Careers in the Greek public sector: calibrating the kaleidoscope

Abstract

PurposeThe authors draw upon the kaleidoscope career model (KCM) to explore the career perceptions of public service employees in Greece.Design/methodology/approachQualitative semistructured interviews were conducted with 33 civil servants.FindingsThe authors’ demonstrate how context frames career perceptions and propose an additional KCM parameter (security).Research limitations/implicationsThis context-based study proposes an extension of the KCM theory beyond the original three parameters that were dominant at its inception.Practical implicationsThe authors provide recommendations for human resource practices, such as empowerment through training, fair promotions and providing meaning. Despite the common perception, the need for challenge exists even within the public sector, such that satisfying it can help organizations to gain strategic advantage.Originality/valueThis study expands a prominent career theory by exploring it in a unique context. By doing that, the authors are able to better understand how the parameters of the model are readjusted in different settings and to uncover a previously unidentified theme.

Careers of women public managers: Career needs of women public managers across generations

“…Thus far, the KCM framework has been applied to examine the career advancement of women at entry and mid‐level positions, and across career stages in the private sector (August, 2011; Cabrera, 2007; Mainiero & Sullivan, 2005, 2006; Sullivan et al, 2007). A study by Mouratidou and Grabarski (2021) was the first to apply the KCM in the public sector to show the importance of considering context when examining public sector workers' career needs. Our study is different in that we focus on examining the career needs of women public managers while also considering generational similarities and differences.…”

“…Prior studies that examine the career patterns of individuals using the KCM have almost exclusively been in the private sector context, with the exception of a recent work by Mouratidou and Grabarski (2021), who study the career patterns of public sector workers in Greece. Similarly, existing literature rarely focuses on women in leadership roles.…”

“…Career development models are useful for understanding some of the complexities associated with individual and organizational factors that impede women's advancement in the workforce. One such model is the Kaleidoscope Career Model (KCM), which is often applied in the private sector (see Mouratidou & Grabarski, 2021 for a recent application of KCM in the public sector setting in Greece). This model introduces the need for challenge , balance , and authenticity for women in the workforce (Mainiero & Sullivan, 2005, 2006).…”

Running their own show: Malaysian women entrepreneurs’ kaleidoscope careers

“…Other KCM researchers have pointed out the importance of conducting studies beyond the traditional work contexts and western individualistic cultures (Mainiero and Gibson, 2018;Savickas, 2003). This call has been partially addressed by scholars from nonwestern countries, such as Japan (Futagami and Helms, 2009), Greece (Mouratidou and Grabarski, 2021), and Kazakhstan (Kuzhabekova and Lee, 2018). In our study, by focusing on Malaysia, we respond to the call to empirically examine the KCM model in nonwestern and collectivist contexts (e.g.…”

Women’s Careers in a Patriarchal Context: Through the Lens of the Kaleidoscope Career Model

“…While the KCM is a contemporary framework to study women's careers, its primary focus to date on analyzing the careers of US professional workers and incorporating only socially privileged groups in constructing study samples leaves open important avenues for future research. The KCM has been empirically applied in only a few countries outside the United States to study women's careers: Australia (Clarke, 2015;Howes & Goodman-Delahunty, 2015;O'Neill & Jepsen, 2019), Greece (Mouratidou & Grabarski, 2021), Ireland (Grady & McCarthy, 2008;O'Connor & Crowley-Henry, 2020), Japan (Futagami & Helms, 2009), Kazakhstan (Kuzhabekova & Lee, 2018), Malaysia (Au et al, 2021), New Zealand (Elley-Brown et al, 2018;Hurst et al, 2018;Shaw & Leberman, 2015), and South Africa (Koekemoer & Crafford, 2019). Most of these KCM studies have also incorporated only socially privileged groups in their study samples.…”