This dissertation examines the effect of career concerns on the pattern of investments selected by venture capital fund managers. I propose a simple model in which managers strategically adjust the variance of their portfolio to maximize the probability of raising a follow-on fund. The model demonstrates that career concerns can encourage venture capital fund managers to inefficiently select investments that are too conservative. The influence of these career incentives declines following good initial fund performance, leading to a positive correlation between early fund performance and late fund risk-taking. Using a unique data set of company-level cash flows from 181 venture capital funds, I demonstrate that the intra-fund patterns of investment in venture capital broadly match the predictions of the model. First, I show that the characteristics of career concerns in the venture capital industry are consistent with the assumptions which drive the model. Funds who perform well in their initial investments raise a new fund more quickly, and the size of their next fund is concave with respect to the existing fund's performance. Second, using a maximum likelihood methodology I show that venture capital fund managers select more risky portfolio companies following good performance and tend to be less diversified. / text

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Using a novel setting, I examine the relation between a CEO's career concerns and the provision of an annual earnings forecast. Specifically, I exploit staggered changes in non-compete enforcement laws in three U.S. states as a source of exogenous variation in a CEO’s career concerns. Consistent with theory suggesting that career concerns increase a manager's aversion to risk, I find that a CEO is less likely to issue an earnings forecast in periods of stricter non-compete enforcement. Further, cross-sectional analyses indicate that the lower probability of forecast issuance is more pronounced for a CEO who has greater concern for his reputation, faces more risk in forecasting, and is more vulnerable to dismissal.

The development of work self-efficacy in people with life-long physical disabilities was investigated using qualitative methods. A series of three semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of three participants between the ages of 23 and 44. Research participants included two males with cerebral palsy and a female with rheumatoid arthritis. Developmental comparisons were made between the two participants that grew up expecting to go to work as adults and the one participant who did not. All of the participants were working at the time of the interviews. Each of the semi-structured interviews focused on a separate topic: (1) the childhood developmental events that contributed to their becoming adult workers, (2) how these events contributed to their work self-efficacy, and (3) how they described their work self-efficacy. Qualitative analysis of the interview data was guided by Bandura's (1997) social cognitive theory and Lent and Brown's (1996) social cognitive career theory. Results indicate that the mastery experiences of performing household chores, vicarious learning acquired by having working parents as role models, and verbal persuasion in the form of parental encouragement and teacher support all contributed positively to the participants' sense of work self-efficacy. The most common inhibitors of work self-efficacy were parental overprotection, negative school experiences related to being placed in special education, and having people with disabilities as poor role models for working. How the participants cognitively processed developmental experiences also played a role in work self-efficacy development, as they each described actively resisting inhibiting events and readily accepting positive events. A model of work self-efficacy development is proposed that shows that children with disabilities need support for their future work goals in order for the formation of outcome expectations of working as adults. Finally, 12 characteristics of work self-efficacy were identified in the areas of work cognitions (intrinsic rewards, self-confidence, service-orientation, and job-specific knowledge), work behaviors (maintaining a schedule, possessing the physical ability to do essential tasks, possessing required job skills, and ability to meet job performance requirements), and socio-environmental supports (social support from family and loved ones, customer or client positive feedback, coworker support, and supervisor support).

This qualitative study endeavored to interview professional immigrants in order to better understand the adjustment and career-related challenges that professional immigrants encounter when they immigrate to Canada and pursue educational retraining. The main purpose of the study was to explore retraining decisions and outcomes and uncover the factors that influence career resiliency amongst professional immigrants. It was discovered that most professional immigrants have a desirable pre-immigration career and come to Canada to provide a better standard of living for themselves and/or their children. Professional immigrants often expect that they will be able to continue in their vocational field after arriving in Canada with little or no retraining. Unfortunately, most professional immigrants encounter significant initial career barriers such as discrimination, a lack of social networks, and non-recognition of foreign education and work experience. These barriers often lead to issues such as unemployment, under-employment, unfair treatment, psychological distress and a reduced standard of living. To help cope with these difficulties, most professional immigrants rely on social support and personal actions. In particular, encountered career challenges often prompt professional immigrants to adopt educational retraining as a career-enhancing strategy. The specific retraining experiences and career outcomes of participants were explored and discussed in detail. In summary, some participants were able to re-establish a career in Canada that was as satisfying as their pre-immigration career, however, most participants were unable to establish a career that is equivalent to their pre-Canadian career status. A number of participants even found themselves’ unemployed or grossly under-employed despite living in Canada for at least six years and having completed retraining. Overall, participants in this study represented a wide range of experiences which served to guide the formation of a new theoretical model for career resiliency. In addition to accounting for the influence of individual, relational and contextual factors, the newly presented Relative Encompassment Model of Career Resiliency accounts for the influence of relative comparisons, which were found to influence participant’s attitudes, perceptions and coping abilities. The important implications for theory, policy and practice are discussed. Suggestions for future research on career resiliency are also made.

This qualitative study endeavored to interview professional immigrants in order to better understand the adjustment and career-related challenges that professional immigrants encounter when they immigrate to Canada and pursue educational retraining. The main purpose of the study was to explore retraining decisions and outcomes and uncover the factors that influence career resiliency amongst professional immigrants. It was discovered that most professional immigrants have a desirable pre-immigration career and come to Canada to provide a better standard of living for themselves and/or their children. Professional immigrants often expect that they will be able to continue in their vocational field after arriving in Canada with little or no retraining. Unfortunately, most professional immigrants encounter significant initial career barriers such as discrimination, a lack of social networks, and non-recognition of foreign education and work experience. These barriers often lead to issues such as unemployment, under-employment, unfair treatment, psychological distress and a reduced standard of living. To help cope with these difficulties, most professional immigrants rely on social support and personal actions. In particular, encountered career challenges often prompt professional immigrants to adopt educational retraining as a career-enhancing strategy. The specific retraining experiences and career outcomes of participants were explored and discussed in detail. In summary, some participants were able to re-establish a career in Canada that was as satisfying as their pre-immigration career, however, most participants were unable to establish a career that is equivalent to their pre-Canadian career status. A number of participants even found themselves’ unemployed or grossly under-employed despite living in Canada for at least six years and having completed retraining. Overall, participants in this study represented a wide range of experiences which served to guide the formation of a new theoretical model for career resiliency. In addition to accounting for the influence of individual, relational and contextual factors, the newly presented Relative Encompassment Model of Career Resiliency accounts for the influence of relative comparisons, which were found to influence participant’s attitudes, perceptions and coping abilities. The important implications for theory, policy and practice are discussed. Suggestions for future research on career resiliency are also made.

New professional immigrants, who come to Canada with significant education and work experience, often find themselves underemployed after immigration. As a result, many immigrants undergo some form of re-training post-immigration. This study was a sub-study of a larger Canada Research Chair project exploring the career development and re-training experiences of new professional immigrants to Canada. This particular study focused on exploring such experiences from an existential perspective. Within a qualitative research framework, 10 semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with new professional immigrants to Canada. A grounded theory approach was adopted for data analysis. Several themes emerged and key findings, including participants’ relationship with the core existential concepts of death, freedom, and meaning are introduced. Results also compare how existential considerations were related to participants’ level of career satisfaction in Canada. Results have theoretical implications for career and vocational psychology and implications for practice, including professional and self-helping.

Šiame magistratūros baigiamajame darbe nagrinėjama darbuotojų, dirbančių klinikinės medicinos srityje, asmeninės karjeros valdymas. / The present paper evaluates personal career management of the professionals working in clinical research.

Sėkminga karjera dažnai yra laikoma gyvenimo sėkmės pagrindu, todėl tiek daug mokomės ir dirbame, kad padarytume karjerą, kuria galėtume didžiuotis ir kuri leistų mums pasinaudoti visomis gyvenimo galimybėmis. Karjera – tai darbo ir mokymosi patirtis. Darbą būtų galima suprasti kaip sau ir kitiems vertingos veiklos atlikimą. Vieną iš svarbiausių poreikių – savirealizacijos poreikį - individas dažniausiai patenkina įsiliedamas į darbinę veiklą. Šiuolaikiniam žmogui darbas neabejotinai yra svarbi vertybė, įtakojanti įvairias jo gyvenimo sferas. Efektyvaus įsiliejimo į darbo rinką, patinkančios darbinės veiklos, atitinkančio asmens poreikius, polinkius, interesus ir gabumus procesas yra ilgas ir sudėtingas: nuo savęs pažinimo, profesijų pasaulio pažinimo iki profesijos pasirinkimo, profesinės kvalifikacijos įgijimo ir darbo paieškos. Neradusiems savo kelio arba pasirinkusiems jį neteisingai, gresia būti paliktiems darbo rinkos užribyje be galimybės sugrįžti į ją. Todėl neatskiriama žmogaus gyvenimo dalimi tampa profesinės karjeros planavimo procesas. Didėjant darbo rinkos poreikiams, žmonėms vis dažniau tenka keisti veiklos pobūdį. Svarbu tampa ne tik išlikti darbo rinkoje, išsaugoti darbo vietą, bet ir sėkmingai kovoti konkurencinėje kovoje. Dirbdama su jaunuoliais, kuriems reikia profesinio konsultavimo ir orientavimo, susidomėjau priežastimis, skatinančiomis vienaip ar kitaip planuoti savo profesinę karjerą. Žinoma, priežasčių yra daug ir įvairių. Tai ir prigimtis, ir... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The subject of this paper is the influence of social factors for the results of career planning. Career is very important in one’s life. It is not only the choice of profession but it is also lifelong perfection, gaining experience. Scientists claim that career shows the quality of person’s life. Very often the way of seeking the career is influenced by environment. Thus the problem of this paper: how social factors determine youth career planning results. The object: social factors that influence youth career planning results. This paper was aiming to show importance of social factors for career planning results. The question: which social factors influence career planning results the most. Goals of investigation: 1. to describe the results of career planning by analyzing the conception of career planning theories 2. to reveal interaction between social factors and results of career planning 3. to investigate the influence of social factors for the results of career planning, according to students’ point of view. There was applied the empirical quantitative evaluation in this research. The data was obtained executing written questionnaires and applying the method of sources and documentation. Methods of the research: • Analysis of scientific literature sources • Analysis of documents • Questionnaires • Statistical analysis of data Sample of research. 93 schoolchildren and students participated in the research. In summary, research revealed strong interaction between... [to full text]

The thesis “Peculiarities of students` career planning process in terms of their studies at Higher Educational institutions” analyses the concept of career, introduces a new point of view towards the career and emphasises the necessity of career process` management in the context of growing international integration as well as economic, educational and academic globalisation. Reasonable planning of the young professionals` career in the term of their studies will enable to develop competences of young people that will help to develop young professionals` ability to meet future labour market needs considering individual interests and perspectives. Career planning of young professionals in the process of their studies influence increasing competition of the universities` product – future young professionals and at the same time competition of the universities themselves. The aim of the thesis– to analyse the peculiarities of students` career planning process in terms of their studies at Higher Educational institutions with the priority set to dominating career orientations. This paper analyses the models and theories used for students` career planning as well as peculiarities of this process at VPU and VGTU with the focus on subjective career success and its coherence with predominant career orientations and their influence on future career planning process of young person. The results of the study of prevailing career orientations show that VPU and VGTU students consider the... [to full text]