Sustainable careers and individual performance evaluation: the example of investment bankers

Abstract

This research questions the impact of performance evaluation on sustainable careers.  To identify this link, the concept of sustainable career and the literature on performance evaluation are discussed. 39 interviews were conducted with investment bankers. The results identify 3 phases with a different impact of performance evaluation. At the beginning, performance evaluation, as opposed to compensation, is of little importance for the sustainable career. Its influence is much more critical at a later stage.  Individuals question their performance evaluation and the way it is constructed. They no longer find meaning in what they do. This questioning of performance evaluation leads individuals to reorient their careers to find meaning and construct their sustainable career. The study shows the importance of considering performance evaluation to understand the dynamics of a sustainable career. The research also underlines the importance of referring to the three indicators of the sustainable career to understand their evolution and how they lead to a sustainable career.