This thesis explores academic career advancement to understand institutions’ performance expectations and the clarity of their communication. I leverage signalling theory to advance the literature on academic career scripts by revealing the sources of signal noise that might influence individuals' interpretation of these scripts. The thesis aims to assist individual faculty seeking career advancement by helping them make sense of ambiguous communication for various career pathways. The thesis is split into three interconnected empirical studies (Chapters 2-4). Chapter 2 explores an institution's needs signalled via their promotion documents. Examining these signals, I conceptually argue that they are influenced by institutions’ need for universal performance policies to address short- and long-term strategic objectives. Chapter 3 moves beyond signalled expectations to examine the career script role models signalled after career advancement decisions have been made by institutions. Chapter 4 examines the teaching dimension of the academic career script, focusing on the level of exposure of this component of the script among PhD students and ECAs. The thesis findings show that promotion criteria signals are consistently ambiguous and that the career script role models signalled when career advancement decisions are made are inconsistent. This suggests a changing nature of institutions’ needs and individual interpretation. Overall, the performance of career-advanced individuals does not align at the rank, institution, or regional level. This questions the assumption of a system of common academic ranks as a foundation of academic career scripts. The literature also revealed that PhD graduates have limited exposure to the teaching component of academic career scripts. This is problematic because just several years post PhD graduation, institutions expect high levels of teaching excellence for career advancement.