| Abstract | This research examined how camp counselors anticipate and experience inevitable exit from roles centrally characterized as people work. In addition, this study considered the unique aspects of inevitable exit and the way it shapes other aspects of organizational life in helping professions; namely, socialization, identification, and social support. This study extends previous inquiry on anticipated exit from organizations, utilizing a qualitative approach to conduct in-depth interviews with camp counselors who had recently experienced inevitable exit from emotionally intense, helping-focused roles. Member experiences were analyzed through four primary themes: inevitable exit, mission, “put your real life aside,” and supportive relationships. This study theoretically contributes to current scholarship on organizational exit and offers practical insight regarding member care and support in the workplace, specifically in people work that inevitably ends. |
