Evaluation of succession planning to improve court employees' career development opportunities

Although the effects of succession planning have been examined in organizations, very little empirical study has examined the effects of succession planning in court systems. Barge (2002) noted that the purpose of a succession plan for the trial court is to ensure a ready supply of talent for key positions (judicial and nonjudicial) at all times. The study evaluated the effectiveness of succession planning in a unified trial court located on the East Coast of the United States. The study determined whether an effective succession process is directly correlated to employees' career development and whether succession planning prepares them for key positions.;The problem is that the trial court under study does not practice succession but has a workforce of 1,250 employees, of whom 325 will be eligible for retirement within the next 3-5 years. At present, 152 employees are eligible to retire, but no identified successors exist to fill key positions as they become available. In addition, 157 vacancies exist for which no identified replacements are expected within at least 6-12 months. The research was guided by 6 descriptive questions, including: What are the key elements of a successful succession planning program?; How can succession planning inform court management practices?; What succession model can best benefit the court's management team?; What is the relationship between succession and strategic planning in the courts?; How can a structured succession process affect court employees' attitudes toward job satisfaction, retention, and career opportunities in the courts?; and How successful has succession planning been in other court systems?;A mixed method research design was used to collect data The study used an open form questionnaire to evaluate court managers' attitudes, feelings, and perceptions toward succession. The study also used structured face-to-face interviews to identify differences and similarities between judicial officers and court managers with respect to their attitudes, knowledge, and perceptions about succession.;An analysis of the data revealed a need for the court to develop a formal succession plan. The study showed patterns of agreement between court managers' on the following key questionnaire items: "Courts would benefit by having a succession plan," "A true test for court leaders' success is being able to develop future leaders," "Career development is important to succession planning. A succession plan is important to court leaders," and "There are pitfalls to courts for not having a leadership development program and succession plan in place." The study also revealed that sizable differences existed between male and female managers with respect to perceptions regarding succession planning in courts. Court managers may want to consider information gleaned through this study to develop a succession plan implementation strategy.