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Career Plateauing, Job Satisfaction and Commitment of Scholars in French Universities

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Abstract

This article deals with the impact of subjective career plateauing (in terms of job content and structure) on job satisfaction, organizational and occupational commitment and intention to leave an organization. The particular case of scholars working in French universities provides an example. This study demonstrates that career plateauing is a real feeling experienced by French scholars, and can negatively impact their behavior. Regression analyses results (sample N = 2,028) indicate that career plateauing negatively impacts job satisfaction. Indeed, the more scholars believe they have little or no opportunity for future advancement, the lower their job satisfaction. Moreover, career plateauing impacts commitment. The more scholars feel they have reached a plateau, the lower their commitment to their university and job. Career plateauing affects the affective and normative dimension of commitment more than the continuance dimension, and the results for the latter dimension are counterintuitive. Finally, career plateauing increases intention to leave the organization.

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Notes

  1. The authors thank the Trade Union for allowing us to use their data. Their data file includes both scholars who are union members and those who are not, and hence can be considered to closely approximate the entire population of scholars at French universities.

  2. Demographic characteristics of teaching personnel working in French higher education (2008/2009), DGRH A1 – 1, June 2009.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CEROS - Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense University, UFR SEGMI, 200 avenue de la République, 92001, Nanterre Cedex, France

    Carole Drucker-Godard & Thierry Fouque

  2. Maison des Sciences de Gestion, LARGEPA - Paris II Panthéon Assas / Sorbonne University, 1, rue Guy de la Brosse, 75005, Paris, France

    Mathilde Gollety

  3. Paris 1 Panthéon Sorbonne University, EMS, PRISM Sorbonne, 1, rue Victor Cousin, 75005, Paris, France

    Alice Le Flanchec

Authors
  1. Carole Drucker-Godard
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  2. Thierry Fouque
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  3. Mathilde Gollety
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  4. Alice Le Flanchec
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alice Le Flanchec.

Appendix

Appendix

Table 12 Structure of the sample compared to overall population of scholars in France—all disciplines
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Drucker-Godard, C., Fouque, T., Gollety, M. et al. Career Plateauing, Job Satisfaction and Commitment of Scholars in French Universities. Public Organiz Rev 15, 335–351 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11115-014-0280-0

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