Modeling mixed push and pull promotion flows in Manpower Planning

Manpower Planning is a useful tool for human resource management in large organizations. Classical Manpower Planning models are analytical time-discrete push and pull models. Push models are characterized by the same promotion and wastage probabilities for people within the same group. This assumption is suitable in organizations where for instance promotions are used for reasons of personnel motivation or employees are promoted after succeeding in an exam. In many organizations, people are only promoted when there are vacancies at other levels. In those cases, pull models can be used. Pull models only assume known wastage probabilities. In practice, both assumptions may occur simultaneously. In this paper, a mixed push-pull model is developed for organizations in which both types of flows are considered.