Introduction to Career Dynamics in a Global World

Abstract

In their introduction to the book Career Dynamics in a Global World:Indian and Western Perspectives, the authors ask: do Western career concepts and practices interfere with our understanding of careers in other parts of the world? They identify four drivers behind the evolution of careers today – globalization, culture, convergence-divergence and gender roles – and describe how different combinations of these drivers give rise to a range of topics on which Indian and Western perspectives can be compared. Those topics – on self and career, social entrepreneurship as a career choice, stepping off the career ladder, MBA careers across the globe, breaking and re-entry, academic careers, careers in IT and opting out or staying in – provide the titles of each part of the book under which one Indian and one Western chapter are presented. Readers are invited to more deeply appreciate the career phenomena involved, as well as the challenges in seeking to move from research to practice.