FACTORS INFLUENCING CAREER CHOICE AMONGST UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN MALAYSIA

Abstract

Malaysia continues to be a hub in producing undergraduate students to the labour market. However, setbacks in workforce planning and lack of investment in staff training and development could threaten development and progress in Malaysia. The purpose of this research is to identify and examine the factors that affect career choice in Malaysia. In carrying out this research, an exploratory strategy which involved the review of related literature was carried out. The conceptual framework for this research is made up of 3 independent variables; Personal factors (with two research dimensions--Qualification and Personal interest); Job related factors (with two dimensions--Financial incentives and work preference) and Organizational factors (with one dimension--career advancement opportunities). The dependent variable is 'career choice'. A descriptive research strategy was then used to obtain primary data by means of a questionnaire survey on the target research population which were undergraduate university students. 49 males and 67 females took part in the survey making a total of 116 survey participants. A bivariate correlation test was conducted on the research variables to test the research hypothesis. The result revealed strong positive and significant correlations between the research variables. Hence the null hypotheses were rejected. A multiple regression analysis was also conducted and the model summary revealed that 89.7% of variation in the dependent variable (Career Choice) is explained by variations in the independent variables (Personal Factors, Job Related Factors, and Organizational Factors).