Career anchors of French chefs: keys to success in haute cuisine

Patrice Cailleba and Johanna Edelbloude

Journal of Global Mobility, 2026, vol. 14, issue 2, 287-316

Abstract: PurposeThis study aims to identify the dominant career anchors of French top chefs from Michelin-starred restaurants in France and abroad.Design/methodology/approachBased on surveys and interviews conducted with 14 French chefs from Michelin-starred restaurants between 2023 and 2024, we explore the motivations behind their professional mobility. The data were organized into an integrative set of career anchor categories that synthesize prior research.FindingsAccording to our results, the desire to develop their talents as chefs (technical and managerial competence, including creativity) is not the predominant factor among the chefs we interviewed. Instead, the value-based anchors that turn around service, challenge and international anchors seem to be more important. Ultimately, a dominant career anchor, lifestyle, appears alongside a secondary career anchor, dedication.Research limitations/implicationsConsidering theoretical implications, we propose a radar with nine principal anchors, divided into three main categories (talent, need and value), to assess professional careers beyond those of chefs. We redefine the dedication anchor as a “transmission and legacy” anchor.Practical implicationsOur findings should help mitigate the negative consequences of the high turnover experienced in the profession and make recruitment more efficient in line with growing demand.Originality/valueCareer anchors (Schein, 1975, 1996) have seldom been applied to understand the mobility of French chefs, especially those from Michelin-starred restaurants. Furthermore, this work proposes a new integrated theoretical frame to analyse and understand international careers.

Keywords: Haute cuisine; Chefs; Professional mobility; Career anchors; Hospitality industry (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eme:jgmpps:jgm-09-2025-0087

DOI: 10.1108/JGM-09-2025-0087

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