Mirit K. Grabarski, Lakehead University

Galina Boiarintseva, Niagara University

Maria Hameed Khan, Queensland University of Technology

Maria Mouratidou, Liverpool John Moores University

This special issue addresses the interconnected but distinct concepts of meaning, meaningfulness, and purpose in work contexts. The call recognizes that while multiple career theories incorporate meaning-related dimensions, these concepts remain closely intertwined and often used interchangeably, creating conceptual confusion. The editors aim to clarify how meaning relates to personal interpretations and values, meaningfulness to emotional fulfillment and engagement, and purpose to long-term direction and aspirations.

The special issue seeks theoretical and empirical contributions that advance understanding of how people derive significance from their work and what sustains fulfillment over time. The focus is on positive impact and purposeful work rather than career success generally, with the goal of integrating these dimensions into a comprehensive framework for understanding human fulfillment at work.

The call welcomes submissions from researchers worldwide examining how work aligns with values, provides decent conditions, interacts with technology and life roles, enables calling and transcendent goals, and sustains meaning across careers.

Appel publié par Career Development International. Voir l'appel sur le site de l'éditeur. Fiche de l'appel sur kerostig.

Potential topics

• Authenticity and alignment of work with personal values
• Decent work and meaningfulness across occupations
• Human and technological interactions and the future of work
• The place of work in a whole-life framework
• Calling and serving higher purpose through work
• Sustaining purpose and meaning over time

Timeline

• February 1, 2027: Opening date for manuscripts submissions
• March 1, 2027: Closing date for manuscripts submission

Jos Akkermans, VU University

David G. Collings, Trinity College Dublin

Mila Lazarova, Simon Fraser University

Jennifer Tosti-Kharas, Babson College

Career theory has evolved over recent decades. Classic career theories were grounded in relatively stable organizational contexts with hierarchical career paths and a relatively stable external context. In the 1990s, there was increasing recognition of the emergence of more flexible, dynamic careers, driven by technological disruption, demographic shifts, and the rise of non-traditional work and career paths. This development is still often referred to as the 'new career' paradigm. Career theories (e.g., boundaryless career theory, protean career theory, and social cognitive career theory) and concepts (e.g., career orientations, career competencies, and career self-management) within that paradigm primarily emphasize theorizing how individuals can take charge and successfully navigate volatile career paths.

Appel publié par Organizational Psychology Review. Lire l'appel complet sur le site de l'éditeur. Fiche de l'appel sur kerostig.

Potential topics

• How do ongoing social, technological, and geopolitical disruptions challenge existing assumptions embedded in dominant career theories?
• How can new conceptual models better account for the relational and contextual aspects of career development in uncertain and changing environments?
• How should we reconceptualize concepts such as career competencies and employability in labor markets characterized by volatility, automation, and shifting skill demands?
• How can careers be reconceptualized in non-traditional work, including the gig economy, internal job deconstruction, and entrepreneurship?
• How do new forms of digital, hybrid, or platform-mediated work reshape notions of career identity, career success, and career self-management?
• What role does AI, including agentic AI, and the potential role of AI agents as co-workers play in how individuals' careers evolve?
• How can career theories and concepts be adapted or renewed to capture the career experiences of underrepresented and marginalized groups?
• How do organizational, institutional, and labor market structures shape individuals' capacity to construct meaningful and sustainable career paths during times of disruption?
• How do global mobility patterns, migration, and geopolitical conflict reshape traditional narratives of career progression and mobility?
• What new methodological or conceptual tools are needed to theorize non-linear, fragmented, or cyclical career patterns that increasingly deviate from traditional career models?

Timeline

• Invalid DateTime: Expected finalization of the Special Issue
• May 1, 2027: Full paper submission deadline