Careers in the Netherlands: ACCR national research initiative outline & preliminary results

1. Careers in the Netherlands:ACCR national research initiativeoutline & preliminary results Claartje J. Vinkenburg

2. Why this initiative? • Developments in organizations • Increasing globalization, need for flexibility • Demographic changes (ageing, diversity) • Top selection / succession • Traditional career theory obsolete

3. Why ACCR? • ACCR was founded September 2006 • Purpose: to stimulate and integrate academic / fundamental research on careers • Ambition: to join forces of top career researchers in and around the Netherlands

4. Theoretical Model Individual factors Organizational factors Person in job factors Career outcomes

5. Research Questions • What are career determinants? • Individual (orientation, learning style, demographics) • Organizational factors (support, opportunity, team) • What are career outcomes? • Subjective (learning, satisfaction, health, engagement) • Objective (salary, potential, performance, growth) • What is inside the “black box”? • Models, predictions, patterns

6. How? • Large scale quantitative longitudinal study • Dutch (based) organizations • Relevant themes per organization, f.e. • Ageing • Diversity • Psychological contract • Learning

7. What? • Instrument development – custom made • Webbased survey for data collection • Longitudinal study (2 or 3 measurements) • Reports – organization specific • Frequencies & descriptives • No consultancy • Benchmark development & access • Scientific & professional publications

8. Project organization ACCR: • Managing director • Research team • Contactperson per participating organization • Research fellows • Research assistants / PhD students / thesis students

9. Input from organizations: • HR executive & contactperson • Themes – selection • Questionnaire – default + custom • Sample >500: names, level / function, email, ID • If possible: access to database MD • Interviews • Background

10. First study: Ministry of Transportation • N = 13.000 • Response 21% - about 2700 • Women 26% • Average age 44 yrs • University or higher vocational degree 70% • Management position 20% • Main theme = ageing

11. Results (1)

12. Results (1) • No difference between men and women on “boundaryless” career orientation; • Women have lower “traditional careerist” and “specialist / security” orientations than men; • Picture changes when controlling for part time.

13. Results (2)

14. Results (2) • Learning behavior is stable over time • Only significant age effect on systematic learning behavior • Younger employees show more systematic learning behavior that older employees • Patterns resemble earlier studies

15. Results (3)

16. Results (3) • Work engagement is slightly higher among employees > 45 compared to younger employees; • Absorption is generally lower than vitality and dedication; • But absorption shows the largest difference between age groups.

17. Results (4)

18. Results (4) • Motivation to learn is generally low; • No differences between age groups; • Are looking into explanation.

19. Results (5)

20. Results (5) • ‘Competencies’ and Contacts’ are perceived as equally important for promotion; • Differences between age groups; • Older employees believe compentencies are less important for promotion than younger employees.

21. Results (6)Gender x objective career success

22. Results (6) • Women have a higher relative salary increase (current-start/tenure) than men; • Gender difference is explained by human capital, awareness of promotion policies, and network access.

23. Conclusion • First study (first measurement) has provided a rich dataset; • Preliminary analyses show relevant and interesting findings; • More details and background will be discussed in the break out sessions; • Looking forward to sharing more information in the future!