The Stalled Career: Addressing an Organizational Undiscussable

Abstract

The problem and the solution. Conditions in the United States have created a situation in which some middle-aged White males are experiencing a stalled career; they perceive they have plateaued in career progression, while at the same time women and minority peers continue advancing.There has been no research describing the stalled career experience or its impact on the workplace.This phenomenological study explores the stalled career phenomenon by asking White males who have experienced the nonevent work transition of a stalled career to describe their experiences.The analytical framework for this exploration into adult development is transitions theory. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.