Middle-East Journal of Scientific Research 17 (5): 655-659, 2013 ISSN 1990-9233 © IDOSI Publications, 2013 DOI: 10.5829/idosi.mejsr.2013.17.05.11982 Corresponding Author: Junaid Zafar, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan. 655 A Review of Career Success with Gender, Human Resource Policies and Cultural Diversity Junaid Zafar and Norazuwa Mat 1 2 University of Sargodha, Sargodha, Pakistan 1 University Utara Malaysia, Sintok, Malaysia 2 Abstract: Career success has always remained an important variable to study among human resource specialists. A number of researchers have tied to make sense of the term. Moreover, the importance of career success has been highlighted during the 2007-2012 financial crises that had a massage for career pursuers. The crisis is known by economists as the worst since the great depression of the 1930's. Some of best institutions collapsed and stocks markets began to crash, resulting in bailout by the governments. In the wake of global economic turmoil, there is unemployment rampant which has made people to re-think about their careers and what it holds for them. It is, therefore, important to look into career success especially with regards to the various factors causing it. The present article has an emphasis on gender, human resource management policies and cross cultural comparisons from previous research done so as to get a better picture of the dependent variable, i.e. career success. These factors have been chosen as they are a representative of an individual, an organization and a nation respectively. The current article is especially beneficial for those who are new to area of career studies and intend to research on the various factors responsible for career success. Key words: Career Success Human Resource Management Gender Culture Comparison INTRODUCTION to goals that are inconsistent with their personal values. Wilensky [1] defined career as: “A succession of not an easy task [2]. Every organization has its own related jobs, arranged in a hierarchy of prestige, through demands, pressures and cultural requirements. The Enron which persons move in an ordered, predictable sequence” case highlights the very predicament where personal (p. 554). values may go against the organizational norms. In the The word “career” is thus both descriptive and contemporary era, therefore, the employees are expected evaluative. It is descriptive for an individual, as it includes to have well laid out goals, with strategies that are the life events unfolding in one’s career such as job consistent with one’s ideals. In other words, those who switches, transitions, joblessness, migrations and remain true to their values, interests and lifestyle education. And it is also evaluative, meaning horizontal preferences will achieve success in the long run. growth through an increase in stature, pay and rank. Moreover, career success has two off-shoots that The term “success” can also be described as both correspond to the objective and subjective dimensions. descriptive and evaluative. It is descriptive for progress Here, extrinsic career success includes salary, promotion made during a person’s lifetime and evaluative for and hierarchical status [3]. Whereas, intrinsic career assessing the outcomes he or she has made during the success, on the other hand, there is an overriding feeling course of their life. of satisfaction that comes though one’s job performance However, professionals often overlook the real [3] Career success is,therefore, an individual outcome and meaning of career success. They think of it in objective depends upon and then pays back the organizational terms, like increase in one’s pay, or rank, which may lead success. Likewise, staying in sync with one’s career preferences is