Applying three theoretical lenses to further explore the boomerang career transition

Abstract

This article adds theoretical reflections on the boomerang transition process as presented by the Authors in their article ‘Examining boomerang mobility using a career transitions framework’. Based on their integration of previous studies of boomerang mobility with conservation of resources theory and the literature on career transitions, the authors provide a model that reflects the complexity of the boomerang process. The model advances our understanding of the dynamic nature of modern career transitions, which often deviate from traditional linear career paths. In this article, we further explore three of the key insights from the authors' model, namely the importance of time, the individual-based perspective, and the integration of both work and nonwork factors. Building from our own work in the field of career transitions, we use three theoretical lenses to guide our exploration, namely, the kaleidoscope career model (KCM), career inaction theory, and sustainable career theory. We discuss how the authors' model may be expanded by integrating it with these perspectives and how this can contribute to further incorporating the role of time in future research on the boomerang transition process. We advocate taking a whole career perspective, in which more than just the push and pull factors that influence the individual's decision to leave their previous employer are included. The boomerang transition can be further understood as it relates to an individual's past transitions and how it might impact future transitions as well as the influence of relationships, context, nonrationality, and forward and backward calculations on the boomerang decision-making and transition processes. We formulate several directions for the future study of boomerang transitions from this perspective.