Citation: Duff, A. J. (2012). Career and Work Influences on Suicide: A Grounded Theory Study. Academy of Management Proceedings, 2012(1), 1-1. doi: 10.5465/ambpp.2012.144 1 CAREER AND WORK INFLUENCES ON SUICIDE: A GROUNDED THEORY STUDY ANGUS J. DUFF School of Human Resource Management York University, Toronto, Canada ABSTRACT In this qualitative study investigating the work and career influences of suicide, in-depth semi- structured third-person accounts of the life histories of 21 people who died by suicide were conducted and analyzed. Through the use of a grounded theory methodology, distinct work and career themes for early-career, mid-career and late-career suicides emerged. INTRODUCTION While the study and diagnosis of risk factors associated with suicide have increased significantly over the last hundred years since Durkheim's (1897/1963) seminal work on suicide, little progress has been made on reducing suicide deaths over this period (World Health Organization, 2011). Within the study of suicide, our understanding of work and career-related influences is limited, thus far predominantly focussed on job loss and unemployment as antecedents of suicide (Blakely, Collings, & Atkinson, 2003; Fergusson, Boden, & Horwood, 2007). This research suggests that work and career influences such as experiencing job loss, with or without extended unemployment, is positively-related to suicidal ideation and suicide (Amagasa, Nakayama, & Takahashi, 2005; Brown, Beck, Steer, & Grisham, 2000; Kposowa, 2001; Martikainen, Mäki, & Jäntti, 2007; Takada et al., 2009; Van Orden et al., 2010), with those experiencing job loss being twice as likely to die by suicide (Eliason & Storrie, 2009). While job loss and unemployment has been demonstrated to exert a significant negative influence on people, a variety of other negative work and career related influences also have the potential to impact suicide. Work influences such as workplace bullying and workplace stress have been suggested to be related to suicide (Amagasa et al., 2005; Feskanich et al., 2002; Hallberg & Strandmark, 2006). This limited research would indicate that a broad range of work and career conditions have the potential to exert a negative influence on people, potentially impacting suicide. However, the consideration of career or work-related influences of suicide beyond the influence of unemployment or job loss, is thus far underrepresented in the suicide, careers, or work literatures. The purpose of this research is to understand work and career-related influences of suicide and to develop theory. Through the use of a grounded theory research methodology (Glaser, 1992), uninvestigated themes of differential work and career influences of suicide emerged for different life-stages (Super, 1980). Work and career themes emerged from 16 of the 21 in-depth interviews with the spouse, parent, sibling, boyfriend or girlfriend of one who died by suicide, with differential themes appearing based on life-stage. This study’s deliberate selection of close friends or family members of suicide victims as informers to recount the life stories of those who died by suicide was intended to obtain the most accurate understanding of antecedent life situations influencing suicide. Because the vast majority of those with suicidal ideation or who attempt suicide do not die by suicide (Levi et al., 2003; Spirito & Esposito-Smyther, 2006), it