CAREER DEVELOPMENT OF THE PERSONNEL – A KEY FACTOR FOR ORGANIZATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY AND A PRIORITY LEADERSHIP COMMITMENT

Abstract

In times of turbulent and non-predictable changes, it is crucial for the sustainability of any organization to build a balanced and prescient strategy to meet not only the future requirements of the market and customers, but also the future needs of the personnel with certain qualifications and skills to meet those requirements. Part of the challenges of the “knowledge economy” are the notable changes in relationships between employers and their employees, namely - the transition from dependence on the organization to an interdependent relationship between the organization and the human capital working in it. These trends for changes in the philosophical understanding of the “psychological contract” between employees and their employers are still not widely spread in Bulgaria and employers in our country do not recognize them as needed, due to many economic, political and psychological reasons that will not be considered in this article. However, in the state of a globalizing market, increased mobility and access to information, new attitudes are already being observed among workers and they are becoming more active in acquiring new knowledge, skills and work experience, in line with technology development and market needs. The generation that has gained all their work experience in times of transition, as well as the generation that now is entering the labor market, require more independence from organizations and open and honest leadership, and this applies to all economic areas, including the publishing business and the cultural industry. More and more people in Bulgaria realize the importance of owning and developing their professional qualifications and skills and want to achieve their career plans in synchronous with the organizations in which they work. For doing this, they expect the necessary leadership support and understanding. This makes the topic for the development opportunities which employers provide and their connection with motivation and commitment, especially relevant and significant. This article presents an author\'s study of this dependence, conducted among 176 employees, employed in both private and public organizations. The displayed results come to show that leaders’ incapability or unwillingness to invest in the individual career development of their employees, in line with the organizational strategy, may lead to staffing crises, which, in certain cases, can even result in inability to continue company’s activities.