Getting unstuck from a stagnant career: examining the role of perceived mentor proactivity in the relationship between protégés career plateaus and workplace avoidance behavior.

Drawing on affective events theory, this study examines how protégés' career plateaus influence workplace avoidance behavior through job frustration and how perceived mentor proactivity shapes this process. Using a three-wave, time-lagged, multi-source design with data collected from 401 mentor-protégé dyads in the service sector, the findings show that both hierarchical plateauing and job-content plateauing increase protégés' job frustration, which subsequently promotes workplace avoidance behavior. The results further reveal that perceived mentor proactivity weakens the positive relationships between protégés' career plateaus and job frustration. In addition, perceived mentor proactivity attenuates the indirect effects of hierarchical and job-content plateauing on workplace avoidance behavior through job frustration. These findings extend the career plateauing and workplace avoidance literature by explaining how career stagnation produces negative affective reactions that translate into avoidance-oriented behavior. The study also highlights the protective role of proactive mentors in reducing protégés' frustration and preventing adverse workplace outcomes. Practical implications are offered for organisations seeking to manage career plateauing, strengthen mentoring effectiveness, and reduce workplace avoidance among protégés.