Abstract:
The aim of this research is to investigate how managers define career success for
themselves. It seeks to discover what differences there are in the way that women
and men, and older and younger managers, see their own career success. It fills an
identifiable gap in the literature on career success, in that it examines the subject
from the point of view of the individual, not the organisation. In doing so, it
responds to calls for work in this area, especially the development of "orientational
categories" which classify peoples' attitudes to careers according to their individual
predispositions (Bailyn 1989).
The research, which took place in BT, uses qualitative methods, in particular in-depth
interviewing, to elicit managers' own definitions of career success. Using techniques
of qualitative data analysis and with the help of NUD. IST computer software, it
develops a typology of managerial career success, which shows that managers view
their own career success in one of four ways: as a Climber, who emphasises
hierarchical position, pay and enjoyment in their definition of success; as an Expert,
who sees success as being good at what they do and getting personal recognition for
this; as an Influencer, who defines career success primarily as organisational
influence; and as a Self-Realiser, who judges their own career success by
achievement at a very personal level.
Women managers, who generally base their definitions of career success on internal
and intangible criteria, are more likely to be Experts and Self-Realisers; men, who
tend to base their ideas of success on external criteria are more likely to be Climbers
and Influencers. Younger managers, especially men, are most likely to be Climbers,
and older managers, Influencers who often see their own success in terms of
achieving something at work by which they will be remembered.
