Career development in work organizations: Research and practice.

Abstract

Career development has become "big business" over the last few years, and this article is a review of the state-of-the-art of career development. Both research and practice are reported and covered under four categories: (a) recent research developments, (b) recent career program development, (c) a critical evaluation of these developments, and (d) possible future trends. All stages of development are surveyed, not only the early and later periods. Schein's concept of career anchor is duly considered, with attention given to total life space, including the organization, the family, and the career. Consideration of the need to link "micro" (individual development} and "macro" (manpower planning) career activity with provisions for the evaluation of research and programs is emphasized. Research DevelopmentsA career can be defined in many ways including advancement within a framework over a period of time, the practice of a given profession, a sequence of related positions over an extended period of time, or a life-long sequence of role-related experiences (Hall, 1976). For our purposes, the definition is the following: "The career is the individually perceived sequence of attitudes and behaviors associated with work-related experiences and activities over the span of the person's life" (Hall, 1976, p. 4).Until recently, most career-related research focused on both ends of the time spectrum: the early career and the late career periods. Only within the past 10 years has appreciable attention been directed to the middle years. With the relatively recent recognition of the career as a developmental process spanning the working years of the individual, emphasis is now becoming more equitably apportioned over all of the acknowledged career stages.Just as aging does not begin only after adulthood has been reached (Atchley, 1972), a career may initially exist only in the mind of the individual, perhaps idealized as a "dream" for the future (Levinson, Darrow, Klein, Levinson, & McKee, 1978). The desire of individuals to actualize these dreams has produced the concept of career development to facilitate the transition between fantasy and reality.Career and/or career development have become important research issues. Edgar Schein (1978) is currently focusing on the "total life space" of his respondents and plans to include not only the organizational setting but also the family and the career. Schein's discussion of how "career anchors" guide a person's career holds great potential. Related research being carried out in conjunction with Bailyn, Snyder, and Van Maanen is directed at determining how careers evolve and the interactions between the career and the immediate environmental setting (Derr & Schein, Note 1). Dalton and Thompson (see Dalton, Thompson, & Price, 1977) have been studying career 428

The relationship between organizational support, employee development, and organizational commitment: An empirical study

“…Research has shown that the best development occurs on the job (Hall and Associates, 1986). In fact, Seibert, Hall, and Kram (1995) maintained that development strategies that are built on naturally occurring work experiences are more flexible and responsive and thus better suited to current conditions.…”

INCOME: A Culturally Inclusive and Disability-Sensitive Framework for Organizing Career Development Concepts and Interventions

“…In this status, the work environment and the cultural context are highly influential in enhancing or blocking successful outcomes. Therefore, organizational career theory (Hall & Associates, 1986) is also particularly applicable to this status. Finally, because Maintaining involves balancing work and other life roles, Super's life-career rainbow is applicable to this status.…”

Career Development Programs in Business and Industry

“…T o address the needs of both the organization and the individual, career development programs consist of two separate but interrelated functions: (1) career planning and (2) career management (Hall, 1987).…”

“…Since the recessions of 1979 and 1982, top managements have realized that the organizations alone could not possibly provide all the career rewards an employee may seek (Hall, 1987). This realization of employee needs has made the identification of individuals for top management positions very difficult.…”