A note on the research philosophies underpinning academic career planning theories: for MBA students

A note on the research philosophies underpinning academic career planning theories: for MBA students

 

Highlight 4 main ideas of a career planning theory mainly based on the positivist perspective, and a second one based on interpretivism, and finally, a third one based on pragmatism. Also provide a reference in Harvard reference format on each of these theories.

 

Here are three concise theory-based ways to frame career planning, each aligned with a different research philosophy: positivism, interpretivism, and pragmatism. I’ve highlighted four main ideas for each and added a Harvard-style reference you can use in your dissertation or coursework.

1) Positivist perspective

A positivist career-planning theory treats career choice as something that can be measured, predicted, and matched through objective assessment. In career guidance, this is most closely reflected in trait-factor / person-environment fit thinking, where the goal is to match a person’s traits to an occupation.

Four main ideas

• Career choice can be understood through observable, measurable traits such as abilities, interests, and values.
• People are assumed to have relatively stable characteristics that can be assessed objectively.
• Better career decisions come from matching the person to the environment or job requirements.
• Career guidance is mainly diagnostic and information-based, with the adviser acting as an expert who helps identify the “best fit.”

Harvard reference
Parsons, F. (1909) Choosing a vocation. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

2) Interpretivist perspective

An interpretivist career-planning theory treats career as a personally constructed story shaped by lived experience, meaning, and context rather than as a fixed match. A strong example is the narrative / constructivist approach, which explains career as something people continually interpret and re-interpret through their own experiences.

Four main ideas

• Career is understood through the individual’s subjective meanings and lived experiences.
• People construct their career identity by telling and revising their own career stories.
• Career decisions are influenced by context, relationships, and personal interpretation, not only by test scores or traits.
• Guidance focuses on reflection, dialogue, and self-understanding rather than simple matching.

 

Harvard reference
Cochran, L. (1997) Career counseling: A narrative approach. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

3) Pragmatist perspective

A pragmatist career-planning theory focuses on what works in practice, especially under uncertainty and change. In career guidance, pragmatism supports flexible, action-oriented approaches such as combining ideas, trying options, learning from experience, and adjusting plans as circumstances change.

Four main ideas

• Career planning should be judged by practical usefulness and consequences, not only by abstract theory.
• Knowledge is provisional and should be tested through action and reflection.
• Career decisions are often improved by experimenting, learning, and revising plans as new information appears.
• The best approach is often a flexible blend of methods rather than loyalty to one fixed theory.

Harvard reference
Korte, R. and Mercurio, Z.A. (2017) ‘Pragmatism and Human Resource Development: Practical foundations for research, theory, and practice’, Human Resource Development Review, 16(1), pp. 113–136.

How to use this in your writing

If you are writing an MBA dissertation or assignment, you can present the three philosophies like this: positivism = matching and measurement, interpretivism = meaning and narrative, pragmatism = what works in practice. That gives you a neat conceptual structure and shows clear philosophical alignment.

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