Design and Validation of Career Plateau Management Model in Farhangian University

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.