications of job crafting / Fangfang Zhang, Xiaolin Ge, Shanghao Song, and Sharon K. Parker

5. Career insecurity in the new world of work: Insights and critical reflections / Annabelle Hofer and Daniel Spurk

6. Navigating modern careers: Reflections on the roles of career interests, choice, and shocks / Jos Akkermans and Alexis Hanna

Part II: Vocational behaviour across the lifespan

7. The role of critical consciousness to develop a future attentive to inclusion, and social and environmental justice / Laura Nota, Maria Cristina Ginevra, Sara Santilli, and Salvatore Soresi

8. Career development and job search success for autistic individuals: Interests, issues and needed research / Katherine R. Brendli Brown and Susanne M. Bruyr̈e

9. Sustainable career development in the context of the necessary ecological transition / Jřm̥e Rossier, Sabrina Tacchini, and Shagini Udayar

10. Successful ageing in the changing world of work / Hannes Zacher and Anindo Bhattacharjee

Part III: Methodological approaches

11. How can qualitative methods enrich vocational research with under- or unexplored populations and issues? Asked, but not answered / Donna E. Schultheiss, Jenny Bimrose, Rachel Gali Cinamon, and / Angela Capuano-Fant

12. Qualitative research in vocational psychology: Considerations for quality research with migrants and refugees / Mary McMahon, Nancy Arthur, Peyman Abkhezr, and Jon Woodend

13. Person-centered models / Joeri Hofmans, Alexandre J. S. Morin, and Bart Wille

14. Predictive analytics and their effect on careers: A multi-disciplinary analysis / Felix Diefenhardt, Wolfgang Mayrhofer, and Marco L. Rapp

Part IV: Questioning the tenets of vocational behaviour research

15. Social norms on work: A critical review of employability research / Nele De Cuyper and Anneleen Forrier

16. Career inertia among students: An experimental vignette study on the likelihood of prolonged studying decisions / Roosmarij Clercx, Paulien D'Huyvetter, Marijke Verbruggen, and Ans De Vos

17. Understanding barriers to decent work: A critical reflection using the context-power-perception model / Ishbel McWha-Hermann and Ellen Hawley McWhirter

18. Underemployment's impact on vocational behaviour: A multidisciplinary exploration and methodological innovation / Vanessa Beck, Vanesa Fuertes, Daiga Kamerade, Levana Magnus, Luis Torres, and Tracey Warren

Part V: Contemporary challenges

19. Precarity and precarious work: Psychological conditions, worldviews, and behaviours / Blake A. Allan and Kelsey Autin

20. Cents and sensibility: Financial insecurity and its impact on vocational behaviour / Belgin Okay-Somerville, Bert Schreurs, and Eva Selenko

21. Exploring the dark side of careers in the gig economy: The role of online labour platforms in supporting or thwarting gig workers' careers / Anne Keegan, Jeroen Meijerink, and Owen O'Connor

22. The labour market integration and career development of people with a refugee background / Katja Wehrle and Ute-Christine Klehe

23. Happy, healthy and productive abroad: Exploring sustainable global careers and developing future research directions / Shaofang Zong, Vesa Suutari, Rodrigo Mello, and Michael Dickmann

24. Aging and technology use in the workplace / Mo Wang, Bingjie Lu, and Zhefan Huang

25. AI and the future of careers: A view through the lens of the career ecosystem theory / Yehuda Baruch

Part VI: Final commentaries: Challenges and opportunities

26. Career self-management in response to changing employment models: Identity integration, capability optimization, and reward personalization / Yanjun Guan

27. Career development in dynamic times: Challenges, opportunities and research frontiers / Andreas Hirschi

28. What does it mean to be a careers scholar? A personal reflection / Denise Jepsen

29. Understanding and promoting career development in an age of work instability / Robert W. Lent.

Notes:

Description based on print record.

ISBN:

9781035322633 (e-book)

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license.