Design and Validation of Career Plateau Management Model in Farhangian University
الموضوعات :مجید مسعودی 1 , محمود صباحی زاده زاده 2 , Younes Darvish 3
1 - دانشگاه آزاد بندرعباس
2 - استادیار دانشگاه ازاد اسلامی واحد بندرعباس
3 - Minab Branch, islamic azad university, Minab, Iran
الکلمات المفتاحية: Farhangian University, career plateau management model, career plateau,
ملخص المقالة :
A career plateau occurs when managers reach a point in their career where opportunities for further development and advancement are limited or stopped. The purpose of this research was to design and validate a career plateau management model in Farhangian University. The mixed research method was exploratory and was carried out in two qualitative (phenomenological) and quantitative (descriptive-survey) parts. The participants in the qualitative field included university experts, 10 of whom were purposefully selected. Data from the qualitative section were collected through semi-structured interviews and coded using the thematic analysis method. The statistical population in the quantitative field included managers and employees of Farhangian University (4000 people), of which 380 people were selected through stratified random sampling. Data was collected in the quantitative section using a researcher-made questionnaire. The questionnaire's validity was assessed through content validity, and its reliability was estimated using Cronbach's alpha and combined reliability. The validity of the model was confirmed through structural equation modeling in PLS software. The results indicated that the dimensions and components of job plateau management among Farhangian University employees included individual, organizational, and environmental dimensions. The validation of the model in the quantitative section demonstrated that the designed model is valid. In conclusion, in managing career plateaus at Farhangian University, one must consider individual characteristics and needs, organizational behavior and human resource management within the organization, as well as political, economic, social, and cultural factors originating from the environment.
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Masoudi et al: Design and Validation of Career Plateau Management ……
ISSN (print): 2588-5731 E-ISSN: 3060-6535
Design and Validation of Career Plateau Management Model in Farhangian University
Majid Masoudi1 , Mahmoud Sabahizadeh*2, Younes Daryoush3
Received Date: 20/06/2023 Accepted Date: 24/11/2023
Pp: 1-20
Abstract
Introduction: A career plateau occurs when managers reach a point in their career where opportunities for further development and advancement are limited or stopped. The purpose of this research was to design and validate a career plateau management model in Farhangian University.
Methodology: The mixed research method was exploratory and was carried out in two qualitative (phenomenological) and quantitative (descriptive-survey) parts. The participants in the qualitative field included university experts, 10 of whom were purposefully selected. Data from the qualitative section were collected through semi-structured interviews and coded using the thematic analysis method. The statistical population in the quantitative field included managers and employees of Farhangian University (4000 people), of which 380 people were selected through stratified random sampling. Data was collected in the quantitative section using a researcher-made questionnaire. The questionnaire's validity was assessed through content validity, and its reliability was estimated using Cronbach's alpha and combined reliability. The validity of the model was confirmed through structural equation modeling in PLS software.
Findings: The results indicated that the dimensions and components of job plateau management among Farhangian University employees included individual, organizational, and environmental dimensions. The validation of the model in the quantitative section demonstrated that the designed model is valid.
Conclusion: In conclusion, in managing career plateaus at Farhangian University, one must consider individual characteristics and needs, organizational behavior and human resource management within the organization, as well as political, economic, social, and cultural factors originating from the environment.
Keywords: Farhangian University, career plateau management model, career plateau
Introduction
Job plateau is a significant challenge in organizations that impacts employee performance, emotions, and commitment. This occurs when employees have developed deep knowledge and skills in their current roles but lack opportunities for advancement (Huaman-Ramirez & Lahlouh, 2022). In recent decades, rapid workplace changes, such as technological advancements, downsizing, and flattened organizational structures, have made job plateaus more common and garnered increased attention from researchers and practitioners (Yang et al., 2019). The concept of a career plateau was first introduced in the late 1970s and is traditionally defined as "the point in a career where the likelihood of further hierarchical promotion is very low" (Fernec et al., 1977). Career plateau refers to a situation where employees experience stagnation in their career development, leading to decreased motivation and performance (Desa et al., 2024). Research has shown that individuals typically master their job within three years, and without new challenges, work can become repetitive (Rajabi Farjad et al., 2019). Factors such as supervisor, team size, job conditions, required expertise, past success, salaries, rewards, job challenges, organizational support, and company size contribute to job plateaus. Additionally, individual factors like age, gender, social status, education, number of children, and family responsibilities are also key reasons for career stagnation (Mobasheri and Babaei, 2017).
Researchers have classified career plateaus in different ways. Bardwick (1986) introduced two types of job plateaus: structural (hierarchical) plateaus and content plateaus (job content). A hierarchical plateau occurs when a person lacks challenges in their job and job responsibilities. Job plateaus can be classified subjectively and objectively, with different criteria to identify each. Objective criteria include seniority, age, tenure, and salary, while subjective criteria are based on a person's perception of future promotion opportunities. Previous research has focused on the subjective importance of career plateaus and individuals' perception of future success (Mirsaidi et al., 2019). Studies indicate that job plateaus can negatively impact work performance and organizational commitment, leading to poor performance (Desa et al., 2024). Career plateauing is associated with increased negative emotions, which can lead to deviant behaviors at work (Ng & Yang, 2023). Preventing career plateaus has become crucial for both employees and organizations, as it can enhance organizational efficiency and provide employees with more opportunities for career advancement (Lin, 2022).
Farhangian University plays a vital role in training knowledgeable and wise teachers aligned with the education system's goals. Given the job characteristics, organizational context, and centralized structure at Farhangian University, the issue of job plateau can arise and impede employees' career progression (Khanifar et al., 2021). Addressing career plateaus at this university can positively impact employees' attitudes, motivation, satisfaction, and job commitment, fostering a dynamic and engaging work environment. Examining job plateaus among Farhangian University employees is crucial, as it can lead to feelings of disappointment and psychological defeat within the organization. Employees may feel unchallenged in their work after reaching a career plateau, hindering their professional development and growth opportunities (Khoshvaghti and Jafarzadeh, 2021).
Ebrahimi et al. (2020) investigated the impact of organizational and superior support on teachers' occupational, content, and structural plateaus. Their results showed that higher support from superiors and the organization correlated with lower content and structural plateaus among teachers. Khanifar et al. (2021) found a significant negative relationship between job structure and content plateaus with job motivation in a study on teachers. Job plateaus were associated with lower motivation levels among teachers. Research by Rotondo & Perewe (2000) revealed that positive activities, such as expanding job duties and mentoring, were linked to positive attitudes and performance among plateaued employees. Chang Boon Lee (2003) found that career plateau perception and measurement had more explanatory power for work efficiency and output than objective measures. Career plateaus negatively impacted work efficiency and job satisfaction. Penkar & Agrawal (2012) identified factors contributing to career plateaus in the education sector, including job turnover and low job satisfaction. Tabarsa et al. (2014) developed a model for managing occupational plateaus in the Ministry of Industry and Mines, highlighting the impact of content plateaus on job outcomes. Kargar et al. (2021) outlined a career plateau model in the police force headquarters of Iran, emphasizing individual, job, organizational, and environmental factors. Shayan et al. (2022) focused on moral factors in the career plateau model at Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Karimianpour et al. (2023) identified factors influencing job stagnation among primary school teachers, highlighting the importance of training and support in addressing career plateaus.
Overall, various studies have examined career plateaus from different perspectives, emphasizing their impact on employee performance and organizational success. However, a study focusing on designing a career plateau management model specifically for Farhangian University is lacking. Given the university's significance in developing the country's education system and the importance of employee commitment and satisfaction, conducting such research can help fill a gap in this area.
Research Questions
1. What components does the career plateau management model have in Farhangian University?
2. Is the career plateau management model valid in Farhangian University?
Methodology
The current research is a mixed study (qualitative-quantitative) conducted with the aim of designing and validating the career plateau management model in Farhangian University. Participants in the qualitative field included experts from the scientific community, with 10 purposefully selected individuals. Data for the qualitative section was collected through semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was used in 6 steps: 1. initial familiarization with the interview text, 2. creating initial codes, 3. searching for themes, 4. browsing the themes, 5. defining the themes and headings, 6. preparation of the report introducing basic, organizing, and inclusive themes. The analysis led to the design of the desired model. The validity of the research findings was confirmed through a survey method with participants. Reliability of the findings was also checked using the agreement method between two coders, with a score of 0.79. In the quantitative part, the statistical population included all employees of Farhangian University (4000 people), with 380 individuals selected using stratified random sampling based on the Morgan table. Data was collected using a researcher-made questionnaire based on qualitative findings. The validity of the questionnaire was confirmed content validity, and construct validity was confirmed through confirmatory factor analysis (all items had a factor loading above 0.7). Reliability of the questionnaire was checked and confirmed with Cronbach's alpha and Composite reliability (see Table 1).
| composite reliability | Cronbach's alpha coefficient
|
Individual dimension | 0.850 | 0.787 |
Organizational dimension | 0.877 | 0.860 |
Environmental dimension | 0.805 | 0.714 |
Career plateau management | 0.990 | 0.987 |
Table 1. Reliability of the questionnaire
The data collected in the quantitative section were analyzed using SPSS, PLS, and confirmatory factor analysis.
Research findings
The first research question was: what are the components of the career plateau management model in Farhangian University?
Semi-structured interviews were conducted to answer this question, and the data were analyzed using the thematic analysis method. After going through six stages, the extracted concepts and categories were systematically related to each other and drawn in the form of a paradigmatic model, The results are presented in Table 2.
Table 2 - Extracted Concepts and Categories
Row | Basic codes (basic topics) | constructive themes
| Overarching themes |
| Moral principles and ethics, moral values, personal values, good ethics, promoting personal ethics, moral abnormalities and wrong behaviors, normalizing individuals | Respecting values | individual factors
|
| Behavioral principles, good and good traits, behavioral patterns and code of ethics, developing behavioral patterns | Developing behavioral principles
| |
| Feeling satisfied, strengthening attachment and interest in work, creating appropriate platforms for human factors, personal relationships, decisions | Creating infrastructures for attachment to work
| |
| Justice and fairness, employee alienation, individual level, employee capabilities, motivating employees, justice and fairness, positive attitude, delegation of authority, encouragement and punishment, human dimension, lack of decisiveness, employing committed forces | The internal aspect of individuals for growth
| |
| Learning skills and knowledge, structure and structure of competence, using actual abilities and potential, level of knowledge of individuals, experience and skill gaps in the administrative system, employees having skills and knowledge, providing training Continuous | Improving skill levels through continuous training
| |
| Service, trustworthiness, responsibility, kindness, tolerance, justice, attitude, intention, power, internal locus of control, personal values, beliefs, commitment and seriousness, fading conscience, lack of self-esteem, interest in the job, moral virtues and good ethics, moral characteristics, trust, sense of equality and equity, weakness of belief, commitment to learning, adherence to moral values, spirit of collectivism, moral intelligence and accountability | Ethical characteristics of individuals
| |
| Perfecting the virtues of morality, a system of values, commitment to Islamic and organizational values, ethical codes, performing ethical actions, valuing compliance with ethical principles, emphasizing compliance with ethical principles at the community and family levels, performance values, ethical norms and values, moral decline and breaking of ethical boundaries, organizational value-creating principles, adaptation of behaviors and practices, level of moral development, drafting a code of ethics, application Moral values, the practical implementation of the organization's human resources in compliance with ethical and legal principles | Developing a code of ethics to comply with ethical principles | Organizational factors
|
| Aligning plans and decisions, decision-making process, proper planning and benefiting from a medium-term perspective, predictability of decisions, failure to achieve goals | Ethical decision-making | |
| Serving customers and people, field dependence, demographics, parental influence, social capital, job characteristics, organizational culture, quality of work life, attention to creating motivation in employees, interference of managers' tastes and views, organizational climate, performance evaluation, organizational system, dialogue, establishing knowledge management, maintaining employee growth and dignity, administrative system, public interests, systemic thinking and macroscopic vision in the organization, conflict of interests, expectations and expectations in the organization, planning, non-abuse of the management position, governance of work conscience, dynamic and learning organization, recognition of damages, systematic approach and establishment of essential management processes, communication and functioning of organizational processes, individual behavior and beliefs, design of system mechanisms Organizational commitment, organizational requirements, self-control and internal adherence to ethical values, creating a reputation for the company's commitment, quick response to ethical violations, correct understanding of the concept of ethics, creativity and innovation, organizational reputation, job position clarification, exerting influence to achieve personal interests, job security, creative management program, legitimacy of the organization's actions, compliance with ethics in dealing with internal and external stakeholders, respecting and protecting people's rights, recognizing weaknesses and planning for externalization | Intra-organizational characteristics
| |
| Low power at the disposal of management, reducing the legitimacy and acceptability of management, paying attention to public awareness, conflict between organizational goals and individual goals of employees, conflict of interest, employee inefficiency, creating an organization of experienced employees | Ability to resolve ethical conflicts | |
| Maintaining and supporting employees, establishing healthy and humane relationships, growing collective spirit and participation, institutional participation and convergence, participation of all employees | Institutional participation and support | |
| Self-control culture, organizational values and culture, reforming the administrative system and finalizing the Islamic organizational culture, culture of participation, culture of ethics, culture of learning organization, social culture, culture of ethics | Institutionalizing organizational culture
| |
| Organizational structure, reforming the administrative structure, improving and modernizing the system of creating a single thinking in the organization, organizational dimension of agile organization, reforming the administrative structure and existing relationships, paying attention to health-oriented businesses, organizational health and authenticity | Organizational structure
| |
| Targeted training through mass communication media, training professional ethics in the organization, ignorance and unfamiliarity of employees, training programs, planning for employee training, on-the-job training, training and education of employees in line with organizational goals, educational and socialization processes, creating an organization of experienced employees, progress and development of communication sciences and Psychological, training and learning organizational culture, continuous training | Organizational justice and equality | |
| Recruitment of human resources, behavioral competencies, meritocracy, career advancement, career processes, having moral competence and administrative health, seeking merit, reforming recruitment and selection systems, recruitment and recruitment criteria for human resources, job satisfaction, selecting individuals | Reducing organizational corruption | |
| Fair and proportionate division of affairs in the organization, equality and proportionality of workload, justice and justice-centeredness, creating a new and justice-centered attitude, creating a balance in the dimensions of organizational justice | Performance evaluation system
| |
| Corruption in the layers of governance, financial corruption, creating transparency in information, clarifying work processes, deviations in service delivery, the limits and boundaries of the duties and authorities of organizational units and jobs, absence of administrative violations, lack of ethics and transparency, transparency in executive procedures, organizational health, superiority of relationship over principle, disregard for administrative and job problems, reducing moral corruption, reforming the service delivery system and providing the possibility of providing more desirable services to customers, high Identifying and reducing effective damages in the field of organizational ethics, utilizing the organization's expert team, identifying bottlenecks and critical points of administrative corruption, the silence of knowledge workers, transparency in instructions and processes for carrying out affairs, social justice policies, reforming cumbersome organizational procedures | Ethical leaders
| |
| Providing quality service, effectiveness of actions and activities, results-oriented and designing a performance evaluation system, serious cooperation, careful supervision, control and evaluation, applying a control and monitoring and performance evaluation system in the organization, benefiting from the experiences of other institutions, providing desirable and quality services, operational measures and planning, ensuring and improving the level of people's satisfaction, clear regulations and instructions, effectiveness and guidance of human resources, ensuring long-term benefits, the existence of correct and proper supervision, lack of good governance, lack of a comprehensive ethical system in the culture of society, failure to receive feedback on the level of customer satisfaction, establishing a performance evaluation system, failure to receive feedback on the level of customer satisfaction, providing solutions for exit, the type of behavior and performance of competing organizations, coherent and efficient planning, determining the organization's goals, monitoring Effective for complying with the framework of the country's development programs | Respect for labor rights
| |
| How leaders behave and perform, leadership in the organization, the existence of ethical leadership, work ethics, the attitude of senior managers, institutionalizing the culture of career plateau management | Interaction and social relations with others | |
| Financial and career incentive levers, observing the principle of public interest, adjusting salary plans, designing incentive systems, rights and benefits and welfare matters, respecting labor rights | Respect for labor rights
| |
| Relationship with colleagues, existing mechanisms in relation to customers, the type of relationship between manager and employee, the type of relationship between the organization and the job, organizational conflicts and individual relationships, committed to customer rights, regulating relationships between humans | Interaction and social relations with others | |
| The environment outside the organization, the existence of environmental stimuli, the environmental dimension, workplace conditions, community conditions, sustainable competitive advantage, technological growth and the expansion of the Internet, relationship with the environment, resources, ensuring long-term benefits, a platform for constructive competition | Environmental drivers
| individual factors
|
| Laws and regulations, the obligation to implement organizational laws and regulations, internal organizational requirements and duties, external organizational requirements and duties, bureaucracy | Legalism | |
| The overall culture governing Society, country culture, acquired behaviors, customs and traditions | Cultural dimension | |
| Inside the organization, society and the surrounding environment of the organization, time and quality, corruption in the layers of governance, interaction of special status in front of customers | Social dimension | |
| Development of strategies, development strategies and policies, career plateau management, improper use of power in front of colleagues, slogans and mission statements of the organization, strategies and major plans of the organization, strategic organizational decisions, policy-making and goal-setting, ganging, employee politicking | Political dimension | |
| Creating economic and financial incentives, economic driving force, financial nature, financial abuses, achieving productivity and directing resources, growth and development of the organization, ensuring desired performance, profitability, efficiency and effectiveness, productivity, priority of individual interests over the organization, organizational profits or moving ahead of government goals | Economic dimension
|
The model had a pattern of basic themes including respecting values, developing behavioral principles, creating infrastructures of attachment to work, the internal aspect of people for growth, improving skill levels through continuous learning, ethical characteristics of people, developing an ethical charter to comply with ethical principles, internal organizational characteristics, ethical decision-making, the ability to solve ethical conflicts, participation and institutional support, institutionalizing organizational culture, organizational structure, skills and knowledge of employees, progressivism and meritocracy, organizational justice and equality, reducing organizational corruption, performance system evaluation, ethical leaders, respect for labor rights, interaction and social relations with others, environmental stimuli, legalism, cultural factors, social factors, political factors, and economic factors. The organizing themes included individual, organizational, and environmental factors, with the overarching theme of career plateau management. The conceptual model of the research is shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1. Conceptual research model
To answer the second research question, whether the designed model of job plateau management in Farhangian University is valid? confirmatory factor analysis was used to check the measurement model and verify the validity of the questionnaire and factor structure.
Measurement model fit An important consideration in factor analysis is determining the minimum sample size. According to Table 2, the Kaiser-Meyer-Elkin sample adequacy value was 0.846, and Bartlett's test with a chi-square score of 853.052 was significant at 6 degrees of freedom and a significance level of 0.001. Therefore, the items of the questionnaire and the sample size were suitable for factor analysis.
Table3: Confidence statistics on the data adequacy of the general model
| Sampling quality index | 0.846
| ||
Bartlett test of sphericity | chi-square | 853.052 | ||
Degree of freedom | 6 | |||
Significance | 0.001 | |||
Evaluation of the measurement model
Factor loading coefficients: Initially, the research model was tested based on factor loading coefficients. The research model, using standard factor load estimation, can be seen in Figure 2. The test results showed that all factor loadings of the main components of the model, including individual (0.864), environmental (0.774), and organizational (0.945) components, as well as the factor loadings of each sub-dimension with the main components, were above 0.4. As a result, the main and sub-components explain the career plateau management model at Farhangian University.
Figure 2: The structural equations model of the research using standard estimation of factor load
Convergent validity: The criterion for the average variance extracted to measure convergent validity is 0.5. This means that an average extracted variance above 0.5 indicates acceptable convergent validity. The values for this criterion in the research model are described in Table 4. The average extracted variance of all variables is above 0.5, confirming the convergent validity of the model.
Table 4: Mean values of extracted variance
dimension | values of extracted variance |
Individual dimension | 0.511 |
Organizational dimension | 0.543 |
Environmental dimension | 0.503 |
Divergent validity: The Fornell and Larcker criterion was used to check the divergent validity of the model Table 5. This criterion determines the relationship of a variable with its indicators compared to other variables. Acceptable divergent validity occurs when the average variance extracted for each variable is greater than the shared variance between that variable and other variables.
Table 5: Fornell-Larker index
| Individual dimension | Organizational dimension | Environmental dimension |
Individual dimension | 0.864 |
|
|
Organizational dimension | 0.546 | 0.641 |
|
Environmental dimension | 0.763 | 0.585 | 0.783 |
Significant t-values: The significant t-values indicate the relationship between variables in the model. If these values are greater than 1.96, it confirms the relationship between the variables at a 95% confidence level. Figure 3 displays the test results of the conceptual model in terms of the significance of the t coefficients. All t-values in the figure are above 1.96, confirming the dimensions in the structural equation model.
Figure 3: Research significance model
Criterion R2: The coefficient of determination related to the dependent variable indicates the fit of the model. Values of 0.19, 0.35, and 0.67 are considered weak, medium, and strong R2 values, respectively. (Table 6) shows the coefficient of determination values for the research variables.
Criterion Q2: The Q2 index evaluates the predictive power of the model. Values of 0.02, 0.15, and 0.35 indicate weak, medium, and strong predictive power, respectively. The Q2 values for the dependent variables in the model are at a medium to high level. (Table 6)
Overall model fit: The overall model fit is assessed using the Goodness of Fit (GOF) index. A GOF value of 0.63 indicates a strong and appropriate fit for the model. (Table 6)
Table 6 : Report on R2 criterion, Q2 criterion, and GOF criterion
variable | R2 | Q2 | GOF criterion | ||||||
0.19 Weak | 0.33 Average | 0.67 Strong | 0.02 Weak | 0.15 Average | 0.35 Strong | 0.01 Weak
| 0.25 Average | 0.36 Strong | |
Individual dimension | 0.746 | 0.338 | 0.63 | ||||||
Organizational dimension | 0.893 | 0.285 | |||||||
Environmental dimension | 0.599 | 0.221
| |||||||
Based on the construct validity, reliability indices, and validity indicators, the measurement model shows strong fit and validity. The model consists of three dimensions: individual, organizational, and environmental.
Discussion and Conclusion
The present research aimed to design and explain the career plateau management model at Farhangian University. In the qualitative part, the dimensions and components of career plateau management at Farhangian University were identified using theme analysis. In the quantitative part, the validity of the career plateau management model at Farhangian University was investigated and confirmed through confirmatory factor analysis.
The designed model includes the Qordi dimension with components such as respect for values, development of behavioral principles, creation of work attachment infrastructure, internal growth aspects of people, continuous skill improvement through learning, moral characteristics, and organizational dimensions with components like a code of ethics, organizational characteristics, ethical decision-making, resolving ethical conflicts, institutional support, organizational culture, skills and knowledge of employees, progressiveness, organizational justice and equality, reduction of corruption, performance assessment systems, ethical leadership, compliance with labor rights, social interactions, and environmental dimensions with components like environmental stimuli, legalism, cultural, social, political, and economic dimensions. Kargar et al. (2021) also mentioned individual, organizational, and environmental dimensions as components of the career plateau management model, which aligns with the research findings. Shayan et al. (2022) listed various factors affecting career plateau, including individual, organizational, and environmental factors, in line with the research findings. The results of this research align with previous studies by Rotondo & Perewe (2000), Chang Boon Lee (2003), Penkar & Agrawal (2012), Khanifar et al. (2021), Ebrahimi et al. (2020), Tabarsa et al. (2014), and Karimianpour et al. (2023). Service organizations, such as universities, are under pressure to provide desirable services to citizens. They often place less emphasis on employee satisfaction, expecting employees to continuously develop themselves to adapt to technological and environmental changes. This, in turn, allows them to provide better services to citizens. Many individuals begin their careers with aspirations of reaching the highest levels within an organization. They seek power, growth, and advancement. However, a significant number of them will encounter a career plateau before achieving their goals. A career plateau is a point in an individual's career path that significantly reduces the likelihood of advancing up the organizational hierarchy in the future.Various individual factors, such as employees' job values, can moderate the negative impact of a career plateau. Employees whose job values focus on achievement and progress tend to react more negatively to limited advancement opportunities, task monotony, and a lack of job challenge (Davis, 2005). But employees value job security, stability, and predictability over job challenges (Salami, 2010). The effectiveness of an organization depends on how it properly manages and utilizes its human resources. A successful organization is one that can achieve its goals through experienced managers. Therefore, the improper and unregulated selection of managers is a common issue in current organizations. Various studies have shown that a lack of attention to meritocracy leads to demotivation, a loss of dynamism in employees, a desire for stagnation, a decrease in creativity and innovation, and ultimately a decrease in organizational productivity. Inefficient management practices, such as appointing or dismissing managers based on personal criteria, organizational injustice, low organizational support, lack of policy coherence, lack of transparency in goals, policy variability, and neglecting employee needs, are key factors in creating career plateaus in organizations. Setting clear career goals, developing strategies, and implementing feedback programs can help reduce career plateaus within an organization (Mayasari, 2009). Another factor that management can focus on to reduce the phenomenon of job burnout is addressing the social, cultural, and economic needs of employees. Improving environmental conditions can lead to increased happiness, better physical and mental health, and overall comfort for employees. The benefits of a suitable work environment include cost reduction, decreased absenteeism due to illness, improved productivity levels, and enhanced employee comfort. When employees feel at ease in the workplace, they are less likely to experience job burnout. Kargar et al. (2021) and Shayan et al. (2022) have also highlighted the importance of environmental factors in relation to job burnout.
According to the results of the research, it can be said that it is appropriate for organizations to recruit expert employees and managers based on individual qualifications, rather than work politics, personal tastes, or superficial judgments. It is important to design and implement career path planning, adopt career enrichment strategies such as policies that facilitate intra-organizational transfers, redesign organizational jobs, establish an in-service training system, design a performance-based payment system, and improve job skills.Taking steps to create a positive image of the organization in society, fostering a realistic attitude towards the organization through the socialization process, establishing a system to combat administrative corruption, and providing organizational support such as emotional, informational, and instrumental support during performance evaluations are crucial. Establishing a coaching system within the organization with the aim of sharing job information and knowledge, helping individuals implement new skills, and strengthening their sense of competence and self-confidence is also important. Moving towards creating a balance between work activities and personal lives by changing work methods, effectively delegating tasks, and establishing non-financial incentive programs can also be beneficial.Implementing any of the above strategies can lead to improved working conditions in the organization and prevent job plateaus.
The most important obstacles and limitations of this research include: poor cooperation from some experts in interviews and answering questions, the longer duration of the activity, the absence of a research-oriented and scientific view of the experts on the subject under study, and the lack or absence of accessible and usable scientific resources. There are very few and limited scientific resources (at least in Persian) in this field that are directly related to the subject of study and research. For this reason, the researcher needed to use Latin resources, which itself brought other problems such as limited time to use the Internet in the faculty, correct translation of Latin texts into Persian, and their unification. Another challenge was the lack of necessary budget to carry out and advance the work. Every research work requires financial expenses at different stages, and student research is certainly not exempt from this issue due to the specific circumstances of the researcher
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[1] - PH.D student in Educational Management, Bandar Abbas Branch, Islamic Azad University, Bandar Abbas, Iran.
[2] - Assistant Professor, Department of Curriculum Planning Bandar Abbas Branch, Islamic Azad University, Bandar Abbas, Iran.(Corresponding author: mahmoudsabahi@gmail.com)
[3] - Assistant Professor, Department of training and development of human resource
, Faculty of Humanities, Islamic Azad University, Minab Iran.
