Workplace citizenship: Is it workplace over community?

Young people‘s (psychological) development, including in terms of their career choices and pathways, cannot be construed in isolation from the social con­text in which they are growing up. Contemporary society is increasingly char­acterised by insecurity, economic and social turbulence, which has an impact on young people‘s employment opportunities and career prospects. Youth not only perceive these changes as meaningful, but also experience them as a source of concern. In the face of these challenges, however, they are not passive or apathetic – on the contrary, many express optimism about the future and a desire to play an active role in society. Civic participation thus emerges as an important factor contributing to positive development outcomes for young people. All the while educational and work environments serve as an important space for promoting active citizenship, as they provide structured experiences of participation, debate and influencing change. In this chapter we will explore how workplaces can serve as spaces of civic socialisation. We will then present the different forms of civic participation in organisations, the work characteristics that predict participa­tion and illustrate how engagement can feed back into better career outcomes for young people.