The Impact of Career Plateau on Employee Performance: An Exploratory Study of Employees' Opinions at the Northern Technical University

الملخص

The organizational structure of Iraqi companies is mainly hierarchical, and the difficulty of promotion increases with the advancement of positions. Under this structure, the number of job vacancies decreases, while the number of employees competing for these positions increases. Due to the end of their career or the lack of job vacancies, individuals may reach a point where they are no longer eligible for promotion. Therefore, career plateaus cause employees to stay in their current positions for longer than is necessary to successfully complete their jobs. In addition, changes in laws and regulations governing employees' careers have also caused employees to enter career plateaus earlier than previously believed. Long-term lack of promotion in the same position can lead to loss of employee enthusiasm, increased stress, increased frustration, deterioration of employee relationships, and psychological alienation from the workplace, ultimately leading to employee alienation. This alienation represents a disconnect from work, resulting in reduced performance and productivity, which has a negative impact on organizational performance. This study aims to explore the reasons why career plateaus lead to employee alienation. This study aims to increase the awareness of company management and employees about the factors affecting career plateaus and career alienation and their impact on employee performance and the company as a whole. Descriptive analysis was used for data collection, and questionnaires were used as the core research tool. A total of 554 questionnaires were distributed to the sample. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine the impact of the independent variables on the dependent variable. The results showed that career plateau significantly affected respondents' career alienation in all its dimensions, with the plateau at the individual level having the greatest impact. The study recommends implementing promotion and rotation strategies, among other measures, to combat career plateau and career alienation.