Utilizing the social cognitive career theory in understanding students' choice in selecting auditing as a career: evidence from Ghana

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lexis Alexander Tetteh ◽  
Cletus Agyenim-Boateng ◽  
Amoako Kwarteng ◽  
Paul Muda ◽  
Prince Sunu

PurposeThe study uses social cognitive career theory (SCCT) to explore the driving and restraining factors that students consider in selecting auditing as a career.Design/methodology/approachConsidering the aim of this study, a qualitative research was preferred with the objective of gathering in-depth and enriched empirical data; hence, semi-structured interviews were conducted with seventy-five fourth-year undergraduate accounting students of six top-ranked universities in Ghana that offer accounting programmes.FindingsThe findings of the current study unearth the constructs of the SCCT that students' decision to consider a career in audit is driven by outcome expectations (high earnings/monetary incentives and social prestige associated with the job), as well as self-efficacy belief (possession of ethical values). Further, the study finds that self-efficacy beliefs (job stress and accounting stereotype) were the factors restraining students from considering auditing as a career. The results finally show that the students who would choose auditing as a career in future are in one way or the other, preparing for the achievement of their goals.Research limitations/implicationsThe SCCT framework utilized focuses on the three main constructs: self-efficacy, outcome expectations and goals. There are a number of related factors that may influence students' career choice decisions. These may include personal characteristics and contextual influences; a change of the theoretical framework may help discover other important personal and contextual factors that this current study could not unearth.Practical implicationsThe study indicates, on the contrary, that students have negative perceptions about auditing as a career option; they consider the career as stressful, tedious and monotonous. These misconceptions make it less likely for a student to pursue auditing as a career. Educators can aid students in their decision to pursue a study in accounting and become auditors by displaying and reinforcing the positive outcomes that come with the position of an auditor.Originality/valueThe findings of this study add to the existing literature by delving deeper into the self-selection factors that influence a student's desire to become an auditor. Furthermore, the current research is exceptional in that it applies the SCCT to the aim of becoming an auditor. Although other research studies have looked into factors that may influence a student's decision to pursue a profession as an accountant, these studies have mostly been quantitative, limiting the students' ability to explain why those factors encourage or dissuade them.

2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 169-179
Author(s):  
Yen K. Pham ◽  
Kara A. Hirano ◽  
Lauren Lindstrom ◽  
David S. DeGarmo

Young women with disabilities face multiple barriers that limit their career pathways. Little research has been conducted to examine how cognitive constructs of career self-efficacy and outcome expectations contribute to their future aspirations. This study examined direct relationships between career self-efficacy and outcome expectations on future aspirations, mediating effects of autonomy and self-realization on these relationships, and moderating effects of mental health on these links for young women with disabilities. Although existing research on social cognitive career theory has focused on career self-efficacy, results from this study indicated that outcome expectations might have an even stronger influence on future aspirations. Mental health barriers negatively impact future aspirations of the study’s sample. Limitations and implications for research and practice were discussed.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 212
Author(s):  
Dede Kurnia ◽  
Muhammad Ngasifudin

ABSTRACTThis study aims to determine and analyze the mediating effect of entrepreneurial outcome expectations and entrepreneurial attitude on the influence of entrepreneurial self-efficacy on entrepreneurial intention. This study uses a quantitative approach with explanatory survey methods. The data collection tool in this study uses a questionnaire. In contrast, in determining the number of samples, this study applied convenience sampling so as obtain 75 young people in district Sukaresik, Tasikmalaya. The analysis technique carried out in this study was regression-based Serial Multiple Mediators using Macro Process software developed by Andrew F. Hayes. The result showed that entrepreneurial self-efficacy to entrepreneurial intention has a direct influence. In addition, entrepreneurial outcome expectations and entrepreneurial attitudes also serially mediate the effect of entrepreneurial self-efficacy on entrepreneurial intentions. The originality of this research is the adaptation of Social Cognitive Career Theory into entrepreneurial intention research which is still relatively rare. This research has a theoretical contribution to research on entrepreneurial intentions, which is still dominated by the theory of planned behavior developed by Icek Ajzen.JEL : M20, A22, I20.Keywords : entrepreneurial outcome expectations, entrepreneurial attitude, entrepreneurial intention. ABSTRAKPenelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui serta menganalisis efek mediasi harapan hasil kewirausahaan dan sikap kewirausahaan pada pengaruh efikasi diri kewirausahaan terhadap intensi wirausaha. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif dengan metode survei eksplanotori. Adapun alat pengumpulan data penelitian ini menggunakan kuesioner, sedangkan dalam proses penentuan sampel penelitian ini menerapkan teknik convenience sampling sehingga didapatkan 75 orang pemuda di Kecamatan Sukaresik Kabupaten Tasikmalaya. Teknik analisis data yang dilakukan pada penelitian ini Analisis Mediasi Serial Berbasis Pendekatan Regresi dengan menggunakan Software Macro PROCESS yang dikembangkan oleh Andrew F. Hayes. Hasil temuan ini menunjukkan bahwa efikasi diri kewirausahaan berpengaruh secara langsung terhadap intensi wirausaha, selain itu harapan hasil kewirausahaan dan sikap kewirausahaan juga secara serial memediasi pengaruh efikasi diri kewirausahaan terhadap intensi wirausaha. Orisinalitas dari penelitian ini adalah adaptasi Social Cognitive Career Theory ke dalam riset intensi wirausaha yang masih relatif jarang dilakukan. Penelitian ini memiliki kontribusi teoretis dalam riset-riset intensi kewirausahaan yang selama ini masih didominasi oleh theory planned behavior yang dikembangkan oleh Icek Ajzen.


2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 655-675
Author(s):  
San Bolkan ◽  
William C. Pedersen ◽  
Kaitlyn N. Stormes ◽  
Beth Manke

In this study, we investigated how environmental, cognitive, and demographic variables influenced students’ ability to graduate from a 4-year university in 4 years. Specifically, we examined how behaviors related to social cognitive career theory (i.e., self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and academic goals) were influenced by contextual experiences related to prescriptive academic advising to ultimately predict students’ ability to graduate in 4 years. After holding students’ demographic characteristics constant, results from structural regression analyses indicated that prescriptive advising had a direct effect on students’ 4-year graduation rates. In addition, prescriptive advising had indirect effects on students’ 4-year graduation rates through its impact on students’ self-efficacy and the serial path involving students’ self-efficacy and their academic goals. Our results suggest that if institutions want to ensure they maximize 4-year graduation rates, helping students understand that it is possible to graduate in 4 years is critical.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabian Osorio Tinoco ◽  
Manoj Chandra Bayon ◽  
Guillermo Murillo Vargas

PurposeBased on a theoretical framework grounded in the social-cognitive theory and its derivative the social-cognitive career theory, the main purpose of this paper is to examine the role of entrepreneurial exposure in moderating the relationship between self-efficacy and entrepreneurial intention in the presence of different levels of outcome expectations.Design/methodology/approachUsing a sample of 643 secondary students from Colombia, the authors tested the validity and reliability of scales used to measure the main constructs of the socio-cognitive career theory and used the construct of entrepreneurial exposure to examine contingent hypotheses using a four-step linear regression analysis.FindingsThe study results suggest that although the main social-cognitive career variables (self-efficacy and outcome expectation) and entrepreneurial exposure directly influence the formation of entrepreneurial intention and thus support previous findings, the authors also discover a new configuration of (interacting) antecedents. While on the one hand, even a low level of entrepreneurial exposure leads to a significant increase in the entrepreneurial intention of secondary students with high outcome expectation and high self-efficacy; on the other hand, high entrepreneurial exposure leads to a decrease in entrepreneurial intention among students with high entrepreneurial expectation and high self-efficacy.Research limitations/implicationsThe main implication of the study findings is although entrepreneurial exposure is beneficial for fostering entrepreneurial intention among secondary students, a high level of entrepreneurial exposure can have a detrimental effect especially among those with high self-efficacy and outcome expectations.Practical implicationsThe paper suggests implications and suggestions for educators to foster the development of entrepreneurial intentions among students.Originality/valueThis study provides empirical evidence on the formation of entrepreneurial intention in a new setting. In addition, it improves one’s understanding of the main tenets of social-cognitive career theory by taking into account an important environment factor that can have a contrasting impact on the formation on entrepreneurial intention among adolescents.


2002 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 47-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerry Segal ◽  
Dan Borgia ◽  
Jerry Schoenfeld

Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT; Lent, Brown, and Hackett 1994, 1996) proposes that career interests, goals, and choices are related to self-efficacy beliefs and outcome expectations. It suggests that peopleʼs self-efficacy beliefs and outcome expectations with regard to self-employment would predict their goals to become selfemployed. This study explores the ability of SCCT to predict goals for self-employment in a sample of 115 undergraduate business students. Results indicated that students with higher entrepreneurial self-efficacy and higher self-employment outcome expectations had higher intentions to become self-employed. These findings imply that educators and policy-makers may boost student entrepreneurial intentions by (1) enhancing studentsʼ confidence to succeed in an entrepreneurial career and (2) enhancing studentsʼ expectations of strong positive outcomes resulting from an entrepreneurial career


Author(s):  
Richard Blaese ◽  
Schneider Noemi ◽  
Liebig Brigitte

AbstractBoth psychological and entrepreneurship research have highlighted the pivotal role of job satisfaction in the process of entrepreneurial career decisions. In support of this, mounting evidence point to inter-relationships between entrepreneurial intention, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. Prior research operationalized entrepreneurial careers as an escape from poor work environments; thus, there is a lack of understanding regarding how job-satisfaction can trigger entrepreneurship within and related to the environment of universities. This study, draws on Social Cognitive Career Theory and the concept of entrepreneurial intention, to address whether the role of job satisfaction is a moderating factor between outcome expectations and entrepreneurial intention. Furthermore, we examine to what extent (I) entrepreneurial intention and (II) spin-off intention are determined by certain outcome expectations and perceived behavioral control. To address these questions this study examined academic researchers in specialized and non-technical fields and builds on a survey of 593 academic researchers at Swiss Universities of Applied Science. The results showed that outcome expectations are a significant predictor for entrepreneurial intentions, in general, and spin-off intentions, in particular. A multi-group analysis corroborated that job satisfaction operates as a motivational factor in entrepreneurial transition and interactions with entrepreneurial outcome expectations. In conclusion, the concept of job satisfaction and Social Cognitive Career Theory were powerful constructs to better the understand the process of entrepreneurial career decisions by academic researchers.


2011 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 452-461 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie-Tsuen Huang ◽  
Hui-Hsien Hsieh

The purpose of this study was to investigate the contributions of socioeconomic status (SES) in predicting social cognitive career theory (SCCT) factors. Data were collected from 738 college students in Taiwan. The results of the partial least squares (PLS) analyses indicated that SES significantly predicted career decision self-efficacy (CDSE); however, the relationship between SES and career decision-making outcome expectations (CDMOE) was not significant. In addition, the findings revealed that CDSE had a direct effect as well as an indirect effect, via CDMOE, on career exploratory intentions. Implications for counseling and future research are discussed.


2004 ◽  
Vol 94 (2) ◽  
pp. 694-696 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark C. Eaton ◽  
Mark B. Watson ◽  
Cheryl D. Foxcroft ◽  
Wendy Patton

Social cognitive career theory suggests that males and females may not differ in career decision-making self-efficacy, but this statement requires extension of research to high school samples. The Career Decision-making Self-efficacy Scale–Short Form was administered to white South African high school students in Grades 9 to 11, of whom 368 were boys and 494 girls. No significant sex differences were found, suggesting that career interventions based on social cognitive career theory in high school need not be sex-specific in content.


2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pamela Hawkswell ◽  
Peter McIlveen ◽  
Patricia N. Hoare

Background: Social cognitive career theory (SCCT) is one of the leading theories within the literature of career development, but there is marginal evidence of its applicability within the diverse nations and cultures of the Middle East and Arab nations.Objectives: The research involved a mixed methods exploratory design with an aim to determine SCCT’s utility in the context of Dubai and with a specific focus on the careers of Emirati women.Method: Study 1 used interviews to explore contextual factors affecting women’s careers. Study 2 used a survey to measure core SCCT constructs, namely self-efficacy and outcome expectations, and their relations with work engagement.Results: The qualitative data from the interviews and quantitative data from the survey found salience in factors that were consistent with the tenets of SCCT.Conclusion: The findings provide evidence of SCCT’s potential utility in this cultural context; however, future research should extend into a broader and larger sample of workers in Dubai and the UAE.


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