Effect of organizational change on career goals of scientists and engineers

This longitudinal study examines the changes in career goals of engineers and scientists who were members of an organization undergoing significant changes as a result of environmentally induced pressures. Career goal data were gathered by questionnaires in 1969 (N = 265) and in 1973 (N = 373). The results indicate that some change in career goals does occur in response to changes both in organizational resource availability and in organizational tasks. Such changes in career orientation appear to occur primarily (1) among young professionals, and (2) among those without advanced degrees (indicating that organizational experience and anticipatory socialization occurring in graduate school serve to lessen the impact of organizational change on career goals). Other findings suggest that changes in career goals of managers may lag rather than lead changes in the goals of other employees.