Dr Ken Ip is an assistant professor specialising in business innovation and entrepreneurship at Saint Francis University, Hong Kong.
For decades, the rules of career success seemed straightforward. Work hard, impress your boss, get promoted and earn more. A bigger title was proof of progress, while turning down a promotion was often seen as a lack of ambition.
But a younger generation is beginning to question this formula. What if getting promoted makes your working life worse?
A growing trend in Western workplaces, known as “job dropping”, describes employees voluntarily stepping away from management positions, declining promotions or moving into roles with fewer responsibilities.