Blackwell Reference Online

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Career pathing (CP) is a basic planning tool linked to career planning and career development. It is used by both individuals and organizations, although for substantially different purposes. The essence of CP is a coherent series of steps to achieve a particular job or career objective. It combines developmental goals, activities to achieve these goals, and timing. The format of CP varies widely; common forms range from listings of steps to sophisticated charts and diagrams generated by computers. Since its introduction in the 1970s and fast growth subsequently, the basic concepts and applications of CP have undergone remarkable transformation. The rationalization of career planning and development methods, mostly in large or high‐tech organizations, led to the design of sophisticated CP tools ( Burack and Mathys, 1996 ). A number of factors nurtured this growth and included: relatively stable economic and competitive conditions; rapid advances in software packages and computer technology, including the personal computer; the need for more powerful succession and management development tools; and rapid access to career planning information. The process of planning the organization's future staffing defines future human resource needs, timing, positional capabilities, and the availability of current personnel to meet these requirements. CP became the road map that translated general ... log in or subscribe to read full text