The Relationship between Career Self-Efficacy and Career Exploration amongst Final Year Management & Commerce Students at a Selected University in South Africa
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53819/81018102t4387Abstract
Students' professional decision-making and exploration behaviors are significantly influenced by their career self-efficacy, especially when they move from higher education to the workforce. This study examined the connection between career self-efficacy and career exploration among University of Fort Hare, South Africa final-year management and commerce students. Under the guidance of Social Cognitive Theory, the study also looked at the impact of certain biographical factors and the four sources of self-efficacy mastery experiences, physiological states, verbal persuasion, and vicarious learning on career exploration. A self-administered questionnaire was used in a quantitative, descriptive study design. A convenience sample of 182 final-year students provided the data. Standardized tools were employed, such as the Career Exploration Survey-Revised (CES-R), the Career Decision Self-Efficacy Scale–Short Form (CDMSE-SF), and the Career Self-Efficacy Source Scale (CSESS). Reliability testing, correlation analysis, regression analysis, ANOVA, and MANOVA were among the statistical analyses. The results showed that career self-efficacy and career exploration were significantly predicted by the sources of career self-efficacy. Stronger self-efficacy views were associated with higher levels of participation in job exploration activities. Significant correlations between career exploration and some demographic factors, including socioeconomic status and course of study, were also found in the data. All things considered, career self-efficacy turned out to be a significant element affecting students' preparedness to investigate job options and make wise career judgments. To improve graduates' employability and enable smooth transitions into the workforce, universities are urged to establish career counseling programs, mentorship programs, and career exploration seminars.
Keywords: Career self-efficacy, Career exploration, Final-year students, Graduate employability, Social Cognitive Career Theory
References
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. Freeman.
Betz, N. E., & Taylor, K. M. (2012). Career self-efficacy theory and practice. In S. D. Brown & R. W. Lent (Eds.), Career development and counseling (2nd ed., pp. 117-146). Wiley.
Coetzee, M. (2014). Psychosocial employability attributes and career adaptability in the South African workforce. Journal of Psychology in Africa, 24(1), 39-45.
Creed, P. A., Fallon, T., & Hood, M. (2009). The relationship between career adaptability, person and situation variables, and career concerns in young adults. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 74(2), 219-229. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2008.12.004
Gushue, G. V., Scanlan, K. R., Pantzer, K. M., & Clarke, C. P. (2006). The relationship of career decision-making self-efficacy, vocational identity, and career exploration behavior in African American high school students. Journal of Career Development, 33(1), 19-28.
Lent, R. W., Brown, S. D., & Hackett, G. (1994). Toward a unifying social cognitive theory of career and academic interest, choice, and performance. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 45(1), 79-122.
Maree, J. G. (2017). Psychology of career adaptability, employability and resilience. Springer.
Nauta, M. M. (2007). Career interests, self-efficacy, and personality as antecedents of career exploration. Journal of Career Assessment, 15(2), 162-180.
Robert W. Lent, & Steven D. Brown. (2019). Social cognitive career theory at 25: Empirical status of the interest, choice, and performance models. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 115, Article 103316. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2019.06.004
Rogers, M. E., & Creed, P. A. (2011). A longitudinal examination of adolescent career planning and exploration using a social cognitive career theory framework. Journal of Adolescence, 34(1), 163-172.
Statistics South Africa. (2024). Quarterly Labour Force Survey. Pretoria: Statistics South Africa.
Stumpf, S. A., Colarelli, S. M., & Hartman, K. (1983). Development of the Career Exploration Survey (CES). Journal of Vocational Behavior, 22(2), 191-226.
Zikic, J., & Klehe, U. C. (2006). Job loss as a blessing in disguise: The role of career exploration and career planning in predicting reemployment quality. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 69(3), 391-409.
