From Employment to Entrepreneurship: Career Adaptation, Entrepreneurial Identity, and the Theory of Adaptive Career Shift
Keywords:
Entrepreneurial transition, Career adaptability, Entrepreneurial identity, Hybrid entrepreneurship, Career transitionAbstract
The study explores the lived experiences of individuals who transitioned from employment to entrepreneurship in Southern Leyte, Philippines, and generates a theory rooted in the participants’ narratives. To achieve this, the study combined two qualitative approaches: descriptive phenomenology as a methodological perspective and grounded theory as the data analysis technique. Through in-depth interviews with ten entrepreneurs across diverse sectors, four major themes emerged: Disruption Igniting New Path, Strategic Journey of Subtle Transition, Embracing Self-Direction and Control, and Harmony with Values and Inner Purpose. Findings reveal that while external crises, such as job loss and pandemic-related disruptions, acted as initial triggers, internal motivations, including autonomy, personal values, and purpose, significantly influenced participants’ decisions. The research concluded with the Theory of Adaptive Career Shift, in which entrepreneurial transition is a dynamic process shaped by external disruptions and internal desires, resulting in personal and professional reinvention. This research contributes a human-centered perspective to career development literature, emphasizing entrepreneurship as both a practical and existential path to self-actualization.References
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