How career anchors differentiate managerial career trajectories: a sequence analysis perspective

In [this] study, [the authors] used sequence analysis to examine the relationship between career anchors (a concept of value-based career orientations widely used in career counseling and organizational career management), sociodemographic variables, and career trajectories of 377 Swiss managers over 15 years. Particularly, [the authors] investigated whether career anchors differentiate career trajectories into different patterns, and, if they do, whether different career anchors vary regarding their discriminative power. Thereby, [the study] addressed an open key question in career anchor research. [It was] found that particularly the Managerial Competence (MC) and Lifestyle (LS) anchors are strong differentiators. That is, individuals with different preferences on these anchors had significantly different career trajectories. Further, [the] results highlighted that the relationship between career anchors and sociodemographic variables is complex and differs for various job characteristics, such as hierarchical level and company size. [The authors] conclude with several directions for future research and implications for human resource management in organizations.

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