Order and chaos: a twenty-first century formulation of careers

Abstract

A chaos theory of career choice and development is outlined. Traditional trait–factor theories of career choice and development overlook too many pertinent influences on career decision-making, such as change and chance events. As a consequence these reductionist approaches fail to adequately capture some of the most salient influences on an individual's career decisions. More recent systems theory approaches better acknowledge the complex array of influences and the recursive nature of many of those influences. These models have been useful in providing taxonomy of influences that have frequently been overlooked. Developing from such models the chaos theory of careers is outlined. The chaos theoretical approach to career decision-making builds upon this identified complex array of influences. It provides a framework for understanding why career trajectories are not exactly repeatable, how relatively minor changes in subtle variables can lead to major changes in career path and how realist and constructivist approaches to career decisionmaking may be reconciled within a unitary framework. Some of the objections to systems theory approaches are canvassed along with some implications of the chaos theory of careers.