DOES WORKING WITHIN A FRENCH COMPETITIVENESS CLUSTER OPEN CAREER PERSPECTIVES?

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to study how the fact of
being inserted in a French competitiveness cluster
influences the vision researchers have about their
career. It is dedicated to observing how this influence is exerted and which factors underlie these perceptions. The research is based upon the boundaryless career theory (Arthur & rousseau, 1996). Two
of its dimensions have been especially investigated:
individual career competences (DeFillippi & Arthur,
1996) and psychological mobility (sullivan &
Arthur, 2006).
Exploratory research has been undertaken by
conducting 42 interviews with researchers working
for organizations affiliated to minalogic, one of the
seven world-level French competitiveness clusters.
results are synthesized in a typology which classifies individuals through the influence perceived by
the competitiveness cluster on their career competences and on their psychological mobility. Four
categories are thus identified: the indifferents, the
gatekeepers, the savers and the “pole position”. In
their career representations, researchers consider
differently the dimension of the cluster for three
main reasons: future career plans, participation of
cluster supported activities and their own technological field.