Understanding careers in China: The relevance of evolving work-life values and cultures

To address the knowledge gap and expand career research in China, we explore various perspectives, focus on the evolving work-family values and culture, and demonstrate how these factors shape contemporary careers in China. Specifically, we adopt a novel theoretical lens—the career ecosystem theory—which offers a systemic perspective to examine key career actors, their interactions, and their efficacy in achieving successful and sustainable careers (Baruch, 2015). Specifically, we investigate the following questions in this conceptual chapter:

Who are the key actors? Are they general, or are specific actors unique to China?

How are they connected and interact?

What are the trends of the system (i.e., pace, direction)

How can the career ecosystem be sustainable in China?