Career plateauing and work engagement of university faculty members: The mediating role of organizational identification

Abstract

Research on career plateau has rarely addressed university faculty. However, given the negative outcomes of such a plateau, it is important to explore its effects. Drawing on social identity theory, this study examined the mediating effect of organizational identification in the relationship between career plateau and work engagement. Three-wave data were collected from a sample of 389 university faculty in China. The results indicate that hierarchical plateau and job-content plateau had negative effects on work engagement. Moreover, organizational identification was found to mediate the relationship between jobcontent plateau and work engagement. The theoretical and practical implications of the results and directions for future research are discussed.