Stayers versus movers: Social capital and early career imprinting among young professionals

Abstract

We investigate what interfirm career mobility patterns would emerge if individuals are motivated by the job rewards they obtain as a function of their experience in organizations. We articulate two career strategies that individuals employ to navigate their early careers-commitment to a single employer and "job hopping" between different employers. Each strategy generates social capital (an individual's structure of social relations) but of a different kind. Embeddedness in the same organization over time develops a strong local identity and reputation within the firm. Boundary spanning through experience in different organizations creates opportunities for connecting people and ideas and for knowledge transfer between firms. We posit and present evidence that the choice between these two strategies is conditioned by social experience at the onset of one's career-the length of tenure with the first employer-which sorts individuals into "stayers" and "movers."

How Do Career Aspirations Benefit Organizations? The Mediating Roles of the Proactive and Relational Aspects of Contemporary Work

“…The first contribution concerns the link between employees’ career aspirations and their contribution to organizations. While recent studies have demonstrated how employees’ career mobility benefits organizations ( Dobrev and Merluzzi, 2018 ) and how organizational career management, as well as individual career investments, are beneficial for firm performance ( Crook et al, 2011 ; De Vos and Cambré, 2017 ), we extend support for this reasoning by demonstrating that employees’ career aspirations also strengthen organizational capabilities and connections. To date, research has examined career aspirations of high school and university students to understand and influence their future career paths (e.g., Schoon and Polek, 2011 ; Kitchen et al, 2017 ).…”

“…Thus, while managers are exerting much effort in identifying strategies to manage demanding business environments, employees have become more driven by their own career needs than by organizational goals. Therefore, it is not surprising that scholars have become increasingly interested in examining how organizational goals can be accomplished through employees’ career attitudes and behaviors (e.g., Fleisher et al, 2014 ; Dobrev and Merluzzi, 2018 ).…”

“…Recognizing the necessity of this new research approach reveals an important gap in the contemporary career literature that must be further explored and addressed. As part of the contemporary discourse about careers, we know, for example, that organizations can benefit from employees’ career mobility, which brings novel social and human capital ( Dobrev and Merluzzi, 2018 ). We also know that employees’ career competencies, including their career motivation, knowledge, and network, can benefit organizations by strengthening the organizational core competencies of culture, capabilities , and connections ( Fleisher et al, 2014 ).…”

Audience perceptions of high‐status ties and network advantage: The market for coaching jobs in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (2000–2011)

“…In recent years, a growing number of studies have drawn on the idea of imprinting to describe how early experiences in a career can have a lasting effect on individual's behaviors and attitudes (e.g., Higgins, ; Dobrev & Merluzzi, ; for a review, see Marquis & Tilcsik, ). However, there has been little research on the imprinting effects of network ties; and research on the performance implications of network imprints in particular is limited to a handful of studies (e.g., McEvily et al, ; Tilcsik, ).…”

Development and validation of a commitment to organizational career scale: At the crossroads of individuals’ career aspirations and organizations’ needs

“…For employees, pursuing career goals in a specific organization has career advantages. A long-term relationship to a specific organization is a strong driver of career advancement (Bidwell & Mollick, 2015;Koch, Forgues, & Monties, 2017;Ng & Feldman, 2010a) while moving across organizations may sometimes harm individuals' careers (Baruch & Vardi, 2016;Dobrev & Merluzzi, 2018;Fuller, 2008). For organizations, committed employees are critical for attaining organizational goals and, in the longer term, ensuring continuity and growth (Cooper-Hakim & Viswesvaran, 2005;Hoekstra, 2011).…”