Careers theory and research
Name：
Denise Jepsen
Nationality：
Australia
Academic Title：Associate Professor
Home University
Macquarie University
（From）：
Email Address： Denise.jepsen@mq.edu.au
Undergraduate
English
none
Lectures and tutorials
Students will be required to
1. Actively participate in classes (20%)
2. As part of a small group, make class presentations on course work (40%)
3. Submit an individual essay assignment on course work (approximately 1,000 words)
(40%).
2 credits
Denise is an organisational psychologist who joined the Faculty of Business and
Economics at Macquarie University in July 2009. Denise had previously taught
undergraduate and postgraduate organisational psychology at the University of NSW
and undergraduate and postgraduate human resource management at the University of
Technology, Sydney.
Prior to entering academia, Denise had written one book on local government, four
books on career transition, was a licensed stockbroker and founded a private
employment agency. The range of public and private sector clients in both the city
and country where Denise consulted includes financiers, professional service firms,
consumer goods, casinos, mines, banks, oil refineries and IT firms.
This course will introduce students to the ideas of an individual’s career, and
theory related to career choice, career management and career orientation. The
course will explore a range of established and more recent career models through
the use of peer-reviewed literature. The course will consist of lectures as well
as tutorials where students will work in small groups.
1. Introductions, course outline (1 session)
2. Trait and type theories (2 sessions)
o Trait and factory theory
o Work adjustment theory
o Holland’s theory of types
o Myers-Briggs type theory
3. Life span theories (2 sessions)
o Super’s life-span model
o Gottfredson’s theory of self-creation, circumscription and compromise
o Hopson and Adam’s Model of adult transitions
4. Special focus theories (3 sessions)
o Constructivist and narrative approaches
o Relational approaches
o Krumboltz’ social learning theory
o Social cognitive career theory
o Career decision-making approaches
o Systems theory
o Protean, boundaryless theory
o Kaleidoscope theory
5. Careers instruments and measures (2 sessions)
6. Presentations and wrap up (2 sessions).
Note: The above detail may change in the final unit guide.
None required, readings will be supplied.
1. Arthur, M. B., Hall, D. T., & Lawrence, B. S. (1989). Generating new directions
in career theory: the case for a transdisciplinary approach. In M. B. Arthur, D.
T. Hall & B. S. Lawrence (Eds.), Handbook of career theory (pp. 7-25). Cambridge,
England: Cambridge University Press.
2. Bagdadli, S. (2007). Designing career systems: are we ready for it? In H. Gunz
& M. Peiperl (Eds.), Handbook of career studies (pp. 497-501). Thousand Oaks, USA:
Sage Publications, Inc.
3. Barney, J. B., & Lawrence, B. S. (1989). Pin stripes, power ties, and personal
relationships: the economics of career strategy. In M. B. Arthur, D. T. Hall & B.
S. Lawrence (Eds.), Handbook of career theory (pp. 417-436). Cambridge, England:
Cambridge University Press.
4. Betz, N. E., Fitzgerald, L. F., & Hill, R. E. (1989). Trait-factor theories:
traditional cornerstone of career theory. In M. B. Arthur, D. T. Hall & B. S. Lawrence
(Eds.), Handbook of career theory (pp. 26-40). Cambridge, England: Cambridge
University Press.
5. Cascio, W. F. (2007). Trends, paradoxes, and some directions for research in
career studies. In H. Gunz & M. Peiperl (Eds.), Handbook of career studies (pp.
549-557). Thousand Oaks, USA: Sage Publications, Inc.
6. Chartrand, J. M., Strong, S. R., & Weitzman, L. M. (1995). The international
perspective in vocational psychology: paradigms, theories, and research practices.
In W. B. Walsh & S. H. Osipow (Eds.), Handbook of vocational psychology: theory,
research and practice (pp. 35-66). Mahwah, USA: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.
7. Collin, A. (2007). The meanings of career. In H. Gunz & M. Peiperl (Eds.), Handbook
of career studies (pp. 558-565). Thousand Oaks, USA: Sage Publications, Inc.
8. Cytrynbaum, S., & Crites, J. O. (1989). The utility of adult development theory
in understanding career adjustment process. In M. B. Arthur, D. T. Hall & B. S.
Lawrence (Eds.), Handbook of career theory (pp. 66-88). Cambridge, England:
Cambridge University Press.
9. DeFillippi, R. J., & Arthur, M. J. (1996). Boundaryless contexts and careers:
A competency-based perspective. In M. B. Arthur & D. M. Rousseau (Eds.), The
boundaryless career: a new employment principle for a new organizational era (pp.
116-131). New York, USA: Oxford University Press Inc.
10. Derr, C. B., & Briscoe, J. P. (2007). The catalytic 1970s: Lessons for the 2000s.
In H. Gunz & M. Peiperl (Eds.), Handbook of career studies (pp. 528-541). Thousand
Oaks, USA: Sage Publications, Inc.
11. Doyle, M. (2000). Managing careers in organisations. In A. Collin & R. A. Young
(Eds.), The future of career (pp. 228-242). Cambridge, England: Cambridge University
Press.