Public Oral Defense: Ana Carolina Dalla Martha Rodriguez (HRD)

Integrating care and work – How parents of people with disabilities make career decisions to accommodate care and paid work

Advisor: Alexandre Ardichvili

Parenting a person with disabilities (PWD) is an experience that transforms one’s beliefs, family relationships, social connections, financial stability, and professional trajectory. Parents of PWD engage in what scholars call exceptional care – intense, lifelong, cyclical, and crisis-driven care. Studies show that parents of PWD often experience heightened work-family conflict and physical, emotional, and financial stress. Nevertheless, employment is critical for these parents’ financial and mental health, as work provides necessary income and personal fulfillment. This study applied a grounded theory methodology to investigate how Brazilian parents of PWD make career decisions to accommodate care and paid work, also examining the systemic factors that influence these decisions. The findings of this study contribute to advancing and integrating career development and work-life theories, highlighting the importance of intersecting identities and organizational and social dynamics. Additionally, this study offers practical implications for career development professionals, HRD practitioners, organizations, and public policymakers on how to support the professional development of caregivers.

Online via Zoom.