Upload
tenaj
View
219
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
8/10/2019 Why College Undergraduates Intend to Pursue the Information Technology Major
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/why-college-undergraduates-intend-to-pursue-the-information-technology-major 1/24
WHY COLLEGE UNDERGRADUATES INTEND TO PURSUE
THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MAJOR:A MULTI-THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE
by
Nathan D. Heinze
A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of
The Barry Kaye College o f Business
in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida
December 2007
roduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
8/10/2019 Why College Undergraduates Intend to Pursue the Information Technology Major
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/why-college-undergraduates-intend-to-pursue-the-information-technology-major 2/24
UMI Number: 3288657
Copyright 2007 by
Heinze, Nathan D.
All rights reserved.
INFORMATION TO USERS
The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy
submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and
photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper
alignment can adversely affect reproduction.
In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript
and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized
copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion.
®
UMIUMI Microform 3288657
Copyright 2008 by ProQuest Information and Learning Company.
All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against
unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code.
ProQuest Information and Learning Company
300 North Zeeb RoadP.O. Box 1346
Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346
roduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
8/10/2019 Why College Undergraduates Intend to Pursue the Information Technology Major
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/why-college-undergraduates-intend-to-pursue-the-information-technology-major 3/24
Copyright by Nathan D. Heinze 2007
ii
roduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
8/10/2019 Why College Undergraduates Intend to Pursue the Information Technology Major
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/why-college-undergraduates-intend-to-pursue-the-information-technology-major 4/24
WHY COLLEGE UNDERGRADUATES CHOOSE TO PURSUE THE
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MAJOR:
A M ULTI-THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE
by
Nathan D. Heinze
This dissertation was prepared under the direction of the candidate’s thesis dissertation
advisor, Dr. Qing Hu, Department of Information Technology and Operations
Management, and has been approved by the members of his supervisory committee. It
was submitted to the faculty o f The Barry Kaye College of Business and was accepted in
partial fulfillment o f the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.
SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE:
Qing Hu, Dissertation Chair
t ^ I U a , x
Paul Hart, Committee Member
TamdraDinev, Committee Member
y { \ L x h lk a /y y ^ S __________
Ethlyn Williams, CommitleelMember
ittee Member Stuart Galup,
Qing Hu, Chair, Department o f Information Technology and
Operations Management
ennis Coates, Dean, The Barry Kaye College of Business
'T ' ' 2 /
Barry Rosson, Dean, Graduate Studies Date
111
roduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
8/10/2019 Why College Undergraduates Intend to Pursue the Information Technology Major
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/why-college-undergraduates-intend-to-pursue-the-information-technology-major 5/24
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Special thanks to Dr. Qing Hu, Dr. Paul Hart, Dr. Tamara Dinev, Dr. Ethlyn Williams,
and Dr. Stuart Galup for their guidance, feedback, and support.
iv
roduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
8/10/2019 Why College Undergraduates Intend to Pursue the Information Technology Major
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/why-college-undergraduates-intend-to-pursue-the-information-technology-major 6/24
ABSTRACT
Author: Nathan D. H einze
Title: Why College Undergraduates Intend to Pursue the InformationTechnology Major: A Multi-theoretical Perspective
Institution: Florida Atlantic University
Dissertation Advisor: Dr. Qing Hu
Degree: Doctor of Philosophy
Year 2007
The purpose of this study is to explore environmental and personal factors that
may influence college undergraduates’ decisions to pursue a major in information
technology. These factors include self-efficacy, outcome expectations, personality traits,
interest in computers, attitudes, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and
perceived IT job availability. The paper develops and tests a theoretical model based on
social cognitive theory and the theory of planned behavior, and also incorporates the five
factor model of personality. The intent of this study is to extend the social cognitive
theory and theory of planned behavior literatures by expanding their application to IT
career choice issues and by including personality traits as additional factors. The latter
addition also indicates a unique application of the five factor personality model, as it is
rarely used in concert with self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and broad environmental
factors such as job market demands.
A multi-section survey was administered to college undergraduates at four large
universities in the southeastern United States. Analysis of the data results showed that
v
roduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
8/10/2019 Why College Undergraduates Intend to Pursue the Information Technology Major
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/why-college-undergraduates-intend-to-pursue-the-information-technology-major 7/24
college undergraduates with positive attitudes towards the IT major and high perceived
behavioral control regarding the IT major had a greater intention of pursuing IT. The
study also found positive links between 1) computer self-efficacy and self-evaluating
outcome expectations regarding an IT career, 2) computer self-efficacy and perceived
behavioral control, and 3) self-evaluating outcome expectations and attitudes towards the
IT major. In addition, personality traits moderated a number of model relationships.
Finally, it was found that males were significantly more likely to choose IT than females
and scored higher on computer self-efficacy, self-evaluating outcome expectations,
attitudes towards the IT major, interest in computers, and perceived behavioral control.
The results and contributions of the study are discussed and recommendations are made
for future research.
vi
roduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
8/10/2019 Why College Undergraduates Intend to Pursue the Information Technology Major
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/why-college-undergraduates-intend-to-pursue-the-information-technology-major 8/24
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION........................................................................ 1
1.1 Statement of the Problem ...................................................................................... 1
1.2 Rationale for the Study......................................................................................... 2
1.3 Research Questions................................................................................................ 6
1.3.1 Environmental Variables.............................................................................. 7
1.3.2 Personal Variables......................................................................................... 8
1.4 Significance of the Study.. .. ................................................................................ 12
1.5 Scope of the Study ................................................................................................. 13
1.6 Chapter One S ummary.......................................................................................... 13
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ........................................................... 15
2.1 Introduction............................................................. 15
2.2 Social Cognitive Theory.......................................................................................
162.3 Theory of Planned Behavior ................................................................................. 24
2.4 Combining SCT and TPB ..................................................................................... 28
2.5 Research on Personality........................................................................................ 30
2.5.1 The Five Factor Model................................................................................. 30
2.5.2 Holland’s Theory.......................................................................................... 34
2.5.3 FFM/Holland Overlap................................................................................. 36
2.6 Chapter Two Summary......................................................................................... 39
CHAPTER THREE: THEORY AND HYPOTHESES DEVELOPMENT 40
3.1 Introduction.............................................................................. 40
3.2 Main Theoretical Constructs................................................................................. 41
3.2.1 Computer Self-Efficacy............................................................................... 42
3.2.2. Self-Evaluating Outcome Expec tations ................................................... 43
3.2.3 Attitudes......................................................................................................... 46
3.2.4 Subjective Norm ................................ 47
3.2.5 Perceived Behavioral Contro l...................................................................... 48
3.2.6 Intention to Pursue the IT Major ................................................................ 49
3.3 Moderating Constructs..........................................................................................
493.3.1 Personality...................................................................................................... 49
3.3.1.1 Extraversion.......................................................................................... 51
3.3.1.2 A greeableness....................................................................................... 51
3.3.1.3 Openness................................................................................................ 51
3.3.2 Interest in Computers.................................................................................... 52
roduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
8/10/2019 Why College Undergraduates Intend to Pursue the Information Technology Major
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/why-college-undergraduates-intend-to-pursue-the-information-technology-major 9/24
3.3.3 Perceived IT Job Availability ............................... 52
3.4 Research Model Development............................................................................. 53
3.5 Research Hypotheses............................................................................................. 60
3.6 Research Design..................................................................................................... 75
3.7 Measurement Instrumen t.......................................................................................
773.8 Chapter Three Summary....................................................................................... 84
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS AND ANALYSIS.................................................. 85
4.1 Introduction............................................................................................................. 85
4.2 Data Sample............................................................................................................ 85
4.3 Descriptive Statistics.............................................................................................. 87
4.4 Gender Differences....................... 87
4.5 Scale Reliability..................................................................................................... 91
4.6 Model Testing......................................................................................................... 92
4.6.1 Measurement Model..................................................................................... 92
4.6.1.1 Convergent Validity and Item Reliability ......................................... 93
4.6.1.2 Model Fit and Unidimensionality...................................................... 94
4.6.1.3 Discriminant Validity and Composite Reliability........................... 97
4.6.1.4 Model Invariance................................................................................. 99
4.6.2 Structural Model and Moderator Effects ................................................... 102
4.7 Hypotheses Testing Resu lts................................................................................. I l l
4.7.1 Main Variables............................................................................................... I l l
4.7.2 Moderating Variables....................................................................................
1134.8 Chapter Four Summary......................................................................................... 116
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION AND CONTRIBUTIONS................................ 117
5.1 Discussion ............................................................................................................... 117
5.1.1 The Importance o f Self-Efficacy................................................................. 117
5.1.2 Outcome Expectations and A ttitudes.......................................................... 120
5.1.3 Subjective Norm ........................................................................................... 122
5.1.4 The Gender D ivide ........................................................................................ 123
5.1.5 The Role o f Personality................................................................................ 125
5.1.6 The Impact of the Job M arket..................................................................... 128
5.2 Contributions.......................................................................................................... 130
5.2.1 Contributions to Theory................................................................................ 130
5.2.2 Contributions to Practice.............................................................................. 132
5.3 Study Limitations................................................................................................... 138
roduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
8/10/2019 Why College Undergraduates Intend to Pursue the Information Technology Major
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/why-college-undergraduates-intend-to-pursue-the-information-technology-major 10/24
5.4 Future Research..................................................................................................... 139
5.5 Conclusion.............................................................................................................. 141
APPENDICES............................................................................................................... 143
A Questionnaire......................................................................................................
143B Pilot Questionnaire.............................................................................................. 146
C Measurement Model Goodness o f Fit Statistics.............................................. 151
D Structural Model Goodness of Fit Statistics.................................................... 152
E Measurement Model Complete Output............................................................ 153
F Structural Model Complete Ou tput.................................................................. 170
G LISREL Code for Multi-Group Analysis........................................................ 198
BIBLIOGRAPHY ......................................................................................................... 200
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH......................................................................................
232
roduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
8/10/2019 Why College Undergraduates Intend to Pursue the Information Technology Major
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/why-college-undergraduates-intend-to-pursue-the-information-technology-major 11/24
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Personality Types.......................................................................................... 34
Table 2: Scales and Items............................................................................................. 79
Table 3: Dem ographics................................................................................................ 87
Table 4: Scale Means and Gender Differences......................................................... 88
Table 5: Scale Reliability............................................................................................ 91
Table 6: Parameter Estimates, Error Terms, T-values, and R-squared Fig ures... 93
Table 7: Measurement Model F it............................................................................... 94
Table 8: Descriptive Statistics and Correlation Matrix ........................................... 99
Table 9: Invariance between High and Low Moderator Groups ............................ 100
Table 10: Structural Model Fit .................................................................................... 102
Table 11: Moderator Variable Groups....................................................................... 105
Table 12: Path Coefficients for Moderating Variables...........................................
106Table 13: Path Significance and Explanatory Power of MainConstructs I l l
Table 14: Moderating Hypotheses Results .............................................................. 113
roduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
8/10/2019 Why College Undergraduates Intend to Pursue the Information Technology Major
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/why-college-undergraduates-intend-to-pursue-the-information-technology-major 12/24
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: SCT Conceptual Model.......................... 17
Figure 2: The Theory of Planned Behavior .............................................................. 26
Figure 3: Conceptual Model....................................................................................... 41
Figure 4: Research Model........................................................................................... 54
Figure 5: Personality Characteristics by Gender ..................................................... 89
Figure 6: Scale Means by Gender .............................................................................. 90
Figure 7: Measurement Model Standardized Residuals Q-plot............................. 97
Figure 8: Structural Model.......................................................................................... 103
Figure 9: Structural Model Standardized Residuals Q-plot.................................... 103
Figure 10: Perceived IT Job Availability .................................................................. 107
Figure 11: Interest in Computers............................................................................... 108
Figure 12: Extraversion................................................................................................ 109
Figure 13: Agreeableness............................................................................................ 110
Figure 14: Openness..................................................................................................... 110
roduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
8/10/2019 Why College Undergraduates Intend to Pursue the Information Technology Major
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/why-college-undergraduates-intend-to-pursue-the-information-technology-major 13/24
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Statement of the Problem
During the past five years, a broad decline in computer and technology related
enrollments has occurred at colleges across the United States (Gibson, 2005; Murphy,
2005). Although IT enrollments increased during the dot com boom of the late 1990’s,
they began declining with the dot com fallout and the U.S. economic recession following
the terrorist attacks on 9/11 (National Bureau of Economic Research, 2003). Increasing
levels of international outsourcing have also been cause for concern among those in the
IT field (Malykhina, 2004) and may contribute to the dropping enrollment numbers, as
prospective college students fear their future jobs might be shipped offshore (Diamond
Cluster 2005 Global IT Outsourcing Study; Malykhina, 2004).
Even as recently as 2004, employment data for the IT industry was sluggish
(Srivastava & Theodore, 2004). However, with the rebounding economy, the IT job
market has rebounded. After losing jobs in the years 2001-2003, the industry started
adding jobs in 2004 (ITAA, 2004). The years since have seen strong growth in the field
(Maguire, 2006), and the U.S. now faces a lack of skilled IT workers. To compound the
problem, immigration restric tions mean fewer skilled foreign workers are available to
contribute to U.S. brainpower and skill in technical fields (Ante, 2004). Despite the
upswing in the IT job market, U.S. colleges have not seen a discernable recovery of
student'enrollment in IT related majors. This may contribute to a shortage of technically
skilled workers in the near future and beyond.
1
roduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
8/10/2019 Why College Undergraduates Intend to Pursue the Information Technology Major
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/why-college-undergraduates-intend-to-pursue-the-information-technology-major 14/24
The problem of IT worker shortages may be one that lasts well into the future, as
the U.S. Bureau of Labor projects a number of IT jobs to grow at a “faster” or “much
faster” rate than average through at least the year 2014 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2004).
Expected high growth areas include system administration, computer support, systems
analysis, software engineering, computer science, and database administration. These
careers are filled primarily by employees with at least a bachelor’s degree (Bureau of
Labor Statistics, 2004), meaning it is important for universities to graduate students with
information technology degrees.
This pressing need highlights the utility of exploring why students choose to
pursue IT as a major. As the jo b market demand for IT professionals inevitably continues
the cycle of rise and fall in future years, knowledge regarding factors that contribute to
student career choices will be valuable as a resource for understanding why students
choose IT as a career. An increased understanding of this question may provide some
insights into what steps can be taken to encourage increased IT interest and enrollments.
1.2 Rationale for the Study
The topic of career choice has received a great deal of interest within the research
community. A host of variables have been linked to career choice, including personality
(Holland, 1973; Gottfredsson, 1981), parenting (Jodi, Michael, Mlanchuk, Eccles, &
Sameroff, 2001), role models (Karunanayake & Nauta, 2004; Nauta & Kokaly, 2001),
ethnicity (Tang, Fouad & Smith, 1999; Turner & Lapan, 2003), coursework (Trusty,
2002), interests and abilities (Tracey & Hopkins, 2001), socioeconomic status (Bandura,
2
roduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
8/10/2019 Why College Undergraduates Intend to Pursue the Information Technology Major
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/why-college-undergraduates-intend-to-pursue-the-information-technology-major 15/24
Berbaranelli, Caprara, & Pastorelli, 2001; Rojewski & Yang, 1997), social context
(Higgins, 2001), and culture (McWhirter, Hackett, & Bandalos, 1998).
Although quite diverse, variables relating to career choice are increasingly being
viewed through the lens of social cognitive theory (Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 1994).
Social cognitive theory posits that behavior is influenced by a combination of personal
and environmental variables (Bandura, 1986). After the introduction of social cognitive
theory (SCT) as a way to explain career choice (Lent et al., 1994), dozens of studies have
employed SCT using different environmental factors and testing within specific domains.
Environmental factors used within an SCT framework include family influence
(Berrios-Allison, 2005; Jodi et al., 2001), role models (Karunanayake & Nauta, 2004;
Nauta & Kokaly, 2001), social rela tionships (Higgins, 2001), encouragement by others
(Compeau & Higgins, 1995), and social supports and barriers (Lent, 1994; Lent et al.,
2001).
Domains in which SCT has been validated in regards to career issues include
teaching (Mau & Mau, 2006), math (Gainor & Lent, 1998), math and science (Feery,
Fouad, & Smith, 2000; Fouad, Smith, & Zao, 2002; Turner, Steward, & Lapan, 2004),
engineering (Lent et al., 2003), academic research (Bieschke et al., 2004) and art, social
science and English (Fouad et al., 2002).
SCT has also been used successfully to help explain career intentions and choices
of specific demographic groups, such as gays and lesbians (Biescke, Eberz, Bard, &
Croteau, 1998; Morrow, Gore, & Campbell, 1996), Mexican-American and European-
American high school students (McWhirter, 1997; McWhirter et al., 1998),
undergraduate college students (Kanta, 1997), women (Swanson & Woitke, 1997),
3
roduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
8/10/2019 Why College Undergraduates Intend to Pursue the Information Technology Major
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/why-college-undergraduates-intend-to-pursue-the-information-technology-major 16/24
women of color (Byars, 1998), college students (Luzzo, Hasper, Albert, Bibby, &
Martinelli, 1999), and black college students (Gainor & Lent, 1998). However, none of
these studies have addressed information technology career choices, either at the college
or career levels. The question regarding what factors influence a student to pursue the IT
major has yet to be explored, but the large number of studies validating social cognitive
theory in the career choice context lends support to the idea that SCT may be able to help
answer the question.
Although SCT has proven to be quite useful in the area of career intentions and
choice, it does not take into account some important factors that appear to influence
career intentions; behavioral intentions (such as the intention to pursue a particular major
or career) often rely heavily upon perceptions of the behavior’s difficulty level
(“perceived behavioral control”) and attitudes towards the behavior itself (Ajzen, 1991).
Perceived behavioral control and attitudes are two of the key constructs in the theory of
planned behavior, a theory that has shown promise in its ability to predict human
behavior in a wide range of settings (Armitage, 2005; Ajzen & Driver, 1992; Beck &
Ajzen, 1991; Bagozzi, Moore, & Leone, 2004; Eagly & Chaiken, 1993), including career
choice (Arnold et al., 2006; Giles & Rea, 1999).
Arnold et al. (2006) used TPB to help explain the intention to work in the nursing
profession. The researchers found strong support for the predictive ability of the three
core TPB variables of attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control. Giles
and Rae (1999) successfully employed TPB to investigate why men are less willing to
pursue sex-atypical careers than women and to determine what factors may explain this
reluctance. Operating in a related domain, Shevlin and Millar (2006) used TPB in an
4
roduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
8/10/2019 Why College Undergraduates Intend to Pursue the Information Technology Major
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/why-college-undergraduates-intend-to-pursue-the-information-technology-major 17/24
attempt to predict the longitudinal growth of career exploratory behavior in teenagers,
and concluded that TPB is a useful theoretical framework from which to explain career
information-seeking behavior.
There have as of yet been no studies using TPB to explain IT career decisions.
Most of the TPB based studies in the IT literature have focused on technology use as the
dependent variable. Brown and Venkatesh (2005) used TPB as the theoretical framework
for exploring technology adoption within households, and Taylor and Todd (1995)
compared TPB and a decomposed TPB model to the technology acceptance model
(TAM) in order to see which best predicted IT usage. TPB has also been used in studies
on music piracy (d’Astous, Colbert, & Montpetit, 2005), internet purchases (George,
2004) online banking (Tan & Teo, 2000), decision support system use (Workman, 2005),
and gender/age influences on technology use (Morris, Venkatesh, & Ackerman, 2005).
Despite the support for the use of SCT and TPB to predict career intentions, no
discussion of the issue is complete without acknowledging the prominent role that
personality has played in predicting career choice (Holland, 1973; Gottfredsson, 1981).
Numerous studies have found personality (or more specifically, personality-derived
interests) to be a key factor in both choice of a career and satisfaction with a career
(Spokane & Cruza-Guet, 2005). On a related note, Barrick and Mount (1991) found
correlations between personality and job performance in a number of occupational
categories, and Mount, Barrick, and Stewart (1991) found correlations between
personality traits and job performance. Therefore, in addition to using TPB to further
increase the explanatory power of SCT, it is advisable to explore the role that personality
may play in conjunction with these two theories.
5
roduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
8/10/2019 Why College Undergraduates Intend to Pursue the Information Technology Major
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/why-college-undergraduates-intend-to-pursue-the-information-technology-major 18/24
In summary, social cognitive theory has been used successfully to explain career
choices in many situations. However, other factors have also been shown to possibly play
an influential role, including attitudes, perceived behavioral control, and personality. It is
thus the goal of this study to combine factors from SCT, TPB, and personality theory to
create a model that helps to explain the intention to pursue IT as a major.
1.3 Research Questions
The chief research question this study will address is why college undergraduates
intend or do not intend to pursue IT as their major. Therefore, the dependent variable is
behavioral in nature (Figure 1). The model proposes that the answer, as suggested by
SCT, lies in environmental and personal variables that interactively influence behavior
(Figure 1). The interaction among these variables should help to answer questions
regarding how the process takes place.
Specifically, the study will investigate what, how, and why personal and
environmental factors affect the intention to pursue information technology as a major.
The independent variables are personal and environmental factors that may influence
intentions. Based on this framework, we can address some broad issues, the two most
obvious categories being 1) what, how, and why environmental factors influence the
intent to pursue IT as a major, and 2) what, how, and why personal factors influence the
intent to pursue IT as a major. The following two sections will examine environmental
and personal variables that may be of interest in light of the study’s purposes.
6
roduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
8/10/2019 Why College Undergraduates Intend to Pursue the Information Technology Major
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/why-college-undergraduates-intend-to-pursue-the-information-technology-major 19/24
1.3.1 Environmental Variables
Of the three key TPB variables shown to influence behavioral intention,
subjective norm is the one that is environmental in nature. Subjective norm refers to the
social pressures an individual perceives regarding whether a behavior (pursuing the IT
major) should or should not be performed (Ajzen, 1991). It deals with the support an
individual receives from his or her immediate social environment, e.g., friends and
family. Many studies within the IT field have indicated subjective norm has little or no
impact upon behavioral intention (Chau & Hu, 2001; Dinev & Hu, 2007; George, 2004;
Tan & Teo, 2000; Taylor & Todd, 1995), and it is considered to be the weakest of the
core TPB variables in predicting behavioral intention (Armitage & Conner, 2001).
However, there have been few studies using TPB to explain career choices, and studies in
previously covered domains may not be indicative of subjective norm’s importance in the
field of career intentions. In fact, subjective norm is very similar to the idea of social
support (Lent et al., 2001), which has been found to be a strong predictor of career
outcomes (Lent et al., 2003a). Therefore, a key issue this study will address is whether or
not subjective norm influences behavioral intention in the realm of major/career choice.
Macro environmental factors such as the IT job market, the economy as a whole,
outsourcing, and other broad factors that may influence an IT career decision are not as
well researched, although at least within the IT industry itself there seems to be major
concern among employees about outsourcing and job security (Diamond Cluster 2005
Global IT Outsourcing Study). The question to be asked is if and how these factors affect
a student’s perceptions of the likelihood of finding meaningful employment; and how
these perceptions are then related to a student’s intention to choose IT.
7
roduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
8/10/2019 Why College Undergraduates Intend to Pursue the Information Technology Major
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/why-college-undergraduates-intend-to-pursue-the-information-technology-major 20/24
For example, if the current state of the IT job market is perceived as weak by
those considering choosing IT as a career, then we would expect this perception to have a
negative impact on IT enrollments. Although no studies are available that specifically
address the IT job market, overall labor market demands do have an impact upon both
community college and university enrollments (Betts & McFarland, 1995; Dellas &
Sakellaris, 2003; Paulsen & Pogue, 1988). As well, the high amount of press coverage
regarding international outsourcing may contribute to poor perceptions of the IT job
market, while the truth is that the future of IT in the United States is improving
(Frauenheim, 2005; Jacobs, 2006).
1.3.2 Personal Variables
Personal factors may also influence the choice of a major, possibly by influencing
an individual’s preference for activities associated with different types of careers. In fact,
vocational theories posit that personality is generally the single most influential
determinant of career choice (Holland, 1973; Gottfredsson, 1981). In other words, the
reason why an individual chooses a career may be closely related to personality.
A common problem with personality research is that personality is a broad and
multi-faceted concept that has been defined and measured in many ways (McAdams,
1995); in fact, the measurement of “personality” that has been studied the most in
relationship to career choices (Holland’s theory of personality style and career
development), is more accurately described as a measure of interests that are based on
personality (Holland, 1997). The lack of research linking underlying personality traits to
career choices may be due to the fact that only recently has there been any level of
8
roduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
8/10/2019 Why College Undergraduates Intend to Pursue the Information Technology Major
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/why-college-undergraduates-intend-to-pursue-the-information-technology-major 21/24
consensus regarding what basic traits actually comprise personality (John & Srivastava,
1999). However, the field of psychology has come to a fairly broad consensus on an
accepted taxonomy of personality traits composed of five broad dimensions (Digman,
1990): extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness.
The stability of this five factor model (FFM) or “Big Five” has been verified on
numerous occasions and in a number of settings (Digman & Inouye, 1986: Goldberg,
1990: Nollar, Law, & Comrey, 1987; Saucier & Goldberg, 1998). Soldz & Vaillant
(1999) conducted a longitudinal study over 45 years and established that the factors are
remarkably stable even over such an extended period of time. The five factors are also
considered to be universal in nature, applying to a diverse array of cultures (McCrea &
Costa, 1997). Because of this strong theoretical base, it is possible to more confidently
apply personality theory to career choice issues. Therefore, this study will attempt to
discover what, if any, impact personality traits have on students’ decisions to pursue IT as
their major.
TPB includes two personal factors that appear to be predictive of behavioral
intention in a wide variety of contexts (Armitage & Conner, 2001): perceived behavioral
control and attitudes (Ajzen & Driver, 1992; Beck & Ajzen, 1991). Perceived behavioral
control (PBC) is the difficulty an individual associates with the behavior in question, in
this case the difficulty of the IT major. Attitudes are the attitudes a student has towards
the IT major. Because of the preponderance of evidence linking PBC and attitudes with
behavioral intent (Armitage & Conner, 2001), it is important to explore how much impact
1) perceived behavioral control regarding the IT major and 2) attitudes toward the IT
major have on the intention to pursue IT.
9
roduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
8/10/2019 Why College Undergraduates Intend to Pursue the Information Technology Major
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/why-college-undergraduates-intend-to-pursue-the-information-technology-major 22/24
Two further questions are addressed by this study; namely 1) what is the role of
outcome expectations on the intention to choose IT, and 2) what is the role of self-
efficacy? Studies show that positive outcome expectations for a particular occupation
results in increased interest and exploratory behavior related to the occupation, along
with an increase in the likelihood of choosing the occupation (Hackett, Betz, & Casas,
1992; Lent, Lopez, & Bieschke, 1991, 1993; Fouad & Smith, 1996). Betz & Voyten
(1997) reported that outcome expectations were good predictors of academic and career
indecision and exploration intent, and Diegelman and Subich (2001) found that outcome
expectations related positively and significantly to interest in a particular major.
Therefore, it appears that outcome expectations are connected with behavior and
behavioral intentions.
Outcome expectations have also been shown to be positively and consistently
correlated with self-efficacy (Betz & Voyten, 1997; Diegelman & Subich, 2001; Fouad &
Smith, 1996; Lent et al., 1991, 1993), reflecting Bandura’s (1986) assertion that outcome
expectations are influenced by efficacy beliefs. Research has supported this claim, with
higher levels of self-efficacy resulting in higher levels of outcome expectations
(Compeau & Higgins, 1995; Fouad & Smith, 1996; Lent et al., 2003). Lent et al. (1994)
found that self-efficacy and outcome expectations both appear to influence educational
and vocational choices and success. In sum, the bulk of the evidence indicates that self-
efficacy influences outcome expectations, and outcome expectations influence behavioral
intentions. This study will seek to understand if this linkage holds true when applied to
choice of the IT major.
10
roduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
8/10/2019 Why College Undergraduates Intend to Pursue the Information Technology Major
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/why-college-undergraduates-intend-to-pursue-the-information-technology-major 23/24
In addition to its connection with outcome expectations, Self-efficacy has been
found to correlate with TPB via its impact on perceived behavioral control. Pavlou and
Fygenson (2007) found that self-efficacy and PBC were significantly related. Taylor and
Todd (1995) modeled self-efficacy as an antecedent to PBC and also found a significant
relationship between the two. Therefore, this study will also try to assess whether self-
efficacy’s importance to perceived behavioral control applies to career choice.
The final question this study seeks to answer is what role interests may play in the
selection of a major. Interests are central to social cognitive career theory, and have been
shown to be a predictor of career choice (Lent, Brown, & Hackett, 2000; Lent, Hill, &
Hoffman, 2003). They are also the basis for Holland’s theory of personality style and
career development (1966, 1973, 1979, 1987), a theory that specifically links interests
with career choice and satisfaction. In this study, interests will be defined as interest in
computer work, as computer work is an attribute closely associated with IT. The goal is
to examine whether interest in computers has an impact on the intention to purse IT as a
major.
In summary, this study will present and test a model examining why students
choose or do not choose IT as a major. The model is based on the theoretical foundations
of social cognitive theory and the theory of planned behavior, and proposes that
environmental and personal variables may interactively influence the intention to pursue
IT as a major. SCT and TPB have not yet been combined in a study looking at career
issues, and it is argued that TPB may be useful in this area. Finally, this study seeks to
discover whether personality, interest in computers, and perceived IT job availability
might contribute significantly to the model.
11
roduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
8/10/2019 Why College Undergraduates Intend to Pursue the Information Technology Major
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/why-college-undergraduates-intend-to-pursue-the-information-technology-major 24/24
1.4 Significance of the Study
This study will contribute to the body of research by utilizing an SCT framework
that houses a TPB-based model, as well as additional environmental variables (perceived
IT job availability and interest in computers) and personality factors. As such, it
incorporates many of the factors shown to impact career choice into a single
comprehensive model. This use of TPB within an SCT framework is a unique approach
to addressing career choice issues, and one that may offer increased explanatory and
predictive power than models using only SCT. Individually, SCT has been shown to be a
powerful predictor of career choice (Lent et al., 1994; Lent, 2005; Sadri & Robertson,
1993; Stajkovic & Luthans, 1998), and TPB has shown promise in its ability to predict
career intentions (Arnold et al., 2006; Giles & Rae, 1999) as well as human behavior in a
wide range of settings (Armitage, 2005; Ajzen & Driver, 1992; Beck & Ajzen, 1991;
Bagozzi et al., 2004; Eagly & Chaiken, 1993). Therefore, a model combining the two
may offer a great deal of utility in helping to predict and understand career choice.
An increased understanding of career intentions will also have practical
significance. In regards to the problem of low IT enrollments and the related demand for
more IT workers in the U.S. market (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2004), the more
information that is available, the more likely it is that corrective action can be taken. In
short, a problem can be fixed more easily if it is understood. Therefore, it is important to
understand the relative impact of factors that may affect s tudents’ choice of IT. Once a
pattern of affect emerges, it will be possible to discuss corrective action that can be taken
by parents, students and educators alike.
12