Purpose: The career concept has become fuzzier due to changing work patterns, the ageing workforce, and the environmental changes occurring during employee lifespans. Together this requires a renewed and broader reaching contextualization of this concept. The aim of this article is to set out an integrative approach arguing that the integration of career stage models with occupational groups proves more explanative of intrinsic and extrinsic worker motivations Design/methodology/approach: Secondary data from 23 European countries was drawn from the European Social Survey 2006. The construct validity and reliability of indicators was analysed. Hypotheses were tested using discriminant analysis. Findings: Results showed that neither occupations nor career stages are determinants per se of intrinsic motivations, but are better explained by their mutual integration. Career stages were shown to predict per se extrinsic motivations. Research limitations/implications: The recourse to the ESS pre-determined scales and the application of age ranges as proxies for careers stages suggested the usage of more specific measures in future studies. Practical implications: Career management and compensation policies might be better tailored to worker motivations by considering the age ranges (as proxies of career stages) and workers’ occupations. Originality/value: Findings evidenced the explanatory value of occupations for worker motivations and allowed putting into perspective the contextualization of not only boundaryless and protean career concepts, but also career stage theories. Data supports the ecological validity of applying a career stages and occupations framework to a highly diversified and representative sample of European countries.

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Careers,Employee attitudes,Life planning,Jobs

• Economics and Business - Social Sciences