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Understanding career planning: Aliterature review

Mubashar Farooq Tanoli

Iqra University Islamabad, COMSATS Institute of informationTechnology

24 October 2016

Online at https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/74730/MPRA Paper No. 74730, posted 29 October 2016 14:20 UTC

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Understanding Career Planning: A literature Review

Mubashar Farooq

[email protected]

Abstract

Purpose: This study tries to explore and elaborate the role of career planning in routine life

activities.

Design/methodology/approach: Detailed literature support was added to explain the vivid

concept of career planning comprising of its impact over job commitment and performance of

employee.

Conclusion: The study after detailed discussion reveals that career planning encompasses minor

and major aspects of career of one’s life as it starts from adolescents and concludes at

experienced life

Keywords: Career Planning, Job Commitment, Employee Performance, Academic Contribution

JEL Classification: O15, J24, J28

Introduction

Different authors’ views defining Career Planning:

Hanis et al., (2012) in a group presentation has defined career planning in these words:

o Career is defined as person’s course or progress through life.

o Career planning is continues life long process of developmental experiences.

o Activities and action that an employee takes to achieve their individual career goals in

career development.

o Career planning and development is the process of managing life, learning and work.

o It is an approach to match employee goal.

o It is a learning process.

Career Planning is an on-going process where:

o Explore and know the interests and abilities

o Strategically plan for career goals

o Create future work success

They also defined the various purposes of career planning and career development

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Through proper planning of one’s career a management can enjoy the healthy support of more

develop and goal oriented employees and consistently looking deeply into employees concerns

can enable them to enhance their job performance and to take advantage from future

opportunities. It is only possible when they are entertained with full management support for

securing their job and status.

Career Planning has been defined in different terms by Antariksa, Y. (2007).

1. Career planning is the process of setting individual career objectives and creatively

developing activities that will be achieved by them.

2. Career Planning is the employee’s counterpart to the organization’s overall human

resource planning activity.

It can also be seen as a personal process consisting of three criteria:

I. Broad Life Planning

II. Development Planning

III. Performance Planning

Employees are ultimately responsible for the development of their own career. It creates the

awareness in them that they are responsible for their own career and this awareness compel to

construct plans that will enable them to accomplish goals, analyze potential career areas, and

determine if they possess the skills competencies and knowledge necessary to be considered

serious candidates for such positions ( Antariksa, Y. 2007).

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Karen Pagsoligan, (2012) has defined Career Planning as:

It is the deliberate process of knowing who you are so that you can be sure of where you want to

go or what you want to be at different point in the future.

He has also defined five steps of Career Planning. (In sequence):

o Self-Assessment

o Explore work/Career Options

o Narrow down list of work /career options

o Decide or choose the best options

o Set a career goal

A study by (Dodand Hooley, 2015) argue that though career guidance is primarily concerned

with the individual it also offers major social and economic benefits and these benefits justify the

public investment in the area. Careerguidance and planning is primarily concerned with realizing

the aspirations and potential of the individuals. Career guidance/planning contribute to a range of

outcomes of individual efforts which influence number of primary and secondary outcomes

which ultimately lead to macroeconomic benefits.

Career guidance

A wide range of

career guidance

interventions

Individual outcomes

Human capital

Social capital

Supported

transitions

Primary economic outcomes

Increased market labor participation

Decreased unemployment

Enhanced skills and knowledge base

Flexible and mobile labor market

Secondary economic outcomes

Improved health

Decreased crime

Increased tax revenue

Decreased benefit costs

Macro-economic benefits

Deficit reduction

Productivity

Living standards

Economic growth

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The evidence clearly shows that career guidance/planning can have substantial benefits for the

economy by supporting individuals to enhance their capacities which in turn contribute enhanced

job, skills and growth. So, all the Public and Private sector organizations should deeply see into

the importance of Career guidance/planning in order to be entertained with above mentioned

macro-economic benefits.

Rehmdil, (2012) in his one report on career development has used the term of Career

management for Career planning and he defined it as the process for enabling employees to

better understand and develop their career skills and interests and to use these skills and interests

more effectively. He defined career planning in the report as, an intentional process through

which someone becomes aware of personal skills, interests, knowledge, motivation and other

characteristics: and establishes action plans to attain specific goals. The basics of career

management are:

We can also consider all of them the constructs of career management. Career planning and

management is least possible without considering these characteristics. Educating those work

and environment practices, clarifying their goals, keeping in front long term achievement plans,

work required skills and the work and department of their interest will ultimately develop their

competencies and they will happily prolong their stay with their job (Hirsh, 1996; Merchant, Jr.

2010). Practices have been consistently changing over the time for guiding the employees

regarding their career and preparing them to understand the need of the persistently changing

environment with respect to inside and outside of their workplace. Basically there are three paths

which highlight the methods which have been adopted for dealing with employees’ career. These

Career

Interest

s

Goals

Skills

Vision

Value

s

Education

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paths are the comparison of modifications made on three different levels (Historical,

Organizational & Behavioral).

Literature Review

Career planning through consistent career management assures the transformation of the career.

It is very much clear from the career management equation

+ =

Management of any workplace when supported by effective plans and policies constructed by

true support of organizational leader it smoothly transforms their skills into their followers and

convert them from weak to effective status with developed skills and new ways of performing

their tasks (Gikopoulou, 2008). It secures them from getting unemployed in the near future,

(Mikacic., M.T, 2015)

Various purposes of the work environment are fulfilled through proper career planning.

Consistence planning for employee’s career yields their development and assures their stay with

work place in the long run (Johnson, 2009). It also sweeps away the barriers which are stake for

Effective Career

Management

Strategic

Leadership

Career

Transformation

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employee’s intentions of prolonging their stay with their job. It also prepares them to cash the

future opportunities as with wide range of support for their development, they are encouraged to

provide their potentials for the organizational efforts of achievement of their goals. Career

Planning assures the organizational intent of securing the jobs of their employees and the secured

employees are the more committed and active performers. This is one of the core responsibilities

of the management of one place that it should consistently work out to plan for securing their

employee through securing theirs job. In current tedious and competitive global situation one

need to develop their workforce to prepare them to stand along global competition and

challenges (Antoniu, E. 2010; Leung, 2008).

Career Planning and Job Commitment

Every organization aims to produce the high momentum in their routine tasks and increase the

acceleration of adopting more professional ways of concluding their tasks and projects(Cohen

and Soto, 2007).Number of organizations seek after the outputs rather the quality of input

provided. Employees are the true asset of any work place. Therefore, organization who care most

and are concious about their importance in their environment, they always work out to nourish

their satisfaction and commitment with the job through monotnous caring about their career and

providing security against their jobs(Jandhaghi et al., 2011). These organizations not only tend to

hire good employees but they rather emphsise on developing the career and encouraging the

commitment with the job of existing employees (Kaur & Sandhu, 2010). Employees who are

more cared they are more motivated and satisfied and hence they are willing to stay and more

commited with the organization (Riveros, A.M., & Tsai, T.S. 2011). Organizations work for

sorting the troubles of their employees by sharing their grievances and try to prepare even weak

performers by encouraging their efforts and maintaining the balance between their abilities and

job requirements. In order to maintain the employees’ job and performance they must feel or

realize security against their job (Bockerman et al., 2011). Employees who are much cared,

guided and supported by their supervisor regarding their career they tend to be affectively

comitted with their tasks and responsibilities and hence, carry the potential to accopolish the

challenging assignments (Chang, E. 1999). It prepares them to be encouraged and to develop in

them the sense of their responsibilities and value of their existance in any work place.

Employees get emotionally attached with the organization when they realize that management is

protecting their positions by making them worthy through properly planning for their career

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which encourages their attachment with their work place (Gantasala & Padmakumar, 2011;

Adekola, 2011). Professionals in few organizations like IT carry bulk of responsibilities on their

shoulders. They have to render their hours more than their obligatory duty hours and to sacrifice

their after the job period. In such cases they are unable to participate actively in their family

matters which does generate work life conflicts. So, in order to maintain the balance between

their work life and off the job routines, management should try to find out the affective soloution

for making them remain attached and more comitted with the organization(Bashir and Ramay,

2008). Employee career planning also reduces their turnover intentions and absenteeism. It is the

result of management realization of their workforce through persistently nourishing and

polishing their skills and lying down policies which work for providing them affective guidelines

regarding improvement in their career(Bimrose et al., 2005). Only those employees are comitted

to stay and show their interest in the management requirements who are much satisfied with

them, their supervisors and their colleagues. Employees comittment to their profession also

stengthen their comittment with the organization (Rahman & Hanafiah, 2002). They not only

show their interest in their work but also try to show their efforts to elevate the organizational

position among others. It clearly indicates that if employees are keenly interested in their

assigned tasks than they are actually strengthening the position of their institution (Kiyani et al.,

2011).

Job satisfaction has positive relation with the work environment and career support. Noordin et

al, 2007 investigated that different teachers of educational institutions specially high level are

emotionally attached with their job as most of them have high identity about their career owing

to long practical experience and much reliable and respectable profession. This identity prepares

them to realize the sense of their job security and get highly involved in their job (Morrison et

al., 2005).They therefore, they are able to create strong ties of their career with the reqirements

of their intitution. Outputs of the employees does reflect their level of interest in their tasks and

ability of performing and accompolishing them fruitfully. Their success lies behind their

achievements and production of extraordinary results. It is the only way which create congruence

between organizational targets and employees strength of performing their tasks (Cohen, 2007).

If they are not regularly generating the positive results than, it indicates their lack of satisfaction

with the work environment or the management. Career planning is not only the after job process

but rather it should be before the starting of any job. Specially, students at university level most

of the times are not provided with proper career counselling and due to lack of such support they

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are unable to plan regarding selection of their area of interest (Cohen, 2003; Chuang et al., 2009).

Ultimately, such selections come heavily upon them in the future when their abilities are unable

to cope with the field of their specialization. By the hook or crook if they are able to get the job

than they are unable to contribute in it affectively.

So, if planning is made at the start of employees’ career than it prepares them to be more

satisfied with their job as they are propelled in right direction. It is the only way that they can be

more comitted and in result more healthy performers of an institution.

Career Planning and Employee Performance

Employees are the valuable assets of the firm and it cannot be wasted in vain and they should not

be left on their own intentionally. Every employee in the firm or organization is not well

equipped with all sorts of strengths and capabilities of finishing every task up to mark. Letting

them to carry on for every tasks is to put their employment at stake which is destructive and

harsh not only for the employee himself but also for the environment in which they work(Hughes

&Karp, 2004). Some fresh or junior employees who are least aware of the techniques of

performing their job and settling themselves in their work environment, they need care, support

and proper planning at the start of their career to provide healthy nourishment to their on-going

job (Witko et al., 2004). Every employee should be made aware of importance of their existence

among any team or group of the firm and if, their realization of such sense does not approach to

the management then level of their skills and abilities cannot be improved through proper

management response. The better a firm can render to its employees is the environment of

learning, cooperation among members, committed supervision, timely fulfilling training needs,

job security, appreciation on better performances and professional and effective planning for

their career.Employees career planning acts as a tool of strengthening the employment

relationship between employer and employee indicating the fruitful sensation for all the levels

and groups of employees. It also assures theemployability of an employee when they are

consistently learning and applying learned and more developed skills (Watts, 2006).

Organizational level goals achievement relies on professional and satisfied workforce.

Employees who are satisfied, they tend to perform efficiently and effectively as they realize the

importance of healthy input they give into accomplishing their tasks. It consequently can bring

appreciation and reward for them. They will ultimately be motivated through it and they will

work with more diligence and commitment, Hameed &Waheed, (2011) further highlighted this

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sense and they argue that most organization focus only on their goals achievement but they care

very less about the means through which their achievement is possible (e.g. employees).

Employee career planning and development are the tools, which can mould the useless

employees into useful shape for any institution. It indicates that employee career planning is very

much necessary and must be practiced on professional basis by every work environment.

Effective career planning of employees is dependent on effective performance management,

where management considers communication and integration as a source of keeping employees

steadily on their way to goals achievement. The intervention of true management support in the

employees’ routine activities elevates their courage and polishes their capabilities to bring down

the barriers in the way to their career and organizational success (Thessaloniki, 2007). Hence,

they direct their efforts to approach and achieve the goals. In consequence of meeting the defined

targets they are able to gain appreciation and importance in the eyes of management and,

management tries to prolong their stay with them through better planning and recommendations

for their career. Same idea is reflected by (Strandberg, C., 2009; Marwat et al., 2006) while he

says that: some HR managers realize and understand the importance of Career planning specially

for individuals who perform extraordinary. Such employees are included in advancing their

career during their stay in an organization and they are very much motivated, productive and

happily prolong their stay with their organization. In the later discussion we would like discuss

the importance of career planning for the critical positions of any workplace. Succession

planning through keeping an eye over the need of that position and making availability of that

before the incumbent takes the charge. It will not only keep up their momentum of previous

performance but it will encourage them not only to develop their own skills but also to transfer

them to their juniors (Oracle White paper, 2012).

Literature wise role/contribution of Career Planning in Academic arena (A brief History)

References Role/Contribution

Hirsh, 1996 Strategies for Career development: Promise, Practice

and Pretence Joan Bloxom.2002 What They Need: Delivery of Career Development to

Grade Twelve Students

Hughes& Karp, 2004 School-Based Career Development:

A Synthesis of the Literature

Bimrose et al., 2005 A Systematic Literature Review of Research into Career

related interventions for Higher Education

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Bardick et al., 2005 Senior high school career planning: what students want

Morrison et al., 2005 Research Methods in Education

Tsiapis, 2008 Report on Effective Career Guidance

Johnson, 2009 Course for a Successful Research Career

Marija, 2015 The effects of career planning education

Conclusions

In current and modern era Career Planning has been the focus of the many researchers and they

targeted various aspects where it can bring the change to create the difference from monotonous

old and least productive methods. In the literature covering number of aspects relevant to it we

have analyzed that all the contributions made to it still have a room to add more important

concepts elaborating and explaining its contribution to more fields of life. People from around

the globe are consistently working and flourishing the concept of career planning and broadening

and spreading its concepts and values.

In literature contributing to work life environment it has overwhelming impact on strengthening

employee’s commitment not only with his/her own job but also with the whole environment in

their surroundings; hence, they share and contribute their experience with everyone. Their

Commitment brings employees closer and they collectively and effectively support each other. In

turn they not only change or modify the shape of their routine outputs or achievements but also

contribute with others to accomplish their tasks with the same passion. Career Planning has an

overwhelming influence over the academic institutions and their activities as it starts from

adolescents and continue till work life experience. If it continues its contribution than within a

few coming years every single of this world who will be capitalizing it will be able to achieve

their goals and emerging needs.

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References

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Antoniu, E. (2010). Career planning process and its role in human resource

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Bashir, S., & Ramay, M. I. (2008). Determinants of organizational commitment: a study

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Book

Morrison, Cohen & Manion, (2005). Research Methods in Education (5th Edition).

Websites:

http://www.slideshare.net/nusantara99/career-planning-and-development

http://www.slideshare.net/kesiamargot/career-planning-presentation

http://www.slideshare.net/FaisalZulkarnaen89/human-resources-management-career-planning-

development

http://www.slideshare.net/rehmdil/career-development-10792315