The Relationships among Intention to Pursue Career Related to Academic Major, Academic Major Support, Self-Identity, and Academic Major Satisfaction of Undergraduates

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to identity and provide a remedy on how the mismatches that occur in the labor market is become a severe problem for all the components. The components include, but not limited to schools, students, and businesses. To reduce this problem the research tried to stop the mismatch before it actually happens. The theory set that provided the base for this research was theory of planned behavior and theory of reasoned action. The variables used to identify the intention in which students decide to pursue career related to his or her academic major was academic major support, self-identity, and academic major satisfaction. The survey was undertaken from March 1st to April 10th 2015 with a target sampling population of 420 people from 7 schools. Data was collected from 301 people belonging to 5 different schools (return rate 72.7%) of which 252 data was retained for the final analysis (data validity of 60.0%). The result showed that the overall mean score of intention to pursue career related to academic major was 3.92 There was a significant difference between students who went to school near the capital with students who did not. When regression analysis to identity whether there was a mediation from academic major satisfaction between the relationships of academic major support and self-identity, the following result occurred. First, there was a significant relationship between both academic major support and self-identity with intention to pursue career related to academic major when region and field of study was controlled. Second, both academic major support and self-identity had a significant correlation with intention to pursue career related to academic major satisfaction and academic major satisfaction when region and field of study as well as each independent variables were controlled during the mediation steps. Third, academic major support had a complete mediation when academic major satisfaction was controlled in the correlation between academic major support and intention to pursue career related to academic major. There was also a partial mediation by academic major satisfaction in the relationship between self-identity and intention to pursue career related to academic major. The major conclusion drawn from the study were as follows. First, the intention level to pursue career related to the students respective academic major was relatively high overall. But in particular students living near the capital had a higher intention level than students that attended school elsewhere. Second, there were correlations between academic major support and self-identity with intention to pursue career related to academic major. Third, the mediation effect by academic major satisfaction was visible for both the relationships between academic major support and self-identity with intention to pursue career related to academic major. Academic major satisfaction had a complete mediation in the relationship between academic major support and intention to pursue career related to academic major while, academic major satisfaction had a partial mediation in the relationship between self-identity and intention to pursue career related to academic major. The complete mediation between academic major support and intention to pursue career related to academic major might be due to the closeness in distance, which could cause fear or anxiety in the relationship. The following recommendation can be made from the research result. First, the process of crystallization of self-identity and how to improve it to help develop the intention related to work should be researched. Second, studying the parental influence on self-identity should be examined. Third, student related to academic major support affecting the relationship of intention to pursue career related to academic major should be re-examined as well as redefining the parameter of the support. Fourth, research regarding behavior could deepen the study regarding intention. Fifth, variables that affect academic major satisfaction should be explored further.