Ties That Lift and Bind: How Relationships Empower and Disempower Careers.

Grabarski, MK ORCID: 0000-0002-2981-9410, Boiarintseva, G ORCID: 0000-0003-1132-1646, Mouratidou, M ORCID: 0000-0002-8144-3537 and Kalyal, H (2026) Ties That Lift and Bind: How Relationships Empower and Disempower Careers. Behavioral sciences, 16 (3). pp. 1-17. ISSN 2076-328X

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Abstract

In this research study we take a linked lives perspective and apply interdependence theory to explore how meaningful relationships impact individual career decisions over the life course. We conducted qualitative semi-structured interviews with 31 participants and analyzed the data in a thematic analysis procedure, taking a mixed approach where data was openly coded, a subset identified and isolated, classified into categories, and openly coded again. Our findings not only demonstrate how desirable and overall positive relationships can be empower individuals' careers (supporting, mentoring), but how they can also limit and disempower them (constraining, distracting). This study reopens a discussion on the role of relationships in careers, acknowledging the positive and negative aspects they may have, thus complementing the agentic perspective that is currently dominant in career theory. We provide empiric support to ideas that are often used in career counseling, identifying the individual's unique set of relationships and the impact they have.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	career development; career empowerment; relationships; 5203 Clinical and Health Psychology; 52 Psychology; 1701 Psychology; 1702 Cognitive Sciences; 3202 Clinical sciences; 5202 Biological psychology; 5203 Clinical and health psychology
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology H Social Sciences > HF Commerce > HF5001 Business H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > HD28 Management. Industrial Management
Divisions:	Liverpool Business School
Publisher:	MDPI AG
Date of acceptance:	4 March 2026
Date of first compliant Open Access:	14 April 2026
Date Deposited:	14 Apr 2026 13:59
Last Modified:	14 Apr 2026 13:59
DOI or ID number:	10.3390/bs16030385
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/28371

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