Career plans, in the literature also referred to as ‘training and development plans’ or ‘personal development plans’ (PDP), are the reaction to a changing business world and social environment in theory. Bagshaw (1996: p.16) suggests that “…the dynamic people of today’s dynamic world are attracted to jobs where they can see clear development for themselves, with opportunities spreading in all directions.” Accordingly, employees increasingly demand the possibility to develop themselves and their careers within the organisation. Employees who are able and willing to participate in development programmes should be more motivated and higher skilled than their ‘non-developing’ colleagues. These development programmes should provide a certain career satisfaction, which Gattiker and Larwood (1988) define as “a stimulated response to career and work events” and significantly correlate with the employee’s motivation. To create motivated and high-skilled workforce, some organisations introduced different approaches for a systematic career management. For example, external and internal trainings have been offered on a voluntary basis, annual performance appraisals have been implemented and chances for further education like Executive MBA courses have been pledged to promising staff.
Thus, organisations seem to have understood that personal development of the employees is to a certain extent important to “widen the pool of talents” (Taylor and Edge, 1997: p. 21). Development means gathering knowledge, which is suggested to be the “only meaningful resource today” (Reynolds and Ablett, 1998: p. 26) that makes an organisation more productive and more competitive (Evans, 1998). In consequence, career plans are the most promising method of personal development within organisations, because they are supposed to combine the individual and organisational needs and visions. In theory, both parties are having equal rights in determining the success, the status quo and the required procedure for the future development.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Who is responsible for career plans?
3 The purpose of career plans
4 How to build a career plan
5 The dark side of career plans
6 Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This assignment investigates whether career plans effectively motivate employees and develop a high-skilled workforce. It examines the responsibilities of both employers and individuals, identifies the core purposes of these plans, and explores the systemic failures that often hinder their success, while also addressing potential risks such as employee manipulation.
- Theoretical link between career satisfaction and employee motivation.
- Division of responsibility for career development between management and staff.
- Structural components and the training cycle in career planning.
- Challenges and institutional barriers to implementing successful development plans.
- Ethical risks associated with dependency on organizational career paths.
Excerpt from the Book
3 The purpose of career plans
Career plans are not only a piece of paper where tasks and needs are stated. They are guides which focus on the abilities, needs and plans of employees to develop successfully and adequately. Therefore, they need an appropriate degree of internal and external support. A very famous way of introducing a career plan to an employee is the so-called ‘trainee programme’. Trainee programmes are usually available for graduates who are entering their first long-term employment. They show a detailed development plan containing job rotation, internal and external training and tutoring for a limited duration of one to two years. The purpose of these programmes is to assure that the ‘new’ employee is able to adjust himself/herself to the organisation’s culture and the tasks given to him/her. These programmes are usually set within the employment contract and obligatory for the employees who commit themselves to these. In this case, the organisation is in charge of the introduction of the trainee program because “without graduate training programmes or in-house development programmes organizations are in danger of creating gaps in their management structure” (Higson and Wilson, 1995: p. 25).
Unfortunately, the availability of these programmes has decreased in the last years due to downsizing actions. Furthermore, a lot of organisations stop supporting their talents, i.e. the organisations often do not continue the development plans after they passed the trainee program. Talents cannot face this strong support of the organisations anymore. The situation of already employed people is even worse. They usually do not a have a career plan, and according to Higson and Wilson (1995) most of the organisations trimmed their training and development staff back. They hardly get any support from the organisation in order to develop their career, especially when they are not regarded as ‘important’ workforce. That means that they are not to be supposed to have crucial influence on the organisation’s performance.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter highlights the rising demand for personal development and its correlation with motivation in a dynamic business environment.
2 Who is responsible for career plans?: This section discusses the tension between organizational support and individual proactivity, noting frequent failures in shared responsibility.
3 The purpose of career plans: This chapter defines the function of career plans as strategic guides and evaluates the role of trainee programs and management support.
4 How to build a career plan: This section introduces the 'training cycle' model as a systematic approach to identifying needs, planning, delivering, and evaluating development.
5 The dark side of career plans: This chapter explores negative outcomes, including potential obsession with career progression and the ethical dangers of excessive organizational dependence.
6 Conclusion: The final chapter summarizes the necessity of career plans while reiterating that both management and employees must commit to resources and ethical standards to succeed.
Key Keywords
Career plans, personal development plans, PDP, employee motivation, high-skilled workforce, training cycle, career management, organisational culture, job satisfaction, performance appraisal, trainee programme, professional development, human performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this assignment?
The assignment explores the effectiveness of career plans in motivating employees and building a high-skilled, competitive workforce.
What are the central thematic areas discussed?
Key themes include the theory of motivation, the responsibility for career management, the practical application of the training cycle, and the ethical risks associated with career planning.
What is the core objective of the author?
The author aims to examine the omissions and failures in current career development practices and propose an optimal framework for their implementation.
Which scientific method is utilized?
The work employs a literature-based analysis, synthesizing concepts from various experts in human resource management and organizational psychology.
What is addressed in the main body of the paper?
The main body covers the division of responsibility between managers and staff, the mechanics of building career plans, and the potential negative or manipulative effects of these structures.
Which keywords best describe this research?
The work is characterized by terms such as career plans, motivation, performance appraisal, organisational culture, and talent development.
How does the author characterize the 'protean' career?
The author describes it as an individual-managed career, necessitated by a changing business environment that reduces traditional motivators like job security.
What is the 'dark side' of career plans according to the text?
The dark side refers to the risk of individuals becoming obsessively dependent on their organization, which may lead them to compromise ethical standards to advance their careers.
- Quote paper
- Sven Röhm (Author), 2003, Can career plans generate motivated and high-skilled workforce?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/24458
