Electronic Word Count: 1828

HUM3CWI
Assessment Task 3
Essay

Student ID:

INTRODUCTION
The pursuit of happyness can mean different things to different people. While
the movie 'The Pursuit of Happyness' focuses on a one year period where Chris
Gardner struggles with being homeless. This essay will look at the biography of
Chris Gardner and look at his career development through the theories of
systems theory framework and career construction theory.
Systems Theory Framework, while not an individual theory acts as an
overarching framework for different systems that are all systems part of a larger
system. Systems theory framework focus on the three main systems been the
individual, social system and environmental & societal system and how they
influence the career development of Gardner. While there is no single theory
that every individual, systems theory framework use of
The individual, is made up from personal traits which put simply are actions,
beliefs, attitudes and behaviours one posses as well as age, gender and ethnicity.
The social system is represent by social groups, the family unit, school, work and
peers and more recently social media and how they influence the individual. And
the environment and societal system, influences individuals through physical
location.
Career Construction Theory as one of many theories that seek to explain job or
career choices.

As individuals use this narrative to give meaning to their

experiences which is able to provide understanding and meaning to everyday

events and use three stages people move through in constructing their career
actor, agent and author. Actor analysis looks at individuals values, personalities
developed through early years. Agent analysis looks at how each of us deal with
new environments regarding success and failure through school and work place.
Lastly, author

analysis individuals

communicate

career goals and

have

confidence they are achievable.

Systems Theory Framework

It is generally accepted that there is no single system that suits every individual,
however, Patton and McMahon (1999) proposed System Theory Framework of
Career Development (Careers - in Theory 2011). Systems Theory Framework is
based on systems theory. A system consists of parts that are interrelated and
HUM3CWI/ Contemporary Workplace Issues Page 2
La Trobe University

Student ID:
interdependent elements that make a whole which continually influence each
other to maintain their activity to achieve the output of the system
(BusinessDictionary.com 2015). By viewing parts of a system in isolation from
the system in which it belongs ignores the other aspects that may influence its
likelihood for impact. All systems are part of a larger systems and a system can
stop performing when a part is removed or changed considerably.
Central to Systems Theory Framework is the individual. An individual does not
occur by themselves, nor does their career, but rather are impacted by all the
other influences that affect the individual.

Systems Theory Framework uses

elements of social, personal and economic situations that influence career

development (McMahon & Patton 1995).
Systems Theory Framework consists of three main areas:
I.

The individual, is made up from personal traits which put simply are
actions, beliefs, attitudes and behaviours one posses as well as age,
gender and ethnicity.

One has to understand their personality before

defining who they are (YourDictionary 2015). Some of these influences are
II.

set and others can be influenced by the context the individual is in.
Social system, represents the primary social influences to which the
individual belongs and interacts with. These are social groups, the family

III.

unit, school, work and peers and more recently social media.
Environment and societal system, influences individuals through physical
location. This may be through employment opportunities, access to
mentors/role models, schooling and availability to information (McMahon &
Patton 1995).

These factors also affect employment through the

availability of opportunities. Individuals have little to no control on this

system and this system has the least influence on individuals.
Each of these systems have elements that impact individuals at differing stages
of their lives.

Systems Theory Framework allows chance events to happen which can affect the
individual through opportunity.

Chance can intervene at any moment in an

individual's career. While enlisted within the navy, Gardner acquainted himself
with cardiac surgeon Dr Robert Ellis. This is an evidence of how chance can affect
the individual as Dr Ellis offered Gardner an opportunity to assist him with clinical
HUM3CWI/ Contemporary Workplace Issues Page 3
La Trobe University

Student ID:
research which Gardner later accepted.

Also a chance encounter with a man

driving a red Ferrari, in which the man told Gardner he was a stockbroker. This
event was the catalyst to push Gardner to pursue a career as a stockbroker and
ultimately the success he has now experienced.
A narrative approach to an individual's career is firmly embodied in Systems
Theory Framework as it depicts the individual's life through connected systems.
Narrative also has strong ties to Career Construction Theory as individual's
create and shape an identity and build a career.

Career Construction Theory

The idea of career is fairly modern with the notion that one can choose the type
of work they do. Previously individuals careers were predetermined by what
occupation their parents had with skills passed from one generation to the next.
This has now changed with the development of globalisation and other factors as
women entering the workforce and new technologies (McMahon & Patton 1995).
As a result of this traditional occupations have been changed forever and the
manner in which careers are thought about have too.

Careers are no longer

viewed as a natural linear progression. Career construction theory expands on

Super's theory of self-concept.

Donald Supers contributions to career

development is the importance of the maturity of self-concept, with Super

identifying "self-concept changes over time, and develops as a result of
experience. As such, career development is lifelong" (Careers.govt.nz 2015).
views career as a story about their working life describing ways that individuals
make their way.

Career construction theory, through the power of narrative,

addresses what, how, and why people construct their careers as they translate
their storied identity into work roles (Savickas, 2005).

Individuals use this

narrative to give meaning to their experiences which is able to provide

understanding and meaning to everyday events.

Bujold (2004) said narrative

organises events into whole and showing their influence to shape individual
identity. Narrative is useful to explain how individuals form their identity through
story and how they can construct their lives in a meaningful way based on the
life themes that permeate their story (McMahon & Watson 2013).

HUM3CWI/ Contemporary Workplace Issues Page 4

La Trobe University

Student ID:
Brown & Lent (2013) explained Savickas the three stages people move through
in constructing their career:
I.

Actor is how we start constructing our careers through early years

development, identify individual interests, personalities, values, fit within

II.

the family unit and how they perceive us.

Agent describes how we go out into the world through the experience
gained while at school and the work place. This is not so much about what
is done but how individuals deal with new environments dealing with both

III.

success and failure.

Author is when individuals are able to articulate their career goals and
have the confidence they are achievable, then individuals are able to
create their own sense of meaning about their career.

Narrative plays a large role when looking at individuals career development

Actor Analysis
Gardner was the second child of four and struggled for positive role model.
Gardner's childhood was exposed to poverty, domestic violence, alcoholism and
illiteracy.

At such a young age this made it difficult to develop values and

identity within the family unit. Through what may be a stroke of good fortune
Gardner was placed into foster care where he met his maternal uncles. These
men had a profound impact on Gardner at a time when he most needed a male
role model. While not having large amounts of contact with his mother, she was
a source of motivation for him, encouraging Gardner to believe in himself and
instilled self-reliance. The negative experience that Gardner was exposed to as a
child strengthened his will to the behaviours to avoid in the future and show that
such issues do not have to define an individual. Gardner was able to develop his
own personal values and followed one of his uncles in joining the navy.

Agent Analysis
Gardner was inspired by one of his uncles adventures he decided to join the navy
upon completion of secondary school. It was here that he became familiar with
Dr. Robert Ellis, who offered a position assisting him with research at a hospital in
San Francisco. This opportunity gave Gardner knowledge and technical medical
skills that he was later able to leverage off when he turned to selling medical
equipment to support his new family.

Gardner had always displayed great

HUM3CWI/ Contemporary Workplace Issues Page 5
La Trobe University

Student ID:
determination and was not afraid of failure. While in the navy and subsequent
employment as a research assistant Gardner would have been exposed to many
challenges and have to deal with successes and failures. Failure was not viewed
negatively as Gardner continually took chances which many individuals would
deem to high of a risk.

Author Analysis
Gardner had identified early on that a medical career was not feasible due to the
changing nature of the health care environment. However, it was not until he
began his path to be a stockbroker did Gardner have the confidence that his
career goals were achievable.

After a his separation, Gardner confidently

continued his career by starting his own company which he did so successfully
and moved into charity work and motivational speaking.

CONCLUSION
With individual identity playing such a major role in career decisions Systems
Theory Framework and Career construction theory are useful tools in explaining
why.

With Systems Theory Framework providing an overarching method of

systems theory blending multiple disciplines.

Through the use of Systems

Theory Framework we are able to identify how each of the systems were
influenced to affect Chris Gardner's careers. With Chris Gardner's story of rags
to riches capturing the imagination of Hollywood, the story of his rise is more
significant than we believe. On the individual level, ethnicity at that point in time
in America would have been a significant road block to overcome. The social
system had a profound impact on Gardner's life with the exposure in his early
years to violence and abuse, to then been placed in foster care. These event
shape greatly an individual's attitudes, values and beliefs which lie within the
individual system.

Through this it is clear to see how the smaller systems of

individual system, social system and environment and societal system influence
each other.

Chance also plays a significant role within Systems Theory

Framework.
Career construction theory gives an approach of thinking about how people
choose and use work.

It seeks to be inclusive in its thinking by taking three

HUM3CWI/ Contemporary Workplace Issues Page 6

La Trobe University

Student ID:
perspectives on occupation through the actor, agent and author stages. The
use of narrative through story telling is able to put context and meaning to
events that have happened in their lives. The narrative or story of Gardner's life
been no different. Through the telling of his story we are able to easily and
logically organise the events that transpired and put them into perspective.

HUM3CWI/ Contemporary Workplace Issues Page 7

La Trobe University

Student ID:

References
Brown, S & Lent, R 2013, Career development and counseling, Hoboken, N.J,
Wiley.
Bujold, C 2004, Constructing career through narrative, Journal of Vocational
Behavior, vol. 64, no. 3, pp. 470-484.
BusinessDictionary.com 2015, What is a system? definition and meaning,
BusinessDictionary.com, viewed 1 October 2015, <Available from:
http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/system.html>.
Careers - in Theory 2011, One theory to rule them all?, Careers - in Theory,
viewed 4 October 2015,
<https://careersintheory.wordpress.com/2011/03/21/one-theory-to-rule-them-all2/>.
Careers.govt.nz 2015, Super's theory, Careers.govt.nz, viewed 2 October 2015,
<http://www.careers.govt.nz/educators-practitioners/career-practice/careertheory-models/supers>.
McMahon, M & Watson, M 2013, Story telling: crafting identities. British Journal of
Guidance & Counselling, vol. 41, no. 3, pp. 277-286.
McMahon, M & Patton, W 1995, Development of a Systems Theory of Career
Development: A Brief Overview. Australian Journal of Career Development, vol. 4,
no. 2, pp. 15-20.
Patton, W, & McMahon, M 2014, Career Development and Systems Theory :
Connecting Theory and Practice, Sense Publishers, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
YourDictionary 2015, Examples of Personality Traits, YourDictionary, viewed 2
October 2015, <http://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-personalitytraits.html>.

HUM3CWI/ Contemporary Workplace Issues Page 8

La Trobe University