Identifying and Ranking Processes Influencing Career Path of Knowledge Employees

Experts believe that the essentials for the effective use of knowledge employees and their retention in an organization are to develop the necessary motivators for knowledge workers in different domains. In the meantime, the transparency and vividness rate of career paths are among the most significant extrinsic motivators that play an undeniable role in enhancing the motivation of knowledge workers. Hence, this study identified the processes that influenced the career path management of knowledge workers and ranked them based on a descriptive–exploratory inquiry. The statistical population of this study included qualitative and quantitative phases. The statistical population of the qualitative phase consisted of university experts, as well as pundits in human resources management, and knowledge employees in the Tehran Municipality shaped the population of the quantitative phase. The data were collected through library and field studies (semi-structured interviews with experts and a 7-point Likert questionnaire). The content analysis method was employed for the qualitative analysis of the data, and the multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach with the grey numbers theory was used for the quantitative analysis of the data. Overall, the qualitative phase gave rise to five influencing factors in the career path management of knowledge employees. Likewise, the findings of the quantitative phase revealed that the empowering processes, with a utility coefficient of 0.271, enjoyed the highest priority and the structural process, with a utility coefficient of 0.125, had the least priority among the processes influencing the career path management of knowledge workers.