1. Nicky Dries & Roland Pepermans 2005-2009
In search of a comprehensive understanding of the career success construct
Nicky Dries & Roland Pepermans
SGM ’08
March 13th

2. Talent Management (TM): anachronism?
“elitist” perspective
“diversity” perspective
the traditional markers of success (high salary, high level) are desired by most people but attainable by few
the definition of what “success” is has diversified; different people want different things in their careers
OCM: identify the “happy few” (high potentials)> sensitive topic, non-transparant communication
OCM: identify the career orientations present in the workforce and try to match them to appropriate career tracks > shared effort, open
CSM: create visibility, network, outperform others, ride the fast track
CSM: self-reflect, self-select, self-manage career
EAWOP SGM 08 - VUB
March 13th | pag. 2

3. TM: core vs. periphery segmentation?
Boundaryless career
High-potential career
Expert career
EAWOP SGM 08 - VUB
March 13th | pag. 3

4. Research need
Examining the diversity of what CS can mean to different (groups of) people
Provide input for post-modern TM/the “new career” in practice
Improve researchers’/practitioners’ understanding of the construct
Improve measurement of the construct
Avoid “reification”
[career ≠ real, material, demonstrable entity]
[terminology ≠ factual, simple, static]
Career (success) is a social construction rather than an objective reality
CS exists only in people’s minds > has no boundaries!
EAWOP SGM 08 - VUB
March 13th | pag. 4

5. Study
Towards a multidimensional model of the career success construct: A constructionist approach combining the Laddering Interview Method with Multidimensional Scaling.
Proving one’s worth
Winning the internal competition
Acknowledgement
Pushing back boundaries
Development
Continuous learning
Being the smallest
Losing
Being just another face in the crowd
Standing still
Stagnation
Routine
CS ladder (from “Maggie”)
Step 1:
Laddering interviews
> 69 CS ladders
> N = 22
Step 2:
Q-sort exercise
> 42 Q-sort cards
> N = 30
Step 3:
MDS
> Dimensionality?
> Visual inspection?
> CIM evaluations?
EAWOP SGM 08 - VUB
March 13th | pag. 5

6. Towards a model of CS Inter-personal Affect Achievement Intra-personal
CS constructs referring to feelings and perceptions that characterize a career;
CS constructs referring to factual accomplishments that characterize a career;
The world external to the career actor’s “self” acts as the source of validation
The world external to the career actor’s “self” acts as the source of validation
Affect
Achievement
CS constructs referring to feelings and perceptions that characterize a career;
CS constructs referring to factual accomplishments that characterize a career;
The career actor’s “self acts as a source of validation
The career actor’s “self acts as a source of validation
Intra-personal
EAWOP SGM 08 - VUB
March 13th | pag. 6

7. Towards a model of CS Inter-personal Recognition Cooperation
Experienced contribution
Performance
Advancement
Factual contribution
Affect
Achievement
Self-development:
Goal attainment
Continuous learning
Self-expression
Career self-management
Creativity
Satisfaction:
Work-life balance
Achievement satisfaction
Independence
Security
Intra-personal
EAWOP SGM 08 - VUB
March 13th | pag. 7

8. Implications: CS measurement
Extrinsic – intrinsic
= origin of criteria, norms or values applied to a
career
societal, cultural, sub-cultural, researcher-imposed
idiosyncratic
Objective – subjective
= source providing information about aspects of
a career
personnel records [facts]
self-report [concepts, perceptions]
EAWOP SGM 08 - VUB
March 13th | pag. 8

9. Implications: CS measurement
Extrinsic
Intrinsic
Objective
salary
promotions
hierarchical level…
from personnel records
Subjective
from self-report (proxy)
+ researcher-imposed items
weighted, multidimensional, semi-open scales?
► applicability/ inclusiveness vs. workability
► aims of study at hand
► different measures = different outcomes!
EAWOP SGM 08 - VUB
March 13th | pag. 9

10. downloads available at
Any feedback?
downloads available at
EAWOP SGM 08 - VUB
March 13th | pag. 10