An Analysis of Research Trends on Career Motivation: Review of Domestic/International Journal Articles (1997-2021)

This study aimed to explore some critical issues and propose future research topics regarding ‘career motivation’ through content analysis of past research. To do this, the researchers selected 77 domestic/international articles that dealt with the concept of career motivation. We reviewed research trends and issues found in the fields, methods, and themes of research and its publication years. The research found that career motivation articles were published mostly from 2015 to 2021 and that a majority of articles utilized quantitative research methods, especially survey methods. In terms of research fields, international papers were published mainly in the field of education services, while surveys across domestic papers were carried out mostly on the employees of the manufacturing industry. To review research themes systematically, the researchers employed system framework, Input-Process-Output, and investigated research topics from individual and organizational viewpoints. The results revealed insufficient qualitative exploration of the deep meaning and working dynamics of career motivation. In contrast, a sufficient number of studies about the quantitative causal relationship between career motivation and other variables were carried out. This study discussed the implications of the research results and proposed future research topics as a conclusion.