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Emphasizes the need for coherence between the reward structure and the organizational culture of effective schools. Provides a framework for discussion which includes a typology of rewards, including pecuniary, non‐pecuniary extrinsic and intrinsic rewards. Analyses several pay‐for‐performance strategies, classified by permanency of increases (merit or incentive) and mode of distribution (individual or group). Explores the perceived advantages and disadvantages of various merit and incentive plans in support of effective schools. Suggests that more attention to a closer fit between compensation strategies, organizational strategies, and workforce behaviours is required to increase the positive effects of reward structures.

The system of two career ladders, one for managers, the other for (top‐level) specialists or professionals, has worked satisfactorily up to a certain level. There are, however, indications that there will be a change in the “natural” career progression in the near future. Responsible for this are rising educational level of the workforce, onset of lean, knowledge‐driven companies which are competence‐based, and doubts about the effectiveness of the classical manager. Studies the concept of a “career”, and current changes in career motivations and opportunities of managers and professionals. To illustrate, describes how three large Dutch companies recruit their future top‐level managers and professionals. In particular, the career aspirations and opportunities of an important group of professionals, viz. engineers will be investigated. Finally, suggests how to align career path and motives with organizational requirements, both for managers and for professionals. Compares HRM policy with the way in which Japanese companies manage careers and transitions between managers and professionals.

Illustrates the key differences between two distinct sub‐populations employed by most organizations: specialists and generalists. Specialists are defined as those professionals who are trained in a singular discipline, are concerned with increasing and perfecting their skills, and value recognition from their specialist peers. In direct contrast, generalists possess a macro orientation characterized more by breadth of knowledge than depth, are more loyal to their employing organization than a professional group, and aspire to climb the corporate hierarchy as it exists. Clearly, these two groups represent divergent interests, goals and needs. Consequently, they impose serious demands on the organization in general and on its human resources department to provide an appropriate set of programmes, along with a facilitating environment, in order to optimize their performance. Organizes these issues into four human resource management areas: recruitment, development, motivation and retention. Provides applied documentation substantiating effectiveness in each area.

This paper explores the interpretation of career progression of a group of men and women engineers in a large industrial organization in Malaysia. Data were gathered through in‐depth interviews with 20 engineers about their subjective‐career experience. They were senior engineers selected from four operating units of the organization. The career‐history data indicate that the interpretation of career progression of these engineers is grouped into four themes, namely, the importance of technical and managerial career ladders, engineering career from the perspective of gender, influence of structural change on career, and the importance of personal and organizational factors as well as opportunities affecting career progression.

The purpose of this research paper is to examine managers' careers, describe and compare career paths between the two most important business sectors in Finland: ICT industry and paper industry. The main research question of this study is: how do the managers construct their careers in ICT and the paper business sectors? Attempts to find out if there exists some regularity in how their careers unfold in these different working environments. What are the main factors in manager's life that direct their careers? Do they differ depending on the business sector? These questions are approached with the help of metaphors, career anchors and career ladders.

The primary research data were gathered in 2002 by interviews in Finnish ICT and paper companies where 30 managers were interviewed. The interviews were held in three companies from ICT sector and three companies from paper industry. Every interview used also a short questionnaire concerning career anchors.

According to the research data there can be noticed three types of career paths. These paths are path of a general manager, specialist and project manager. The career in both sectors begins in a position of specialist then directs towards one of these three paths. When comparing eight career anchors between ICT and paper sectors it was surprising that the greatest difference between the sectors existed concerning the security/stability anchor. Secure employment and compensation were more important to ICT managers than to paper managers. Security and stability matters seemed to be more self‐evident for the paper managers.

The research group consisted of only 30 managers and, therefore, no generalizations to a more extensive group of managers can be made. This paper concerned only two business sectors. The results of this paper cannot be transferred directly to other business sectors.

This approach can be useful in the area of career research. For example, it has already benefited a career research concerning women ICT professionals. This paper can also benefit managers in ICT and paper sectors.

This paper cover enlighten career researchers about the importance of the business sector.

Explores the concept “career ambitious” in the contexts of traditional corpocratic “male” and more recent “female” career development models. Traditional corpocratic career development models are premissed on the notion of linear hierarchical progression and, accordingly, encourage competition, this being the vehicle through which the individual reaches the much‐prized top rung of the career ladder. In this context, the career ambitious individual is fiercely competitive, viewing her or his career as a series of tournaments, and measuring her or his career success by objective measures such as salary, rank or promotion. In contrast, when adopting a more holistic women’s career development framework, in which the interplay between work, significant others, organizational factors and various life stages is acknowledged, the career ambitious individual is one who measures her or his success in both professional and personal arenas through subjective measures such as perceived degree of challenge, satisfaction or sense of growth or development.

In this study, the concept of career, which is one of the most significant functions of human resources, is examined. Toward the end of the twentieth century, restricted models, in which individuals work in a workplace in a classical manner, have been replaced by more flexible models. Due to certain reasons such as changing environmental conditions, increasing education levels, and the impact of employee’s values on his/her work life, individuals’ work life have been dramatically changed. Therefore, some career approaches oriented for these changing conditions and current requirements have been proposed by both academicians and professionals. These approaches mostly include removing workplace limits, offering the opportunity to work from anywhere, using various skills at different departments without any limitations. Basing on the aforementioned changes in theory and practice, this study investigates up-to-date career approaches in a holistic manner. In this context, the background and practicability of these theoretically framed approaches are also discussed in the present study

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how French managers picture their careers, specifically female careers.

The sample was composed of 93 women and 5 men attending a professional women’s networking event in France. Participants answered a questionnaire, including images to choose from to best describe how they perceived their own career development.

The results indicate that a female career is closely associated with work-life balance by both women and men. Also, women acknowledge three times more than men, the existence of a glass ceiling in their organisation. Women and men choose both traditional and contemporary images of career.

As the sample was taken from a women’s network event, the male sample size is small. Despite the small sample of men, giving voice to male participants leads to rich insights which challenge gendered and non-gendered career models.

On an individual level, reflection on one’s career path fosters awareness and ownership of career choices. Further, working with career images enhances discussion and experience sharing about personal career choices, and offers opportunities to organisations concerned with developing female talent.

The study contributes to the career literature by providing insights into how female and male managers perceive female careers. The study’s originality lies in the methodology, based on using images of careers to better understand how managers picture their own careers.

The career path once promised to good managers was an uninterrupted, upward climb on a corporate ladder. When environmental forces caused organizations to downsize and restructure, the promise was broken. A protean path emerged, one that was self‐directed rather than company‐directed, and involved changes in employment. The study assesses whether managers have achieved the promised path and whether demographic and career factors differ for those on promised versus protean paths. Longitudinal data from MBAs surveyed three times over a 13‐year period demonstrated that the promised career path still exists for one‐third of the MBAs. Managers on promised paths were somewhat older and worked in larger companies. However, they did not have greater income, managerial level, career satisfaction, company loyalty, or job security than those on protean paths. Women followed both paths but career advancement was more accessible on protean paths. This study makes a unique contribution as the longitudinal data, controlled educational background, and controlled time period enhance understanding of managerial career paths.

This research examined the different profile of individual, opportunity structure, and career strategy variables related to both objective (salary) and subjective (self‐perceived) career success. Questionnaire data were obtained from a stratified sample of 723 full‐time employees at several higher education institutions in the north of England. Controlling for age, tenure, gender, and occupation, a different profile of factors predicted objective and subjective career success. The highest objective career success was reported by employees with a high level of education, who worked in larger organizations with well‐structured progression ladders and invested considerable effort in their work role. In contrast, the highest subjective career success was reported by employees who were high on work centrality, who worked in organizations with well‐structured progression ladders and employment security, and who networked frequently yet reported a lack of ambition. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed, together with avenues for further research.