Influence of role models on women's career decision-making self-efficacy

Quality academics are crucial to enhance universities’ visibility in attracting more international students to pursue their tertiary education. Consequently, this may lead to the nation aspiration of becoming higher education hub in the region. Thus, understanding individuals’ interest towards pursuing academic career may lead to the recruitment of quality academics. A quantitative study was carried out involving 463 third year undergraduate students in selected universities. Passion, role model, and workplace flexibility had been found to significantly predict the intention to pursue academic career based on social cognitive career theory. In addition, career decision-making self-efficacy was found to be a significant intervening role that motivate further one’s confidence in pursuing academic career. Factor analyses led to the identification of new variables which significantly predict the criterion variables. However, the strength of relationship between each variable to criterion variable differs. Passion, supportive role models, and perceived workplace flexibility were found to be significantly predicting intention to pursue academic career. On the other hand, perceived workplace flexibility was found to have less influence when compared to the other two variables. Meanwhile, career decision-making self-efficacy of assessing personal and occupational features and career decision-making self-efficacy of gathering occupational information were well reported to partially mediate the relationship of passion and supportive role models, and the criterion variable.

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Decision-making self-efficacy mediates the peer support–career exploration relationship

Social Behavior and Personality An International Journal ◽

10.2224/sbp.6410 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 46 (3) ◽

pp. 485-498 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Huafeng Zhang ◽

Haitao Huang

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Peer Support ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Role Models ◽

Career Decision ◽

Career Exploration ◽

Career Decision Making ◽

Career Information ◽

Distal Support ◽

The Relationship

We explored the mediating effect of decision-making self-efficacy in the relationship between undergraduates' perceived career-related peer support and career exploration. Participants were 650 junior and senior undergraduates from 6 public universities in Shanghai, China. The key results were as follows: (1) career information and suggestion, emotional support, and peer role models were the 3 dominant factors of career-related peer support; (2) career-related peer support was positively and significantly correlated with career exploration; and (3) career decision-making self-efficacy mediated the relationship between career-related peer support and career exploration. Specifically, career information and suggestion and peer role models provided proximal and distal support, promoting individuals' career exploration not only directly but also indirectly through career decision-making self-efficacy. In comparison, emotional support from peers provided only distal support, promoting individual career exploration indirectly through career decision-making self-efficacy. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings, study limitations, and future research directions are discussed.

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From School to Work: Improving Graduates’ Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12030804 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (3) ◽

pp. 804 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Lu Xin ◽

Fangcheng Tang ◽

Mengyi Li ◽

Wenxia Zhou

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Socioeconomic Status ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Role Models ◽

Career Success ◽

Career Decision ◽

Proactive Personality ◽

Career Decision Making ◽

Family Socioeconomic Status ◽

Success Criteria

As boundaryless careers become mainstream, individuals need to enhance career decision-making self-efficacy (CDSE) during career transitions to secure better employment outcomes and sustainable career development, especially when moving from a school to a work environment. Drawing on social cognitive career theory, this study empirically proposed a moderated mediation model to examine whether proactive personality (measured at Time 1), career success criteria clarity (CSCC, measured at Time 2), and family socioeconomic status (including family income, parents’ educational level, and parents’ occupational level; measured at Time 1) would contribute to CDSE (measured at Time 2). Results based on a two-wave survey of 235 college students showed that: (1) proactive personality positively predicted CDSE; (2) CSCC positively predicted CDSE; (3) CSCC partly mediated the relation between proactive personality and CDSE; (4) the positive effect of CSCC on CDSE was stronger among students with a lower family socioeconomic status. Individuals with strong proactive personalities were more likely to develop salience in career success criteria and in turn became more confident in making career decisions. Therefore, vocational educators in higher education could help to improve students’ CDSE by promoting training programs for proactive thinking, providing successful role models, and encouraging family involvement, especially for students with a lower family socioeconomic status.

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