DOI: 10.11118/978-80-7701-082-5-0285

Problematising Theoretical Approaches to Employment Decision-Making in Poverty Contexts

Ahmad Ramadhani ORCID...¹, Ondřej Hora ORCID...¹

¹ Masaryk University, Joštova 218, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic

While decision-making in relation to poverty has received considerable scholarly attention, research specifically examining how individuals in poverty make employment-related choices in developing countries remains limited. This study critically reviews psychological, behavioural, and socio-cognitive theories of employment decision-making under poverty, such as scarcity, temporal discounting, and socio-cognitive career perspectives, and highlights several gaps and inconsistencies in approaches. To address these limitations, the article proposes an integrated theoretical framework that considers individual agency, contextual influences, and structural constraints simultaneously. By situating the discussion within the socio-economic and spatial realities of developing countries, the review illustrates how local labour market structures and institutional arrangements shape decision-making, and stresses the need for a bridge between social-level processes and structural-level policy interventions. The findings aim to refine theoretical approaches, guide future research, and provide valuable insights for policymakers designing inclusive labour market policies and interventions that promote sustainable career development and social mobility.

Keywords: Decision-Making, Employment, Career Choice, Poverty

pages: 285-296, online: 2026