摘要：The experience of career development by senior managers in a public company. Managers in the 1990's are expected to manage their own careers, whilst they receive the message that organisations care for their employees and regard them as valuable assets. Interviews based on the phenomenological method were conducted with twenty-four senior managers of a public utility to determine their experience of career development. The results indicate that senior managers realise that they carry the responsibility for their own career development, but also that there is a lot of uncertainty regarding the nature and scope of this responsibility. The differences identified between white versus black, coloured and Asian senior managers' experience of career development are the results of internal as well as external factors which influence each group differently. Opsomming Bestuurders in die negentigerjare moet hul eie loopbane bestuur, maar kry terselfdertyd die boodskap dat organisasies omgee vir hul mense en hul werknemers van waarde ag. Onderhoude gebaseer op die fenomenologiese metode is met vier-en-twintig senior bestuurders van 'n openbare nutsmaatskappy gevoer om hul belewing van hul loopbaanontwikkeling te bepaal. Die resultate dui aan dat hulle beset dat hulle self verantwoordelik is vir hulle eie loopbaanontwikkeling, maar dat daar onsekerheid heers ten opsigte van wat hierdie eie verantwoordelikheid behels. Verskille wat geidentifiseer is tussen wit teenoor swart, bruin en Asier senior bestuurders se belewing van loopbaanontwikkeling, kan toegeskryf word aan interne en eksterne faktore wat verskillend op eike subgroep inwerk.
