Typology of career trajectories and motivation of their choice by teachers of higher education institutions

This research article presents a typology of career trajectories for higher educational institutions’ teachers and examines their motives of a potential change in a career trajectory, their willingness to move to work in another university or leave the academic field. The motives for choosing a career path are systematized and ranked. There was carried out an empirical research using the method of semi-structured interviews with 108 professors and managerial staff representatives of Russian universities. The informants were selected according to gender, age, industry characteristics, their working experience in higher education and positions held.

The results of the study identified three categories of workers: loyal to their organization (not meaning to change their working place and sphere of interests); dedicated to the profession (admitting a transfer to another university, but not planning to leave the academic field); and change-oriented (considering the possibility of choosing another job – outside the academic sector). The empirical research has shown that teachers with extensive work experience are most willing to change their current jobs.

The originality of the study lies in developing a typology of career trajectories for teachers and in clarifying key motivations within the subgroups included in the typology presented, as well as in using a qualitative method for studying career trajectories in relation to scientific and pedagogical workers. A qualitative analysis of career strategies made it possible to analytically assess the informants’ opinions.

The article is of interest to the higher education researchers involved in the process of personnel management and in training scientific and pedagogical workers. It will also be useful for heads of HR departments and for HEI vice-rectors dealing with personnel issues.

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