The intelligent careers framework: a review of the literature and a call for future research
The intelligent careers framework: a review of the literature and a call for future research
Purpose: the intelligent careers framework, introduced three decades ago, made a key contribution to boundaryless career thinking by challenging the traditional assumption of long-term organizational careers. This article offers a systematic review of the research informed by this framework.
Design/methodology/approach: we systematically reviewed 179 articles grounded in intelligent careers framework and assessed their collective contributions to the evolution of career scholarship.
Findings: we analyze the framework’s three foundational dimensions – knowing why, knowing how and knowing whom – alongside their antecedents and outcomes. We also highlight its distinctive features: an interdisciplinary foundation, reciprocal links among the three ways of knowing and its focus on the employer–employee relationship. Our synthesis refines the framework’s boundary conditions and clarifies contextual factors shaping its application.
Research limitations/implications: we position intelligent careers as a mature framework for examining how individuals and organizations co-construct careers within an evolving world of work. Practically, organizations can use the framework to support career ownership and dialog, aligning individual growth with strategic goals and fostering mutually beneficial employment relationships.
Originality/value: this review provides the most comprehensive integration of research on intelligent careers to date. Using a sensemaking lens, it consolidates fragmented insights, refines theoretical understanding and identifies underexplored dynamics, offering a foundation for future interdisciplinary and multilevel research.
Boundaryless careers, Career capital, Career competencies, Intelligent careers, Systematic review, Ways of knowing
Shirmohammadi, Melika
08b4c9e0-4f76-486f-b4c5-f25528476711
Ayoobzadeh, Mostafa
1317b514-3d98-4eab-a16e-fb9e57cdc461
Beigi, Mina
2986037e-5bb3-4ec0-be55-bf291ac17e24
Arthur, Michael
688445bc-6e6b-4973-8944-9ca04d942f21
Shirmohammadi, Melika
08b4c9e0-4f76-486f-b4c5-f25528476711
Ayoobzadeh, Mostafa
1317b514-3d98-4eab-a16e-fb9e57cdc461
Beigi, Mina
2986037e-5bb3-4ec0-be55-bf291ac17e24
Arthur, Michael
688445bc-6e6b-4973-8944-9ca04d942f21
Shirmohammadi, Melika, Ayoobzadeh, Mostafa, Beigi, Mina and Arthur, Michael
(2026)
The intelligent careers framework: a review of the literature and a call for future research.
Career Development International.
(doi:10.1108/CDI-04-2025-0172).
Abstract
Purpose: the intelligent careers framework, introduced three decades ago, made a key contribution to boundaryless career thinking by challenging the traditional assumption of long-term organizational careers. This article offers a systematic review of the research informed by this framework.
Design/methodology/approach: we systematically reviewed 179 articles grounded in intelligent careers framework and assessed their collective contributions to the evolution of career scholarship.
Findings: we analyze the framework’s three foundational dimensions – knowing why, knowing how and knowing whom – alongside their antecedents and outcomes. We also highlight its distinctive features: an interdisciplinary foundation, reciprocal links among the three ways of knowing and its focus on the employer–employee relationship. Our synthesis refines the framework’s boundary conditions and clarifies contextual factors shaping its application.
Research limitations/implications: we position intelligent careers as a mature framework for examining how individuals and organizations co-construct careers within an evolving world of work. Practically, organizations can use the framework to support career ownership and dialog, aligning individual growth with strategic goals and fostering mutually beneficial employment relationships.
Originality/value: this review provides the most comprehensive integration of research on intelligent careers to date. Using a sensemaking lens, it consolidates fragmented insights, refines theoretical understanding and identifies underexplored dynamics, offering a foundation for future interdisciplinary and multilevel research.
Text
04-Manuscript-clean version
- Accepted Manuscript
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 19 November 2025
e-pub ahead of print date: 16 January 2026
Keywords:
Boundaryless careers, Career capital, Career competencies, Intelligent careers, Systematic review, Ways of knowing
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 510025
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/510025
ISSN: 1362-0436
PURE UUID: 5c63b586-f7c9-4c48-a746-7eeb871ffbe7
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Date deposited: 16 Mar 2026 17:34
Last modified: 17 Mar 2026 02:54
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Contributors
Author:
Melika Shirmohammadi
Author:
Mostafa Ayoobzadeh
Author:
Michael Arthur
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