Academic Career Development: A Review and Research Agenda

Abstract

Academic career development refers to the process by which employers as well as scholarsworking in research, teaching, and/or administrative roles in academic and higher education contexts manage various tasks, behaviors, and experiences within and across jobs and organizations over time, with implications for scholars’ work-related identity. In this review article, we address the question: to what extent has conceptual and empirical research on academic career development captured central constructs and processes outlined by two important and comprehensive career development theories? Using social cognitive career theory and life-span, life-space theory as guiding frameworks, we categorized relevant articles published in academic journals into five thematic clusters: (a) individual characteristics, (b) contextual factors, (c) active regulation of behavior, (d) career stages, and (e) work and nonwork roles. Within these thematic clusters, major topics in the existing literature on academic career development include gender differences and women’s experiences, mentoring and other career development interventions, and career development in the field of medicine. In contrast, social and cognitive processes, action regulation, later career stages, and the work-nonwork interface have been neglected in the literature on academic career development. We conclude by outlining an agenda for future research, including theoretical and methodological considerations.

The impact of high-performance human resource practices on the research performance and career success of academics in Saudi Arabia

“…A growing body of research has examined a range of factors that influence academic research performance (Zacher et al, 2019) which is a primary criterion of success in academic careers (Laudel and Gl€ aser, 2008;Sutherland, 2017). For example, some studies addressed the role of individual-level factors, such as self-efficacy (Hemmings and Kay, 2016;Pasupathy and Siwatu, 2014), gender, family size and age of children (Jappelli et al, 2017;Syed et al, 2018) and the choice of the research topic (Fisher, 2005) on research performance.…”

Mapping career patterns in research: A sequence analysis of career histories of ERC applicants

“…grants), publications and/or citations contribute to promotion, prestige, and income. A second dominant theme is gender [ 52 , 53 ]. The common assumption that women’s careers in research are less likely than men’s to resemble an uninterrupted linear pattern, due to women’s typically larger share in care responsibilities, is both a rationale for and a finding of studies looking at gender in research career.…”

The impact of preferences for clinical and managerial leadership roles on the willingness to apply for a medical leadership position: Analysis of gender differences among a sample of German senior physicians

“…Using the EPL framework, this study includes relevant factors from other career development theories. 13 In social cognitive career theory and life-span theory, career development is explained by personal inputs (including gender), contextual factors (such as mentoring), self-efficacy beliefs, interests and goals as part of a cognitive-behavioral process. Life-span theory additionally considers one's specific career stage along his or her career path.…”