Reassessing the protean career concept: Empirical findings, conceptual components, and measurement

This article was published in the serial Journal of Organizational Behavior [© John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.] The definitive version is available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/job.1908The protean career concept is a widely acknowledged contemporary career model, but conceptual and empirical analysis of the model is scarce. We provide an integrative literature review of empirical research and note that the research is hampered by inconsistent use of terminology and methodological limitations. First, we show that the two protean metacompetencies-adaptability and identity-have been relatively neglected as the research has evolved. Second, we describe how preexisting protean measures are limited in covering the full range of the concept. Finally, we draw on career theory to suggest four conceptual components as a basis for future model development and offer suggestions for research that tests the utility of the protean career concept in relation to other similar constructs. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Optimism and the boundaryless career: the role of developmental relationships

This research explores an important psychological capacity in the current boundaryless career environment—optimism. Optimism is associated with flexibility and adaptability amid stressful situations, which, we argue here may be particularly useful in the current unpredictable career environment. We explore the relationship between optimism and the structure and quality of individuals' developmental networks in a sample of young adults. Analyses are based on a 10-year longitudinal study (1996–2006) of a cohort of 136 individuals who graduated from business school in 1996. Cross-sectional analyses show that the amount of psychosocial support, but not career support, received by individuals is positively associated with optimism. Then, considering the long-term nature of help-giving, longitudinal relational data suggest that the greater one's early-career psychosocial and career support, the greater one's optimism many years hence. In addition, we examined how the rate of change in developmental network support over time is associated with optimism. Findings show that increasing amounts of career and psychosocial support over time were associated with greater optimism later in career. Implications for future research on the boundaryless career, optimism, and developmental relationships are discussed. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Safety and Efficacy of a Bioabsorbable Polymer-Coated, Everolimus-Eluting Coronary Stent in Patients with Diabetes: the EVOLVE II Diabetes Substudy.

AIMS Bioabsorbable-polymer drug-eluting stents (DES) may reduce inflammation and delayed healing associated with some permanent polymer-coated DES. Whether late clinical outcomes are improved, particularly among patients with medically-treated diabetes, is unknown. METHODS AND RESULTS SYNERGY is a thin-strut, platinum chromium everolimus-eluting stent with an ultrathin bioabsorbable poly (DL-lactide-co-glycolide) abluminal polymer. The EVOLVE II randomized, controlled trial proved noninferiority of SYNERGY versus the PROMUS Element Plus stent for 1-year target lesion failure (TLF: ischemia- driven target lesion revascularization [ID-TLR], target-vessel myocardial infarction [TVMI], or cardiac death). The prespecified EVOLVE II Diabetes Substudy prospectively pooled randomized patients with diabetes (N=263) with a sequential single-arm diabetic cohort (n=203). The substudy primary endpoint was 1-year TLF compared with a prespecified performance goal (14.5%). The primary endpoint occurred in 7.5% of SYNERGY-treated patients with diabetes, significantly less than the performance goal (P<0.0001). The 2-year rate of TLF was 11.2% (cardiac death 1.5%, TVMI 6.4%, ID-TLR 6.8%) and definite/probable stent thrombosis occurred in 1.1% of patients. CONCLUSIONS The EVOLVE II Diabetes substudy demonstrates efficacy and safety of the SYNERGY stent in patients with medically-treated diabetes