DESIRE FOR CAREER UPWARD MOBILITY AND WORKPLACE ADAPTATION

Abstract

Employee desires for promotions and upward mobility have been threatened by recent changes in organisations and workplace demographics, leading to a call for reassessment of career goals. However, the Presthus (1978) typology of dispositionally based orientations towards upward mobility proposes a relationship between desire for career upward mobility (DCUM) and positive job/organisational attitudes. Other theorists and researchers have reached the opposite conclusion. The Presthus model was tested and received minimal support. Also, contrary to Presthus, males were not higher in DCUM. Implications for reframing of the research issues and the practice of career development are discussed.