CAREERS IN CONTRAST: Examining the antecedents of career sustainability in the context of the Netherlands and Pakistan

Abstract

How can careers remain sustainable in a rapidly changing world shaped by globalization, technological transformation, and aging populations? This dissertation explores that question by examining how individual, organizational, and national factors influence career sustainability in two contrasting contexts: the Netherlands and Pakistan. Drawing on qualitative and quantitative research methods, the dissertation combines interviews with women managers and survey data from employees across both countries. It investigates how work-life balance, competency development, organizational support, and age relate to sustainable career outcomes such as health, happiness, and productivity. The findings demonstrate that sustainable careers are not shaped by individual choices alone, but emerge through the interaction between personal agency and broader cultural and institutional contexts. In the Netherlands, where individual autonomy and flexible labor systems are more prominent, work-life balance showed a particularly strong relationship with career sustainability. In Pakistan, collectivistic values and social support networks played a more central role in shaping career experiences. The dissertation also highlights that there is no single pathway to a sustainable career. Women managers described diverse career narratives, ranging from proactive career planning to redefining professional ambitions around personal values and family responsibilities. Furthermore, age itself proved to be a relatively weak predictor of career sustainability, emphasizing the importance of adaptability, continuous learning, and supportive organizational environments throughout the span of a career. Overall, this research argues for culturally sensitive and context-aware approaches to careers, human resource management, and labor market policies in an increasingly diverse global workforce.