Successful Career Plateauing

Abstract

Successful career plateauing, defined as effective job performance and high job satisfaction despite a low likelihood of promotion, was studied in a sample of 373 American and European middle managers from a multinational company. Plateaued status was measured objectively by time since promotion and subjectively by a perceptual measure rather than traditional measures of age and job tenure. Objectively plateaued managers were more successful when they did not see themselves as plateaued. They were more satisfied when they had challenging work, but did not see themselves as technical or functional specialists. Those receiving higher supervisor performance ratings were less likely to value geographic stability, and more likely to perceive their supervisors as supportive. Successful plateauing was not related to length of time plateaued, a managerial or life balance career orientation, perceptions of being valued and central to the organization, or perceived consequences of being plateaued.