‘Of Never Quite Knowing What I Might Be’: Using Chaos Counselling with University Students

This study examined the efficacy of video-based chaos counselling of university students. In this study, 42 university students watched a video that presented student case studies emphasising chaotic concepts. Career decision-making measures and measures of stress were taken one week prior, immediately after and one week after the video presentation. The chaos intervention had a positive impact on career decision-making self-efficacy and career exploration behaviours. Overall, the results support the use of a chaos video intervention. Implications for careers practice and future research are discussed.

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Does participation in case competitions improve career decision-making self-efficacy of university students?

Education + Training ◽

10.1108/et-01-2020-0021 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 62 (6) ◽

pp. 659-675

Author(s):

Maria S. Plakhotnik ◽

Anastasiia V. Krylova ◽

Anna D. Maslikova

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

University Students ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Online Survey ◽

Short Form ◽

Career Decision ◽

Future Research ◽

Career Decision Making ◽

Content Type ◽

Significant Difference

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between participation in case competitions and career decision-making self-efficacy (CDMSE) of university students.Design/methodology/approachThe sample included 273 Russian university students; 109 (40%) of them had never participated in case competitions, whereas 164 (60%) participated at least once in case competitions related to business, management and economics. Data were collected via an online survey that included the CDMSE scale–short form. Descriptive, correlation and linear regression analyses of data were conducted to test five hypotheses.FindingsThe research study showed a significant difference in CDMSE between those who had never participated in case competitions and those who had participated at least once. However, the study did not show a significant influence of participation in case competitions on the level of CDMSE. The results also indicated that the level of CDMSE could be explained by the participants' work experience, career choice status and age, as well as the highest level achieved during participation in case competitions.Research limitations/implicationsThe study provides limitations and implications for future research as well as practice, including career centers and career counselors, university faculty, organizers of case competitions and recruitment specialists in organizations.Originality/valuePrior research suggests that participation in case competitions helps students’ transition into the workplace. Despite their global popularity, empirical research on case competitions is very limited and focused primarily on skill development. This study contributes to the knowledge base by exploring links between case participation and CDMSE.

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Making a Commitment to Your Future: Investigating the Effect of Career Exploration and Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy on the Relationship between Career Concern and Career Commitment

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su132212816 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (22) ◽

pp. 12816

Author(s):

Shi Chen ◽

Yan Xue ◽

Huaruo Chen ◽

Hairong Ling ◽

Jiajing Wu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

High School ◽

Decision Making ◽

High School Students ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Career Commitment ◽

Career Decision ◽

Career Exploration ◽

Future Research ◽

Career Decision Making ◽

Career Concern

Career commitment refers to individuals’ dedication to their career; in the field of vocational psychology, career commitment is considered a vital factor for promoting a sustainable career. The current study examined a mediation model of career concern related to career commitment with career exploration and Career Decision-Making Self-Efficacy (CDMSE) as two mediators. The participants were 1105 high school students (males = 594, females = 511) recruited from three main cities in Jiangsu Province, China. Results indicated that the hypotheses were all confirmed: the direct effect of career concern on career commitment was significant (β = 0.598, p < 0.001); the indirect effect of career concern on career commitment through career exploration and CDMSE was also significant (β = 0.255, p < 0.001); and career exploration and CDMSE mediated the relation from career concern to career commitment. Finally, the authors discussed the implications of the findings which could be applied to improve a high school student’s career commitment and the sustainability of career development. The limitations of the study and the future research needed to complement the current work are also discussed.

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