Unveiling the strands of professional stagnation: Genesis, bolstering & ramifications in public sector educational organization

Professional stagnation is a complex condition. The current study aims to unveil how professional stagnation starts, how it spreads, and what factors sustain it, particularly in the context of academics and management in public sector colleges. An exploratory sequential design is used to conduct the study. Initially, a semi-structured interview is designed and administered to 39 respondents. Secondly, a questionnaire is designed to collect quantitative data from 408 participants to support the results. Qualitative data are analysed using thematic analysis based on a streamlined codes-to-theory model. After classifying categories and subcategories using 64 codes, 9 themes emerged during analysis. The laxity on the part of policy makers, management and academics has equally contributed into the various aspects that led to the ample professional stagnation. The monotonous academic system and disengaged attitude of professionals at different levels have contributed to the development of stagnant professional identity of teachers and principals. The college sector is often neglected area in Pakistan. Literature has pointed out the stagnation as a sign of organizational deterioration yet little was known about its ignition in public sector. Moreover, Phenomenon of professional stagnation can be caused by a variety of circumstances. While some of its factors were known, it was still unclear how various determinants interact with one another, particularly in an educational organization. By providing answers to these queries, the study attempted to fill the gap.