Imperfect Careers and Ownership: The Fragile Promise of Career Ownership in an Imperfect World of Work

Managers and employees alike are often told that ‘owning your career’ is the secret to success and happiness. In the literature and in practice, career ownership has been romanticized as the golden path to a perfect, self-designed career. But this glossy promise hides a problem: it creates unrealistic expectations and immense pressure on individuals. The truth is that modern careers, and the very notion of ownership itself, are inherently imperfect. Yet the narrative persists. Ownership is still portrayed as the tool to shape career progress in a flawless way, while subtly signaling that individuals must also shoulder the blame for career disruptions and setbacks, which fosters the emotion of regret. Scholars have long called for a more realistic view of careers, one that acknowledges not just the bright sides but also the shadows. Much of this work, however, remains fragmented. This leaves a critical gap and we still lack a comprehensive understanding of how career ownership can both create negative outcomes such as mistakes, wrong choices, as well as regret, and, at the same time, provide the very means to overcome them, sustain meaningful work in difficult times, and keep passion under control despite external barriers. These insights are particularly concerning in today’s world of work, given that careers have become not only freer and boundaryless but also more complex. Indeed, while contemporary careers allow individuals to pursue meaningfulness, purpose, and passion, the lack thereof can cause stress and become an emotional burden leading back to the feeling of being responsible for this. In a world where individuals strive for careers that are in alignment with their values and goals and are self-directed, increased responsibility can harm well-being and satisfaction, fostering regretful emotions. Hence, paradoxically, even individuals who manage to pursue careers with ownership may face challenges and experience regret, underlining the complex nature of careers and ownership. To investigate the imperfect aspects of careers themselves and ownership, this dissertation was guided by the research question: How do individuals navigate the challenges associated with career ownership in the context of imperfect careers? Through four empirical, qualitative studies, this dissertation challenged the prevailing assumption that taking ownership uniformly enables individuals to successfully steer their careers without any flaws, emphasizing instead that challenges and complexities persist even for those who exercise ownership.