The Intended Sectoral Choice and Perceived Career Strategies Among the Diploma Students : A Case Study in MARA University of Technology, Kedah

• Main Author: Kong, Lai Kuan
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English; English
• Published: 2004
• Subjects: HF5001-6182 Business
• Online Access: http://etd.uum.edu.my/1282/1/KONG_LAI_KUAN.pdf; http://etd.uum.edu.my/1282/2/1.KONG_LAI_KUAN.pdf; http://etd.uum.edu.my/1282/
• Institution: Universiti Utara Malaysia

This research has four objectives. First objective is to investigate the intended sectoral choice of the diploma students among the six major sectors, namely multinational corporations, small and medium-sized enterprises, setting up own business, governmental sector or non-governmental organizations. Second objective tries to explore the important factors shaping the career-related aspects and decisions of the diploma students. Third objective is to explore the perceived career strategies in pursuit of future sectoral choice, and followed by the fourth objective is to examine the relationship between career strategies ad intended sectoral choice. This study is important looking at currently the unemployment rate of the graduates is high and yet little information is available about how undergraduate students make decisions concerning their future careers. It is population study which is conducted among the UiTM final semester graduating diploma undergraduates in the branch campus of Kedah, during the semester June 2003 October 2003. The theory underpinning this research framework is based on the Social Cognitive Career Theory. It is a quantitative research that the dependent variable is sectoral choice while the independent variables are demographic, societal factors, job criteria preferences, locus of control, and career strategies. The frequencies, mean values differences, Pearson Chi-Square test, and Pearson Correlation test are used to analyze the data. The results suggest that the students would prefer most to work in the multinational corporations. In the aspect of job criteria preferences, top of the list is the attractive salary, while good training is the least influential factors. In the aspect of societal factors, parents and close family are the most influential factors while university counselor is the least influential factors in the students' consideration of career choice. Parent and close family members also are the most mentioned role models while manager and supervisor are rated as the least influential role models. The hypotheses testing showed that males are more likely to set up their own business than females. Those have prior working experience in helping family business are more likely to set up their own business later. The findings also suggest that the higher of the students' academic aspiration, the greater of the students' preferences to work in multinational corporations, followed by setting up own business and setting up own professional firms. For those who have high locus of control, the greater their preferences to work in government sector or/and small and medium-sized enterprises. However, a person's choice of a particular sector has no relationship with any career strategies. Nevertheless, academic performances, area of studies and career strategies have no relationship with students' sectoral choice. One has to exercise caution to generalize the findings to other settings as the present research findings are only limited to UiTM, Kedah branch campus.