Globalization, academic knowledge interests and the global careers discourse

Purpose: This paper aims to present two objectives. The first objective is to identify the academic knowledge interests (managerial, agentic, curatorial and critical) prevalent in research on global careers. The second objective is to consider and critique the discourse constructed and perpetuated i...

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Main Authors: McKenna, Stephen, Peticca-Harris, A.
Format: Journal Article
Published: 2016
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/54857
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author McKenna, Stephen
Peticca-Harris, A.
author_facet McKenna, Stephen
Peticca-Harris, A.
author_sort McKenna, Stephen
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Purpose: This paper aims to present two objectives. The first objective is to identify the academic knowledge interests (managerial, agentic, curatorial and critical) prevalent in research on global careers. The second objective is to consider and critique the discourse constructed and perpetuated in academic texts on global careers concerning globalization, global careers and the global careerist. Design/methodology/approach: Using a critical discourse analysis, the paper analyzes 66 articles and book chapters and one book on the subject of a global career. The authors positioned the texts into one of the four academic knowledge interests – managerial, agentic, curatorial and critical. The texts were also analyzed with respect to the discourse manifested in relation to globalization, global careers and the global careerist. Findings: The authors found that the texts were driven by primarily managerial academic knowledge interests, followed by agentic and curatorial interests. Very few reflected critical knowledge interests. In addition, texts on global careers accept the globalization of business as natural and unproblematic and, consequently, construct a discourse about the global career and the global careerist which fits the idea that global business expansion in its current form is inevitable and inescapable. Originality/value: This paper is the first to analyze the academic knowledge production and discourse on “global careers” and the “global careerist” as it is emerging among career scholars. It is also one of the very few articles offering a more critical perspective on global careers specifically and careers more generally.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-548572017-09-13T16:09:43Z Globalization, academic knowledge interests and the global careers discourse McKenna, Stephen Peticca-Harris, A. Purpose: This paper aims to present two objectives. The first objective is to identify the academic knowledge interests (managerial, agentic, curatorial and critical) prevalent in research on global careers. The second objective is to consider and critique the discourse constructed and perpetuated in academic texts on global careers concerning globalization, global careers and the global careerist. Design/methodology/approach: Using a critical discourse analysis, the paper analyzes 66 articles and book chapters and one book on the subject of a global career. The authors positioned the texts into one of the four academic knowledge interests – managerial, agentic, curatorial and critical. The texts were also analyzed with respect to the discourse manifested in relation to globalization, global careers and the global careerist. Findings: The authors found that the texts were driven by primarily managerial academic knowledge interests, followed by agentic and curatorial interests. Very few reflected critical knowledge interests. In addition, texts on global careers accept the globalization of business as natural and unproblematic and, consequently, construct a discourse about the global career and the global careerist which fits the idea that global business expansion in its current form is inevitable and inescapable. Originality/value: This paper is the first to analyze the academic knowledge production and discourse on “global careers” and the “global careerist” as it is emerging among career scholars. It is also one of the very few articles offering a more critical perspective on global careers specifically and careers more generally. 2016 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/54857 10.1108/cpoib-02-2015-0007 restricted
spellingShingle McKenna, Stephen
Peticca-Harris, A.
Globalization, academic knowledge interests and the global careers discourse
title Globalization, academic knowledge interests and the global careers discourse
title_full Globalization, academic knowledge interests and the global careers discourse
title_fullStr Globalization, academic knowledge interests and the global careers discourse
title_full_unstemmed Globalization, academic knowledge interests and the global careers discourse
title_short Globalization, academic knowledge interests and the global careers discourse
title_sort globalization, academic knowledge interests and the global careers discourse
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/54857