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The intelligent careers framework: a review of the literature and a call for future research

Melika Shirmohammadi et al.

Career Development International2026https://doi.org/10.1108/cdi-04-2025-0172article
AJG 2ABDC A
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0.50

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.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1108/cdi-04-2025-0172

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@article{melika2026,
  title        = {{The intelligent careers framework: a review of the literature and a call for future research}},
  author       = {Melika Shirmohammadi et al.},
  journal      = {Career Development International},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1108/cdi-04-2025-0172},
}

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The intelligent careers framework: a review of the literature and a call for future research

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Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

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