A study of the moderating effects of self-efficacy and self-esteem on the relationship between decision-making style and career choice characteristics.

Abstract

The moderating effects of self concept (self efficacy and self esteem) on the relationship between decision making style (information gathering and information evaluation) and career choice outcomes (satisfaction, clarity, definition) are studied with ANOVA. An alternative hypothesis, that self concept is not a moderator but the main effect, is examined. An additional set of alternative hypotheses, that decision making energy and identification are also determinants of career choice, is tested. Data were gathered from undergraduates in a survey organizational behavior course at The University of Michigan. Two hundred and twenty-seven usable response sets were obtained for this analysis. Self efficacy was measured with a modified Occupational Confidence Scale (Betz and Hackett, 1983). Self esteem was measured with the Self Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1965) and the Self Esteem Inventory (Coopersmith, 1967). Decision making information processing style, energy and identification were operationalized as the Jungian personality typology with the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator, Form GH (Briggs and Myers, 1977). Career clarity was operationalized with the Career Decision Scale (Osipow, 1987). Career satisfaction was operationalized with a combination of the Career Decision Scale (Osipow, 1987) and a Likert-scaled original item measure. Career definition was operationalized with an original item ranking exercise of possible career choice options. Factor analyses of individual self concept and career clarity items were used to construct variables for analysis of variance. There were no significant relationships found between decision making style and career choice outcomes, similar to other studies. However, when that relationship was moderated with self concept, several patterns emerged. Decision making styles, at high levels of self esteem or self efficacy, were significantly different from each other. For example, high self esteem Sensing-Thinking decision makers were associated with high career clarity while high self esteem Intuitive-Thinking decision makers were associated with low career clarity. There was no difference, however, in reported career satisfaction consistency or feeling. Further, examination of decision making energy and identification types revealed significant differences in relationships with career choice characteristics. Continued related research is needed.