Real high-potential careers: An empirical study into the experiences of organisations and high potentials

Purpose: This paper explores the realities of high-potential careers. More specifically, it investigates how traditional they are and who is considered accountable for manageing them. Perceptions of high potentials and organisations are brought together. Post-modern career theory and research on the relationship between organisational career management and career self-management set the studys interpretative framework.

Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative research study was set up in order to examine the viewpoints of high potentials and organisations. A different approach was taken to interview each participant group. Interviews with the high-potential group were grounded in a life history methodology departing from a constructionist perspective. Interviews with the group of organisational representatives were more structured, allowing for template analysis.

Findings: High-potential careers demonstrate protean characteristics rather than elements of boundarylessness. Upward mobility and low inter-organisational mobility arose as key features. Both high potentials and organisations place primary accountability for managing high-potential careers in the hands of the individual; however, high potentials ask for and get extensive career guidance from their organisations.

Practical implications: Implications are spelled out with respect to workforce segmentation strategies and the need for the management of expectations.

Originality/value of paper: Many publications on high-potential careers are non-empirical and/or rather normative and neglect the viewpoints of the individuals. This paper tackles the subject from an organisational as well as from an individual perspective and offers empirical data rather than philosophical speculation.

Paper type: Research paper