By Debolina Dutta, Sushanta Kumar Mishra, Arup Varma
The International Journal of Human Resource Management | August 2019
https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2019.1651376
Dutta, D., Mishra, S. K., & Varma, A. (2021). Predictors of job pursuit intention across career stages: a multi-phase investigation. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 32(20), 4215–4252. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2019.1651376
The International Journal of Human Resource Management, August 2019
The continuing war for talent requires business leaders to stay focused on the quality and mix of their applicant pool(s) at different levels of their organizations. As psychological needs, relational responsibilities, and key motivators differ across career stages, differentiated employee value proposition is critical, in order to attract the right talent to the organization. However, studies exploring predictors of job pursuit intention have typically investigated this topic with populations of on-campus students or early career-stage applicants. The present study was designed to better understand factors that influence job pursuit intentions of individuals at different career stages. In this multi-phase study, we supplemented the first phase of the study (a sample of 1127 professionals in the IT/ITeS industry at various stages of their careers) with interviews with 32 IT professionals and 15 HR leaders in Phase II. We find that the predictors of job pursuit intention differ for applicants at different career stages. We discuss theoretical contributions, practical implications and offer suggestions for future research.
Debolina Dutta is a Clinical Professor, senior HR leader, and an ICF‑certified ACC level coach with over 30 years of industry experience and 6 years in academia. She brings deep expertise across Human Resources, Organisation Development, and Leadership Capability Building, having worked across diverse geographies and organisational contexts, including multinational corporations, private enterprises, and start‑ups.
Globally recognized for her contributions to the HR profession, Debolina has been named among the 100 Most Influential Global HR Professionals by the World HRD Congress, a Most Influential HR Leader in India, and nominated as one of the Top 16 Women Leaders. As an executive coach, she works closely with mid‑management and senior leaders on leadership transitions, personal effectiveness, and organisational change. Her work is supported by certifications in behavioral facilitation as well as expertise in psychometric tools.She has served on the Board of IIM Indore and advises organisations on talent strategies and AI-HRM adoption.
Debolina has led large‑scale organisational development and transformation initiatives spanning change management, mergers and acquisitions, HRIS implementations, and the design of structured talent and leadership frameworks, often in complex, multicultural environments. She is an alumna of IIM Indore (FPM‑Industry), IIM Bangalore, and the College of Engineering, Pune, and a published thought leader with case studies in Harvard Business Review and research articles in leading academic journals. Through her academic, consulting, and coaching roles, she continues to shape future‑ready leaders by integrating research, practice, and coaching‑led development.
