Culture and career decision-making

Issues of growing importance for career practitioners in today's global environment, with so much labour migration, includes that of cultural diversity for both our clients, and ourselves (Blustein & Ellis, 2000). Failing to consider the implications of our client’s culture when building a therapeutic relationship can undermine our process from the start - or disservice the client - by creating a power imbalance or reinforcing of culturally stereotypes (Hays, 1996).

Further, research shows that our differing cultures mean that we will make career decisions differently (Blustein & Ellis, 2000; Mau, 2000, 2001). While much of the research on career decision-making has been undertaken in Western cultures, Mau has explored both US and Taiwanese approaches to decision-making (2000, 2001). It was found that "Taiwanese students are more likely to adopt a dependent style, whereas American students are more likely to adopt a rational style", and Asians are "more self-criticizing and Americans [...] more self-enhancing" (Mau, 2000, p. 367). Taiwanese students tended to make more relational, and collaborative decisions; US students more independent and self-oriented (Mau, 2000). 

Further, it appears that East does not equal West when it comes to the steps in the decision-making process:

A "lack of readiness (before the [career] process [with the counsellor began]) precedes lack of information or inconsistent information (during the process), which in turn affects career indecision. Whereas lack of readiness had a greater impact on career indecision for American students, lack of information had a greater impact on career indecision for Taiwanese students" (Mau, 2001).

Ensuring that we remain open to cultural difference when our clients are making career decisions is important: in both clients taking action, and in how we suggest working together, and the selection of tools (Blustein & Ellis, 2000).

As career practitioners we must ensure that we regularly swap “the spectacles we use in the construction of our [shared] reality” (Marsella & Leong, 1995, p. 205). 

Sam

References:

Blustein, D. L., & Ellis, M. V. (2000). The Cultural Context of Career Assessment. Journal of Career Assessment, 8(4), 379–390. https://doi.org/10.1177/106907270000800407

Hays, P. A. (1996). Addressing the complexities of culture and gender in counseling. Journal of Counseling & Development, 74(4), 332-338. https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1556-6676.1996.tb01876.x

Mau, W.-C. J. (2000). Cultural differences in career decision-making styles and self-efficacy. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 57(3), 365-378. https://doi.org/10.1006/jvbe.1999.1745

Mau, W.-C. J. (2001). Assessing Career Decision-Making Difficulties: A Cross-Cultural Study. Journal of Career Assessment, 9(4), 353–364. https://doi.org/10.1177/106907270100900403

Marsella, A. J., & Leong, F. T. (1995). Cross-cultural issues in personality and career assessment. Journal of Career Assessment, 3(2), 202-218. https://doi.org/10.1177/106907279500300207