Deficits in career decision making self-efficacy, career decidedness, and academic motivation have contributed to prolonged cycles of poverty, an increase in the number of years it takes to complete an undergraduate degree, and an upsurge in the amount of financial debt incurred. Recurrently, students are saddled with large amounts of debt for a degree that was never attained. One group heavily affected by this phenomenon is African American urban adolescents (AAUA). This quantitative study used a social cognitive career theory framework and a repeated-measures research design to examine whether a significant change in scores occurred from Time 1 to Time 2 on the Career Decision Self- Efficacy Scale—Short Form (CDSE-SF), Career Decision Scale (CDS), and Academic Motivation Scale—High School (AMS-HS). African American adolescents attending an urban high school in a midwestern state participated. Students were surveyed before and after completing the Strong Interest Inventory and participating in an educational session designed to aid them in making career and educational choices. Paired-samples t tests revealed no significant changes in scores on the CDSE-SF, CDS, or AMS-HS. However, findings from Pearson correlations suggest that career self-efficacy is largely correlated with both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. This research contributes to social change by informing urban school districts and families of the need to deliver comprehensive career exploration programming for AAUA. This programming has the potential to aid students in making educational choices that align with their expected career paths, reduce their time to completion in postsecondary programs, and increase their potential for economic stability. Assessing

Les décisions collaboratives sous incertitude dans les situations non urgentes peuvent être retardées, surtout lorsque la santé humaine et des investissements élevés sont en jeu comme c’est le cas des projets de R and D pharmaceutiques. Cette thèse étudie les causes des retards récurrents dans la prise de décision collaborative sous incertitude et les pratiques efficientes pour réduire ces retards. Pour mieux comprendre le problème des retards dans la prise de décision face à l’incertitude, nous étudions d’abord la notion d’incertitude et proposons une définition de l’incertitude adaptée au management de projet. Ensuite, le processus de prise de décision dans les projets de développement de nouveaux médicaments est modélisé, mettant en évidence le cycle de vie de l’information à partir de sa production jusqu’à sa consommation c’est-à-dire la décision elle-même. Ce modèle comprend une étape de réflexion individuelle et une étape de l’interaction en groupe, en clarifiant comment l’information est traitée différemment par les décideurs. Afin d’analyser les conflits du passé et anticiper ceux du futur, sur la base de ce modèle, un indice est défini pour mesurer le risque d’invalidation d’une décision prise a posteriori. Finalement, à travers des entretiens approfondis, 252 facteurs clés qui influent la prise de décision sont identifiés. Les trois causes de retard les plus citées sont : la peur de l’incertitude, la peur de la hiérarchie et la difficulté des décisions d’arrêt. Sur la base des facteurs identifiés, un recueil de bonnes pratiques est construit pour les acteurs du processus de prise de décision qui aident à former, mûrir, communiquer, digérer, respecter et finalement exécuter les décisions collaboratives. / Collaborative decisions may be deferred when faced with a high degree of uncertainty, especially when public health and high investments are at stake and in situations that seem non-urgent, as is the case in pharmaceutical R and D projects. This thesis investigates the causes of recurrent delay in collaborative decision-making under uncertainty, and the efficient practices to reduce this delay. To better understand the problem of delay in decision-making under uncertainty, we first review the notion of uncertainty and propose a definition of uncertainty adapted to project management. Then, the decision-making process in drug development projects is modeled, highlighting the information life cycle from its generation to its consumption i.e. the decision itself. It includes individual reflection and group interaction, clarifying how information is processed differently by decision-makers. To analyze past conflicts and anticipate future ones, based on this model, an index is defined that measures the risk of invalidating a decision a posteriori. Finally, through an in-depth interview-based approach, 252 key factors that affect decision-making are pointed out. The three most-mentioned causes of delay are: fear of uncertainty, fear of hierarchy, and difficulty of No Go decisions. Based on the identified factors, a compendium of practices is constructed for the actors of the decision-making process that help collaborative decisions to be formed, matured, digested, respected, and finally executed.

本研究旨在探討二專學生的心理分離，依附關係與其生涯定向之關係。研究以全國分北、中、南三區共九所專科學校之日間部二專一、二年級之學生為研究對象，共計797名。本研究使用之研究工具包括「心理分離量表」、「父母依附量表」、及「生涯定向問卷」。所得之資料以描述統計、變異數分析、相關分析、多元迴歸分析及典型相關分析等統計方法進行處理。研究的主要發現如下： 二專學生在與父母的心理分離程度中等，其中「互動衝突獨立」較好，「情緒獨立」較差；與父母多為安全依附關係；對自己生涯方向的確定及滿意略低於中等程度；較可能遇到影響其生涯定向的問題為「生涯決策焦慮」及「認識不足」。 其次，與父母越有安全依附關係者，其衝突獨立方面越好，但在功能、情緒及態度方面則較依賴父母。 而互動衝突獨立較差、功能越依賴父母、及與父母無安全依附關係的二專男生，對其生涯目標越不滿意，且較多生涯不確定之問題。和父母越為衝突獨立、功能及情緒上較不依賴父母之二專女生，較滿意於其生涯目標，且較少生涯不確定之問題。 針對本研究結果建議父母能在支持的關係裡，鼓勵青少年發展獨立自主，以協助二專學生之發展，以及學校在生涯定向輔導策略上，可加強學生生涯決策能力和由與父母之關係來了解其生涯定向之問題，並且在生涯定向的問題上，不同性別之學生可考慮以不同的方向加以輔導。 / The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships amongpsychological separation, attachment, and career indecision. The samples consisted of 797 students from nine colleges in Taiwan. Instruments usedin this study were "Psychological Separation Inventory", "Inventory ofParent and Peer Attachment", "Career Development Questionnaire". Datain this study were analyzed by analysis of variance, correlation, multiplestepwise regression analysis, and canonical correlation analysis. Themain findings were as follow: The score in PSI for college students are moderated, in which "conflictual independence" is better, but "emotional independence" is worse. The relationship with their parents is security attachment. Their assuranceand satisfaction toward career setting are lower than averages. The possibleproblem affecting their career indecision are "anxity of career decision making" and "incompehension of career". Secondary, the students who got stronger patent attachment exhibitedbetter in conflictual independence, but they are more depend on parentsin function, emotion, and attitude. The college male students who exhibited more conflictual dependence, functional dependence, in conjoint with worse parent attachment wereexperienced more career indecision problems. For female students, whoexhibited better conflictual independence, functional independence and emotional independence were better in career decision. The suggestion from this study to the parents is to encouragethe adolescent to develop independence with a supporting relationshipwith their children. Also, the suggestion to the school counselors areto strength students' abilities in career decision making and to helpstudents who with career indecision problem by understanding of relationshipwith their parents.

This study examined social and psychological factors influencing the career exploration process of young adults. The predictor variables of this study were parental attachment, peer attachment, and self-efficacy; the outcome variables were environmental/occupational exploration, self-exploration, and career indecision. Data for this study were collected using various measures that were compiled into one survey hosted on Qualtrics. Results indicated that secure maternal attachment predicted secure peer attachment and high self-efficacy in young adults. Greater peer attachment was negatively correlated with environmental exploration. A higher level of self-efficacy was positively correlated with environmental exploration and negatively correlated with career indecision. These results imply that maternal attachment has an indirect influence on a young adult’s career exploration process.

The changing work environment has caused individuals to revise and change their career decisions. This creates career uncertainty, which has become a widespread problem, particularly for students. When this problem is not addressed, it leads to career indecision, or less optimal choices which could influence career opportunities and quality of life. Career indecision could impact on organisations, resulting in problems such as person–job adjustment, lack of engagement and burnout. Although research on career uncertainty is available internationally, there is limited research on career uncertainty and its antecedents in the South African context. Career uncertainty can have short– and long–term effects on the individual. This study therefore contributes toward the gap in research on the antecedents of career uncertainty. Given that career uncertainty is a problem that individuals are constantly confronted with, it is important that the antecedents of this be investigated. The objectives of this study were to 1) conceptualise the antecedents of career uncertainty according to the literature; 2) determine if socio–demographic characteristics (gender, career guidance, help from parents, help from other individuals and work experience) are significant predictors of career uncertainty; 3) determine if personality characteristics (self–esteem, self–efficacy and neuroticism) are significant predictors of career uncertainty; 4) determine if career decision–making difficulties are significant predictors of career uncertainty; 5) determine if student burnout and student engagement are significant predictors of career uncertainty; and 6) determine if academic performance is a significant predictor of career uncertainty. A non–probability quota sample (N = 782) was used to investigate antecedents of career uncertainty in a sample of university students. Career uncertainty was measured by one item The changing work environment has caused individuals to revise and change their career decisions. This creates career uncertainty, which has become a widespread problem, particularly for students. When this problem is not addressed, it leads to career indecision, or less optimal choices which could influence career opportunities and quality of life. Career indecision could impact on organisations, resulting in problems such as person–job adjustment, lack of engagement and burnout. Although research on career uncertainty is available internationally, there is limited research on career uncertainty and its antecedents in the South African context. Career uncertainty can have short– and long–term effects on the individual. This study therefore contributes toward the gap in research on the antecedents of career uncertainty. Given that career uncertainty is a problem that individuals are constantly confronted with, it is important that the antecedents of this be investigated. The objectives of this study were to 1) conceptualise the antecedents of career uncertainty according to the literature; 2) determine if socio–demographic characteristics (gender, career guidance, help from parents, help from other individuals and work experience) are significant predictors of career uncertainty; 3) determine if personality characteristics (self–esteem, self–efficacy and neuroticism) are significant predictors of career uncertainty; 4) determine if career decision–making difficulties are significant predictors of career uncertainty; 5) determine if student burnout and student engagement are significant predictors of career uncertainty; and 6) determine if academic performance is a significant predictor of career uncertainty. A non–probability quota sample (N = 782) was used to investigate antecedents of career uncertainty in a sample of university students. Career uncertainty was measured by one item consisting of four categories: I am very sure; I know exactly what career I will pursue (n = 228), I am fairly sure what career I will pursue (n = 416), I am not sure at all which career I will pursue (n = 135) and I do not plan to follow a career (n = 3). For the objective of the study, categories one and two were grouped together with participants who were fairly certain which career they would follow, while participants in category three represented participants who were uncertain. Category four was not included as only three participants within that category answered. In total, 644 students were (fairly) certain, while 135 were uncertain. These two groups were enclosed as a dependent variable in the logistic regression. The results of this study showed that work experience influences career uncertainty to some extent. This is supported by previous research. Furthermore, it was found that self–esteem also influences career uncertainty to some degree. However, these two variables were only significant in the first steps of the logistic regression. Furthermore, the results showed that career decision–making difficulties share a significant relationship with career uncertainty. The study also found that significant antecedents of career uncertainty include: a lack of information about the decision–making process; a lack of information about occupations; inconsistent information due to internal conflict; a lack of information about ways of obtaining information; and inconsistent information due to external conflict. In conclusion, exhaustion, cynicism and dedication were also found to be significant antecedents of career uncertainty. Based on these results, this study suggests that student burnout and student engagement influence an individual’s level of career uncertainty. Recommendations were made for practice as well as for future research. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

The changing work environment has caused individuals to revise and change their career decisions. This creates career uncertainty, which has become a widespread problem, particularly for students. When this problem is not addressed, it leads to career indecision, or less optimal choices which could influence career opportunities and quality of life. Career indecision could impact on organisations, resulting in problems such as person–job adjustment, lack of engagement and burnout. Although research on career uncertainty is available internationally, there is limited research on career uncertainty and its antecedents in the South African context. Career uncertainty can have short– and long–term effects on the individual. This study therefore contributes toward the gap in research on the antecedents of career uncertainty. Given that career uncertainty is a problem that individuals are constantly confronted with, it is important that the antecedents of this be investigated. The objectives of this study were to 1) conceptualise the antecedents of career uncertainty according to the literature; 2) determine if socio–demographic characteristics (gender, career guidance, help from parents, help from other individuals and work experience) are significant predictors of career uncertainty; 3) determine if personality characteristics (self–esteem, self–efficacy and neuroticism) are significant predictors of career uncertainty; 4) determine if career decision–making difficulties are significant predictors of career uncertainty; 5) determine if student burnout and student engagement are significant predictors of career uncertainty; and 6) determine if academic performance is a significant predictor of career uncertainty. A non–probability quota sample (N = 782) was used to investigate antecedents of career uncertainty in a sample of university students. Career uncertainty was measured by one item The changing work environment has caused individuals to revise and change their career decisions. This creates career uncertainty, which has become a widespread problem, particularly for students. When this problem is not addressed, it leads to career indecision, or less optimal choices which could influence career opportunities and quality of life. Career indecision could impact on organisations, resulting in problems such as person–job adjustment, lack of engagement and burnout. Although research on career uncertainty is available internationally, there is limited research on career uncertainty and its antecedents in the South African context. Career uncertainty can have short– and long–term effects on the individual. This study therefore contributes toward the gap in research on the antecedents of career uncertainty. Given that career uncertainty is a problem that individuals are constantly confronted with, it is important that the antecedents of this be investigated. The objectives of this study were to 1) conceptualise the antecedents of career uncertainty according to the literature; 2) determine if socio–demographic characteristics (gender, career guidance, help from parents, help from other individuals and work experience) are significant predictors of career uncertainty; 3) determine if personality characteristics (self–esteem, self–efficacy and neuroticism) are significant predictors of career uncertainty; 4) determine if career decision–making difficulties are significant predictors of career uncertainty; 5) determine if student burnout and student engagement are significant predictors of career uncertainty; and 6) determine if academic performance is a significant predictor of career uncertainty. A non–probability quota sample (N = 782) was used to investigate antecedents of career uncertainty in a sample of university students. Career uncertainty was measured by one item consisting of four categories: I am very sure; I know exactly what career I will pursue (n = 228), I am fairly sure what career I will pursue (n = 416), I am not sure at all which career I will pursue (n = 135) and I do not plan to follow a career (n = 3). For the objective of the study, categories one and two were grouped together with participants who were fairly certain which career they would follow, while participants in category three represented participants who were uncertain. Category four was not included as only three participants within that category answered. In total, 644 students were (fairly) certain, while 135 were uncertain. These two groups were enclosed as a dependent variable in the logistic regression. The results of this study showed that work experience influences career uncertainty to some extent. This is supported by previous research. Furthermore, it was found that self–esteem also influences career uncertainty to some degree. However, these two variables were only significant in the first steps of the logistic regression. Furthermore, the results showed that career decision–making difficulties share a significant relationship with career uncertainty. The study also found that significant antecedents of career uncertainty include: a lack of information about the decision–making process; a lack of information about occupations; inconsistent information due to internal conflict; a lack of information about ways of obtaining information; and inconsistent information due to external conflict. In conclusion, exhaustion, cynicism and dedication were also found to be significant antecedents of career uncertainty. Based on these results, this study suggests that student burnout and student engagement influence an individual’s level of career uncertainty. Recommendations were made for practice as well as for future research. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

国立情報学研究所で電子化したコンテンツを使用している。

In this study the experiences of young people who engage in a gap year were explored. The focus of the study was on how the gap year influenced career decision-making. A case study design was used to gather information about the experiences of three young people who engaged in various types of gap years. Data was collected by means of semi-structured interviews, life-lines and collages created by the participants. They were also consulted throughout the research process and participated in the data analysis. Content analysis was applied to the gathered data, and various themes and sub-themes were identified. These were confirmed by the participants before the completion of the study. This study found that the value of the gap year may be in the personal growth that it facilitates, the time it allows people to take before finalising their decisions, and its impact on career maturity. The findings indicate that the gap year may help people to resolve their career indecision by providing opportunities to experience the world and gain self-knowledge, thereby becoming more career mature. This in turn leads to the ability to make a career decision. / Dissertation (MEd (Educational Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Educational Psychology / unrestricted

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