Strategic career development for R&D professionals: Lessons from field research

This paper explores the evolution of career management systems for industrial researchers. Based on case studies of experimental career development systems for industrial researchers, combined with a survey of 196 researchers at two large industrial laboratories, alternative approaches coward managing professional careers are discussed. The results indicate that the researchers' personal types as measured by the Myers-Briggs type indicator may serve as a useful predictor of their career preferences. In addition, the research enables us to evaluate alternative modes of career development for industrial R&D. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.