The present study aimed to analyze the sociological factors affecting the formation of academic stagnation among faculty members of Mazandaran Province universities based on the Grounded Theory (GT) approach. The research method was qualitative, utilizing the grounded theory approach. The study population included all faculty members of Mazandaran Province universities. Through purposive sampling and data saturation technique, 21 individuals were selected. Data collection was carried out using in-depth semi-structured interviews, and data analysis was performed using the grounded theory method. After analyzing and coding the data in three stages—open, axial, and selective coding—the data yielded 100 concepts, 12 subcategories, 6 axial categories, and one core category titled “Structural Agentive Nature of Occupational Plateauing Context.” Based on the above core category, which represents the situation of faculty plateauing in Mazandaran Province universities, it can be concluded that plateauing is a condition influenced by both the individual and personality characteristics of faculty members (such as individual experience, personality traits, self-concept, individual habits) and the organizational characteristics of their workplace (the dominant discourse in the university and the prevalence of self-centered attitudes), and to some extent, the external academic environment. This condition manifests and intensifies, taking on a specific form (structural or substantive).