CAREER DEVELOPMENT IN THE LITHUANIAN CIVIL SERVICE: SYSTEMIC APPROACH

Abstract

Career development is an inseparable part of the system of human resource
management of any civil service. While forming a new conception of the Lithuanian
civil service, it is necessary to pay more systemic attention to career development as
the means to strengthen the managerial potential in the service. Many theoretical
considerations were developed and much of empirical material was collected in respect
of the separate components and processes of career development systems: on
one hand, related to individual career development having a long history and rich
theoretical base, and, on the other hand, dealing with human resource development,
a relatively young field of study, which is still creating and renewing its theoretical
base. However, it has to be stressed that quite a big gap is still noticeable between
these areas of scientific study, thus, they are often considered to be separate, not
generating united theoretical and research ideas. Therefore, in the present article an
attempt is made to suggest certain solutions for the mentioned practical and theoretical
problems by considering the main principles of the functioning of effective career
development systems and, with reference to that, constructing the model of the career
development system for the civil service integrating individual and organizational
levels. A systemic analysis of theoretical conceptions, a comparative analysis and an
analysis of the best career development practices in public and private organizations
were used as the methods for modelling the career development system.