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People as sculptors versus sculptures: what shape career development programmes

Melanie Giles (University of Ulster, Coleraine, Northern Ireland, UK)
Michael West (Institute of Work Psychology, University of Sheffield, UK)

Journal of Management Development

ISSN: 0262-1711

Article publication date: 1 December 1995

1026

Abstract

Based on the assumption that employees want more personal control over their career development, organizations are currently pursuing the implementation of career development programmes at an unprecedented rate. In reality, however, employees appear reluctant to assume increased responsibility for their careers. Explores general satisfaction with a career development programme currently in operation. Determines what underlying factors both internal to employees and within their work environment tend to facilitate or impede the tendency to become proactive in shaping career opportunities. Semi‐structured in‐depth interviews were conducted with 72 salaried personnel randomly selected from an international organization. Some support was provided for the role of both individual and situational characteristics in predicting uptake of the career development programme. Particular importance was attributed to the lack of organizational support for the process. The implications of these findings are discussed and recommendations for the successful implementation of career development programmes are made.

Keywords

Citation

Giles, M. and West, M. (1995), "People as sculptors versus sculptures: what shape career development programmes", Journal of Management Development, Vol. 14 No. 10, pp. 48-63. https://doi.org/10.1108/02621719510100834

Publisher

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MCB UP Ltd

Copyright © 1995, MCB UP Limited

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