Proactive career behavior in management: A systematic literature review

Abstract

The purpose of the conducted systematic review is to identify how organizations can promote proactive career behavior among employees. The review includes 91 articles published in highly ranked English language journals till 2022. The review covers three categories of job seekers — the employed (the domestic labor market), those in active search (the external labor market), students. The employed workers include both new recruits and those who are interested in further career advancement. The study interprets the key definitions related to proactive career behavior and clarifies the variants of operationalization. The authors suggest four measures how to promote employees’ proactive career behavior. Due to the novelty of the topic in the domestic academic context, the identified definitions, operationalization and methods of organizational support require empirical testing in Russian organizations. The paper introduces the publications in highly ranked journals; it increases the credibility of the obtained results and shows possible ways of empirical testing of the identified assumptions. The practical significance pertains to companies’ interest in well-being, diversity and inclusion programs. Supporting employees in their efforts related to career success has a positive impact on their well-being and expands a range of tools for managing diversity through a greater autonomy in building individual career trajectories. In Russia, most of the research on proactivity is conducted in the fields of psychology and sociology. The present review suggests a range of issues for management, shifting the focus to the role of organizations in the career success of their employees.