Increasing the career success of scientific and technological innovation talents has become an important means of keeping and using talents in countries around the world. However, the problem has not been solved effectively.
Thirty-five cases were chosen in this study. The combined effects of human capital, psychological capital, micro-social capital, team social capital, and macro-social capital on the career success of scientific and technological innovation talents, as well as relevant influencing mechanisms, were discussed using qualitative comparative analysis (QCA).
Results demonstrate that: (a) while a single factor cannot be the only condition for the high career success of scientific and technological innovation talents in universities, increasing macro-social capital plays a relatively universal role in a high career success rate. (b) There are three paths driving the high career success of scientific and technological innovation talents in universities. (c) There are two paths driving the non-high career success of scientific and technological innovation. Both have characteristics of absent psychological capital and micro-social capital. Moreover, the driving mechanism of high career success has an asymmetrical causal relationship.
Research conclusions are not only conducive to expanding the research perspectives of social capital theory and career success, but also provide valuable insight into how to stimulate the career success of scientific and technological innovation talents in universities.