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When you hear the word ecosystem, your first thought might be of its origins in the field of ecology, which explores the interactive web of organisms and the environment. Yet, the application of this term to the field of organizational psychology occurred nearly two decades ago.
In a 2004 Harvard Business Review article, Marco Iansiti and Roy Levien considered organizational strategy through the lens of ecology by focusing on business ecosystems. Just over a decade later, in a chapter published in the 2015 Handbook of Research on Sustainable Careers, Yehuda Baruch applied the notion of an ecosystem to organizational and labour markets in what he defined as a career ecosystem. Similar to the field of ecology, a career ecosystem is made up of an interactive web of various players (referred to as actors) and the environment in which they operate. These actors are interconnected and interdependent; the success of the career ecosystem relies on mutually beneficial outcomes for all actors.
Looking at career guidance for post-secondary students, we consider three distinct levels of actors:
- Micro – students and graduates;
- Meso – career professionals, lecturers, alums, recruiters, friends and family; and
- Macro – post-secondary institutions, employers, national government.
Because all levels of a career ecosystem are interconnected, the success of students and graduates at the micro level influences the success of the macro-level actors. For example, universities gain from institutional reputation, institutional rankings and income from attracting future students. Employers benefit from having a pipeline of early career talent that they can mould into the leaders of tomorrow, generating a sustained competitive advantage. Meanwhile, governments gain from increased taxation and productivity while reducing reliance on welfare.
“Because all levels of a career ecosystem are interconnected, the success of students and graduates at the micro level influences the success of the macro-level actors.”
Meso-level actors are the linchpin between micro- and macro-level actors to prepare students for the school-to-work transition. Post-secondary career professionals play a crucial role in determining the success of the career ecosystem for all actors. While career professionals can have a strong individual impact, the chronic underfunding and under-resourcing of career centres mean that developing partnerships with other meso-level actors is crucial to meeting student needs.
We begin this two-part series by introducing the concepts of a career ecosystem and a sustainable career, exploring how they integrate into a sustainable career ecosystem. We look at how these ideas resonate when providing career guidance to students in post-secondary institutions. In part two, we will build on the foundation of a sustainable career ecosystem to consider what career services of the future might look like.
What do we mean by a sustainable career?
According to the organizational psychologist Dame Beatrice Van der Heijden, health, happiness, and productivity are the foundation of a sustainable career. In later writing, Van der Heijden and Ans De Vos proposed that a sustainable career involves three dimensions: person, context and time. In other words, a person’s career plays out across various contexts throughout their career span. This means that creating a sustainable career requires taking ownership of one’s career while also identifying and adapting to external influences.
Let’s consider the example of a student or graduate: The context refers to the university, workplace and home environments in which their lives play out. The time dimension captures the preparation for and undertaking of the school-to-work transition and the need to navigate uncertainty and transitions throughout one’s career.
While the support career professionals provide on resumes, cover letters or interview preparation is beneficial, we must take a more holistic approach to preparing students for sustainable careers. For example, supporting students in taking ownership of their career trajectories by reflecting on their values, interests, skills, goals and purpose can equip them to navigate volatile and challenging labour markets. Effective career interventions can support students and graduates to realize the sustainable career indicators of health, happiness and productivity in being central to their decision-making.
A sustainable career ecosystem
You may have noticed overlapping and complementary aspects of a career ecosystem and a sustainable career. In recognition of this in 2023, William Donald defined a sustainable career ecosystem as:
“A variety of interconnected and interdependent actors across higher education institutions and workplace contexts, whereby the lives and careers of individuals evolve and play out over time with an emphasis on sustainable outcomes for the individual, organizations, and broader society.” (p. xxvii).
By merging the concepts of a career ecosystem and a sustainable career, Donald’s sustainable career ecosystem points to the fact that the system’s success relies on mutually beneficial outcomes sustained over time. Yet, how can career professionals within post-secondary institutions evolve their approaches to prepare students and graduates to navigate volatile, uncertain, global and evolving labour markets? Join us in part two to find out.
Further reading
If you are interested in learning more about the concept of a sustainable career ecosystem in the context of providing career guidance to students in post-secondary institutions, then you might like to check out the Handbook of Research on Sustainable Career Ecosystems for University Students and Graduates (IGI Global, 2023) or Strategic Opportunities for Bridging the University-Employer Divide (IGI Global, 2024).
