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The Pinnacle Research Journal of Scientific and Management Sciences

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Remote Working and Career Development in the Information Technology Sector: A Conceptual Reassessment of Skill Formation, Visibility, and Progression

DOI https://doi.org/10.55640/tprjsms-v03i05-01
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Oluwanifesimi Ibikunle 1 ORCID iD , Temiloluwa Ajibade 1 , Olumuyiwa Abiodun 1 ORCID iD , Fidelis Evwiekpamare Olori 1 , Oluwafemi Emmanuel Ooju 1 ORCID iD , Eddy Eidenehi Esezobor 1 ORCID iD , Okuma Oke Deborah 1 , Kennedy Oberhiri Obohwemu 1 ,
4 MSc, Department of Project Management, Faculty of Business and Law, University of Northampton, United Kingdom; and Department of Interdisciplinary Research and Statistics, PENKUP Research Institute, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
4 PhD, Health Business School, Health Science University, London, United Kingdom; and Department of Interdisciplinary Research and Statistics, PENKUP Research Institute, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
4 PhD, Department of Business Management, Scholars School System, Leeds Trinity University Partnership, Birmingham Campus, United Kingdom.
4 PhD, Faculty of Business Management, Oxford Brookes University, GBS Partnership, Birmingham, United Kingdom; and Department of Interdisciplinary Research and Statistics, PENKUP Research Institute, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
4 MHPM, World Health Organisation, Abuja, Nigeria; and Department of Interdisciplinary Research and Statistics, PENKUP Research Institute, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
4 PhD, Department of Management Studies, Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia (UCAM), Murcia, Spain; and PENKUP Research Institute, Birmingham, United Kingdom
4 MA, Department of Human Resource Management, Teeside University, Middlesbrough, United Kingdom; and Department of Interdisciplinary Research and Statistics, PENKUP Research Institute, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
4 PhD, Department of Interdisciplinary Research and Statistics, PENKUP Research Institute, Birmingham, United Kingdom

Abstract

Remote working has reshaped how careers unfold in knowledge-intensive sectors, particularly within information technology. While much of the literature emphasises employee satisfaction and wellbeing, far less attention has been paid to how remote working influences career development, skill acquisition, and perceived progression. This paper develops a conceptual reassessment of career outcomes under remote working conditions, arguing that remote work simultaneously expands access to developmental opportunities while constraining visibility, signalling, and informal learning. Drawing on Human Capital Theory and Social Exchange Theory, the paper conceptualises career development as a socially embedded and structurally mediated process rather than a purely individual outcome. It proposes that remote working alters three critical mechanisms of career progression: skill formation, career visibility, and access to developmental relationships. The paper contributes to the literature by offering a theoretically grounded framework that explains why remote working enhances career development for some employees while inhibiting it for others, particularly within the IT sector. Implications are discussed for organisational design, leadership practice, and future research.

Keywords

Remote working, career development, skill acquisition, IT sector, human capital, career progression

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