This study aimed to examine the impact of social support and personality traits (conscientiousness and neuroticism) on self-efficacy in career decision-making, outcome expectations, and the certainty of career choice among students in one public higher education institution (IPTA) located in Selangor. This quantitative study utilised survey research as the main method for data collection. A questionnaire which consisted six parts: Part A related to students’ demographic; Part B, Career Decision Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form (CDSE-SF); Part C, Career Outcome Expectations Scale; Part D, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support; Part E, Career Exploratory Plans or Intentions Questionnaire (CEPI); and Part F, NEO-FFI (NEO Five-Factor Inventory); was employed and distributed virtually to 377 IPTA students whom sampled through voluntary sampling. Based on the study’s findings, personality traits, particularly conscientiousness, have significant impact and significant positive relationships with self-efficacy (r=0.233, p=0.000), outcome expectations (r=o.268; p=0.000), and career explorations goals (r=0.916, p=0.000; at p<0.05) - the important aspects of Career Self-Management (CSM) model. Contrarily, there was the absence of significance between social support with the previously mentioned vital aspects of CSM model. This study implied that students’ beliefs and positive outcome expectations are the most important and significant predictors for their career exploration goals.
Akpochafo, G. O. (2017). Locus of control as correlate of career decision making among secondary school students in Delta State of Nigeria. Journal of Educational Social Research, 7(2), 25-30. doi: 10.5901/jesr.017.v7n2p25
Azpilicueta, G., Azpilicueta, I., & Izarzugaza, J. (2023). Predictive contribution of personality traits in career decision-making: A test of the social cognitive model of career self-management. Journal of Career Assessment, 31(1), 25-42. doi:
10.1177/07342829231207140
Canty-Mitchell, J., & Zimet, G. D. (2000). Psychometric properties of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support in urban adolescents. American Journal of Community Psychology, 28, 391-400.
Earl, J. K., & Bright, J. E. H. (2007b). The relationship between career decision status and important work outcomes. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 71(2), 233–246. doi: 10.1016/j.jvb.2007.05.003
Guan, Y., Capezio, A., Restubog, S. L. D., Read, S., Lajom, J. A. L., & Li, M. (2015). The role of traditionality in the relationships among parental support, career decision- making self-efficacy and career adaptability. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 86, 88-95. doi: 10.1016/j.jvb.2014.10.001
Jo, Y., & Yang, S. (2023). Effects of Social Support on Attitude toward Career Decision- Making among Physical Education Students. Journal of Physical Education Research.
Kanten, S., Kanten, P., & Ye?ilta?, M. (2016). The role of career self-efficacy on the effect of parental career behaviors on career exploration: A study on school of tourism and hotel management’ students. European Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies, 3(1), 143. doi: 10.26417/ejms.v3i1.p143-154
Kelly, K. R., & Shin, Y.-J. (2008). Relation of neuroticism and negative career thoughts and feelings to lack of information. Journal of Career Assessment, 17(2), 201–213. doi: 10.1177/1069072708329029
Kim, Y. H., & Jeong, S. M. (2018). The Effects of Social Support on Career Decision-Making and Attitude towards Career Decision-Making among College Students Majoring in Sports. Journal of Career Development.
K?rdök, O., & Harman, E. (2018). High school students' career decision-making difficulties according to focus of control. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 6(2), 242-248. doi: 10.13189/UJER.2018.060205
Koçak, O., Ak, N., Erdem, S. S., Sinan, M., Younis, M. Z., & Erdo?an, A. (2021). The role of family influence and academic satisfaction on career decision-making self-efficacy and happiness. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(11), 5919. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18115919
Lee, S. D., Auino, A., Kuneel, N. R., & Hansen, J. I. C. (2021). Personality predictors of career exploration: A meta-analysis. The Career Development Quarterly, 71, 41-55. doi: 10.1002edq.12315
Lent, R., Ezeofor, I., Morrison, M. A., Penn, L. T., & Ireland, G. W. (2016). Applying the social cognitive model of career self-management to career exploration and decision-making. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 93, 47-57. doi: 10.1016/J.JVB.2015.12.007
Lent, R. W., & Hackett, G. (1987). Career self-efficacy: Empirical status and future directions. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 30(3), 347–382. doi: 10.1016/0001-8791(87)90010-8
Lent, R. W., Brown, S. D., & Hackett, G. (2001). The role of contextual supports and barriers in the choice of math/science educational options: A test of social cognitive hypotheses. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 48(4), 474-483. doi: 10.1037/0022-0167.48.4.474
Lent, R. W., Ireland, G. W., Morris, T. R., & Penn, L. T. (2017). Sources of self-efficacy and outcome expectations for career exploration and decision-making: A test of the social cognitive model of career self-management. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 99, 107- 117. doi: 10.1016/j.jvb.2017.01.002
Lent, R. W., Ireland, G. W., Penn, L. T., Morris, T. R., & Sappington, R. (2019). Social–cognitive predictors of career exploration and decision-making: Longitudinal test of the career self-management model. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 66(2), 184-194. doi 10.1037/cou0000307
Lent, R. W., Wang, S., Morris, T. R., & Ireland, G. W. (2021). Career decision-making in unemployed Portuguese adults: Test of the social cognitive model of career self-management. Journal of Career Assessment, 29(3), 433-447. doi: 10.1037/cou0000565
Martincin, K. M., & Stead, G. B. (2014). Five-factor model and difficulties in career decision making. Journal of Career Assessment, 23(1), 3–19. doi: 10.1177/1069072714523081
Murairwa, S. (2015). Voluntarily sampling design. 4. 185-200.
Pignault, A., Rastoder, M., & Houssemand, C. (2023). The relationship between self-esteem, self-efficacy, and career decision-making difficulties: Psychological flourishing as a mediator. European Journal of Investigation in Health, Psychology and Education, 13(9), 1553–1568. doi: 10.3390/ejihpe13090113
Resnick, B. (2002). The impact of self-efficacy and outcome expectations on functional status in older adults. Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation, 17(4), 1–10. doi: 10.1097/00013614-200206000-00003
Revilla, M. (2014). Reciprocal causation. In: Michalos, A.C. (eds). Encyclopedia of Quality and Well-Being Research. Springer, Dordrecht. doi: 10.1007/978-94-007-0753-5_2431
Sandra, E., & Mularsih, H. (2021). The role of self-efficacy in career decision making among graduated students from vocational high schools in Jakarta. Proceedings of the International Conference on Economics, Business, Social, and Humanities (ICEBSH 2021), 570, 1064-1068.
Shin, Y.-J., & Kelly, K. R. (2015). Resilience and decision?making strategies as predictors of career decision difficulties. Career Development Quarterly, 63, 291-305. doi: 10.1002/CDQ.12029
Shu, X., Peng, J., & Wang, G. (2023). Deciding alone or with others: Employment anxiety and social distance predict intuitiveness in career decision making. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(2), 1484. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20021484
Viola, M. M., Musso, P., Ingoglia, S., Lo Coco, A., & Inguglia, C. (2017). Relationships between career indecision, search for work self-efficacy, and psychological well-being in Italian never-employed young adults. Europe's Journal of Psychology, 13(2), 231–250. doi: 10.5964/ejop.v13i2.1277
Weiss, S., & Böhnisch, M. (2024). Conscientiousness, students’ goal orientation, and reasoning ability: Significance for educational standards. Journal of Intelligence, 12(1): 11. doi: 10.3390/jintelligence12010011
Wendling, E., & Sagas, M. (2020). An application of the social cognitive career theory model of career self-management to college athletes' career planning for life after sport. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 9. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00009
Zhou, X., Fan, Y., & Liu, J. (2022). Research on the influence of occupational value view on career decision-making through the mediating path of self-efficacy. Journal of Business Research, 138, 499-507. http://dx.doi.org/10.5430/jct.v12n3p48
Zulkifli, F. A., Ab. Rahman, O., & Musa, N. N. (2021). The relationship between personality and career decision making self efficacy among Pra-University student at Machang, Kelantan. ‘Abqari Journal, 25(2), 36–60. doi: 10.33102/abqari.vol25no2.465
(Meng & Jaafar, 2024)
Meng, F. G., & Jaafar, W. M. W. (2024). Career Choices at A Public Higher Education Institution (IPTA): An Examination of The Social Cognitive Model of Career Self-Management. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 14(7), 1348–1365.
Copyright: © 2024 The Author(s)
Published by Knowledge Words Publications (www.kwpublications.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode