日本企業で働く大卒事務系社員がキャリア自律の自己認識に至る過程に関する質的研究

抄録

Since the 1990s, Japanʼs prolonged economic stagnation has heightened the emphasis on career autonomy among employees working in corporate settings. However, within Japanese organisations, the internal processes through which employees interact with others and their organisation, make use of these experiences, and construct meaning to achieve career autonomy remain insufficiently understood.

Therefore, this study focused on the process by which four university-educated clerical employees in their thirties to early forties, working in Japanese companies, developed self-awareness — a psychological component of career autonomy. The analysis employed the Trajectory Equifinality Approach（ TEA） to examine this developmental process.

The analysis reveals that the experience of “resolving to pursue growth opportunities and requesting a transfer” serves as a key turning point. Subsequently, experiences such as “broadening oneʼs scope of work or initiating new tasks,” “achieving success,” and “gaining confidence in oneʼs work” contribute to self-awareness. These experiences are shaped by organizational factors such as policies promoting generalist development, HR managers’ and supervisors’ support for transfers, and participation in both internal and external training.

Furthermore, the findings suggest that these four employees developed self-awareness while navigating tensions between organizational cultures that emphasized managerial control and those that supported transformation.