Theme: Developing Dynamic Workforce Talent from Within

Employers are missing out on the potential within their current workforce. Many workers express a desire for career advancement and the acquisition of new skills, but they lack clarity about the opportunities for growth in their existing roles. This has led to a period of talent stagnation for both employers and employees (CAREER OPTIMISM INDEX® 2024).

Deadline: March 24, 2025 (11:59 PM Phoenix Time)

Questions: Contact Mark McCaslin – mark.mccaslin@phoenix.edu

Manuscripts should be submitted via - mark.mccaslin@phoenix.edu

The Phoenix Scholar seeks innovative and impactful submissions focused on workforce talent development. We are interested in scholarly works that not only generate new knowledge but also have the potential to significantly change our approach to complex issues, such as talent stagnation.

Submission Types:

• Research Articles: Report on original research concerning developing dynamic workforce talent. 
• Practice Reports: Describe innovative practices that have led to positive outcomes for developing dynamic workforce talent. 
• Theoretical Essays: Explore new frameworks for understanding social change that may catalyze the importance of developing dynamic workforce talent. 
• Book Reviews: Analyze recent publications on developing dynamic workforce talent. 

Career Index

Workers lack clarity regarding advancement opportunities in their current roles:

• While 62% of employers claim that their companies offer opportunities for internal mobility, only 36% of workers agree.
• Additionally, 90% of employers believe they provide workers with career development opportunities; however, only 69% of workers concur.
• Workers recognize the importance of continuous skill development and value their employers' investments in this area:
• 74% of workers feel they need to keep learning new skills to stay competitive in their careers.
• 66% believe they must enhance their skill sets to advance in their careers.
• Furthermore, 65% of workers consider the extent to which a company invests in reskilling or upskilling its employees when evaluating new job opportunities.

This situation has led to talent stagnation:

• Workers often feel they lack advancement opportunities at their current jobs, especially when their company does not offer a mentorship program (49%), skills development opportunities (55%), internal mobility options (55%), or clear career path guidelines (53%).

Despite these challenges, workers remain optimistic about their career prospects:

• 78% of Americans are hopeful about their career futures.
• 72% feel in control of their professional paths, and 68% view the job opportunities available to them positively.

In considering submitting an article for the Spring 2025 Phoenix Scholar topics include but are not limited to:

• The desire for career advancement and the acquisition of new skills.
• Clarifying opportunities for growth within their current roles.
• Continuous skill development and the importance of employer investment in this area.
• Strategies for improving skill sets to facilitate career advancement.
• Investing in the reskilling or upskilling of employees.
• Addressing talent stagnation within the organization.
• Providing mentorship programs and opportunities for skills development.
• Creating more personalized pathways for internal career advancement.
• Leveraging opportunities to cultivate the necessary talent from within the organization.
• Focusing on upward mobility by having career pathing discussions.
• Enhancing visibility with leadership through networking and mentoring opportunities.
• Raising awareness of available career opportunities.
• Personalizing the career advancement journey for each employee.

In addition, consideration is given to Research Center specific topics that address workforce development.

Advancing Workforce Potential through Enhancing Diversity and Inclusion

• Issues and challenges within diverse organizational cultures and inclusion strategies
• Practical and innovative solutions for healthy, all-inclusive organizational cultures.
• Supporting diverse organizational cultures and creating all-inclusive working environments.

Advancing Workforce Potential through Education

• Enhancing the research skills to allow them to engage in long-term, continuous research activity
• Integrating research, practice, and teaching in the field of education

Achieving positive contributions to the field of education focusing on three major tracks for research, which include:

•             Studying the improvement of the quality of teaching and learning
•             Exploring issues and challenges related to online education
•             Investigating global trends and issues in higher education

Advancing Workforce Potential through Leadership

• Practices that are attributed to deep understanding, critical reflection, maturity, empowerment, and generativity. Those practices are operationally defined as:
• Open to learning: Encourages a mindful approach to a deeper awareness of oneself and others. This practice fosters creativity, curiosity, and a sense of wonder.
• Critically reflective: Leads to a more mature way of engaging with the world. It is a deeply personal practice aimed at uncovering greater self-awareness.
• Maturity and Integrity: Enhances the community of practice through Empowerment. Maturity, in turn, fosters Awareness, Insight, and Discernment (AID).
• Empowering and Engaging: It is a skill for building relationships, focusing on self-exploration and emotional intelligence. This practice aims to foster effective and supportive potentiating relationships.
• Generative: Leads to healthy and sustainable organizational leadership. Healthy leadership is achieved through dedicated practices that are both restorative and generative.

Submission Guidelines:

Review Author Guidelines and submit your manuscript via mark.mccaslin@phoenix.edu

• Manuscripts should be original, unpublished work and adhere to the highest academic standards. Submissions from all faculty, staff, students, and alumni are encouraged. Phoenix Scholar publication counts toward fulfilling the requirement for UOPX faculty scholarly activities. 
• Manuscripts are limited to 2500 words, excluding the reference list. The manuscript should include a brief abstract (150 words), using 12-point Times Font, I-inch margins, and APA 7 format, in a Word document.

The articles are published at the Phoenix Scholar site. 

Deadline for Submissions: March 17, 2025 (11:59 PM Phoenix Time)

The final publication date is May 2025. 

The authors will be notified about the status of their submission by April 2025. 

For more information, please contact Dr. Mark McCaslin (Editor-in-Chief) at mark.mccaslin@phoenix.edu

Thank you!