\VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL GRADUATION PROJECT PROJECT NAME: INSTITUTIONAL AND PERSONAL INFLUENCES ON CAREER CHOICE: A STUDY ON STUDENTS MAJORING IN BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS IN HA NOI. Student’s name: DO THI ANH Hanoi - Year 2024 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL GRADUATION PROJECT PROJECT NAME INSTITUTIONAL AND PERSONAL INFLUENCES ON CAREER CHOICE: A STUDY ON STUDENTS MAJORING IN BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS IN HA NOI. TRAN CONG THANH STUDENT: DO THI ANH STUDENT ID: 19071309 COHORT: IB2019G SUBJECT CODE: INS401101 MAJOR: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS Hanoi - Year 2024 2 Acknowledgements I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. Tran Cong Thanh, for his invaluable guidance, unwavering support, and insightful feedback throughout the course of this research.
His expertise and encouragement have been instrumental in shaping the direction and quality of this study. I am profoundly grateful for his patience and understanding, which have greatly contributed to the successful completion of this work. Thank you, Dr. Thanh, for being a remarkable mentor and for inspiring me to strive for excellence.
Additionally, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Dr. Thanh for always reminding and closely following my progress throughout this graduation thesis. Your constant motivation and support have been crucial in helping me navigate the challenges and successfully complete this journey. 3 Statutory Declaration I, Do Thi Anh, hereby declare that the work presented in this thesis titled "Institutional and Personal Influences on Career Choice: A Study on students majoring in business and economics in Ha Noi" is my own and has been generated by me as the result of my own original research.
All sources have been appropriately cited, and any assistance received has been acknowledged. This thesis has not been submitted for any other degree or qualification. Ha Noi, 06/17/2024 Signature 4 Abstract This study investigates the influence of institutional and individual factors on the career choices of business and economics students in Hanoi, Vietnam. Using quantitative methods, data were collected from 191 students through a structured questionnaire.
The analysis was performed using SPSS and SMART PLS 3. The results show that institutional factors such as national regulations, government policies, and educational institution policies significantly influence career choice, while professional standards, cultural norms, and social stereotypes do not. Personal factors, especially intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, are found to be stronger predictors of career choice than institutional factors. This research provides insights for educators and policymakers to develop better career guidance programs that consider both institutional and individual factors, to help students make more informed career decisions.
5 List of figure Figure 1: Research model.30 Figure 2: Outer loadings model. 41 6 List of table Table 1: Institutional factors in Hanoi -Vietnamese context. 16 Table 2: Systematic overview of Personal factors influencing young people's career choices. 28 Table 3: Institutuion questions.
32 Table 4: Personal questions. 35 Table 5: Career choice questions. 36 Table 6: Gender Frequency. 37 Table 7: Age Frequency.
38 Table 8: Academic institutuion Frequency. 38 Table 9: Year of Study Frequency. 38 Table 10: Major Frequency. 39 Table 11: Working Experiences Frequency.
39 Table 12: Measurement Scale Evaluation. 42 Table 13: Fornell-Larcker Criterion.43 Table 14: Heterotrait-Monotrait Ratio (HTMT). 44 Table 17: Results of testing the hypotheses. 45 Table 19: Result of Hypothesis testing.
49 7 Table of content Table of Contents Acknowledgements. 5 List of figure. 6 List of table. 7 Table of content .1 The necessity of research.
12 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW.1 Concept of career choice.2 Institutional Perspective in Career Choice.1 The Institutional Theory .2 The ‘Institutional Three Pillars’ and Career Choice.3 Institutional Factors in Ha Noi Context and Research Hypotheses.3 Personal Perspective in Career Choice.1 What is motivation? .2 Motivations in Self-Determination Theory (SDT) in Career Choice.3 Personal Motivational Factors in This Study. 23 CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH FRAMEWORK .1 Research questions and Hypothesis. 30 CHAPTER 4: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY .3 Sources of Data. 31 CHAPTER 5: EMPIRICAL FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION.1 Demographic analysis of responds .2 Data analysis and research results.1 Assessing the validity and reliability of measurement scales.2 Evaluate the structural model.3 Discuss research results.4 Limit of study.
50 CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSIONS AND PROPOSALS .1 The necessity of research Career decision making is considered one of the most important decisive steps that has a profound impact on a person's future in terms of income, lifestyle, status and job satisfaction. Choosing a career is also the most important step for a new graduate because this choice can lead to strong changes in their later life (DeSimone et al. A career choice that does not match individual needs and motivations with organizational needs and rewards can lead to poor performance, reduced productivity, job dissatisfaction, stress and unemployment high turnover (Gagne and Deci, 2005; Van Harrison, 1985). Career choice is becoming more and more complicated in the 21st century as people's choices become more diverse and are faced with many different factors such as technological development, natural resources,.
Vietnam's young generation today, especially generation Z, lives in a society that benefits from the growth of the Doi Moi policy with a booming economy with job diversity including employment. in quantity and form (according to Vietnam Young Generation Report, 2020). Also according to this report, nearly 65% of Vietnamese young people believe that job opportunities for their generation have changed a lot over the past many years. Therefore, the greater the opportunities and the greater the challenges, the more difficult it is for the young generation of Vietnam to choose a career that suits them.
In particular, according to a summary from the People's Delegates Electronic Newspaper, it is shown that the current generation of young generation Z no longer likes to study academically but rather learns in the "on job training" style… So generation Z prefers to study academically. Read about specific skills, instructions to work immediately, make money immediately such as learning tricks, tips, learning service skills, beauty. In addition, this newspaper also points out, the GenZ generation are also at higher risk of mental health damage (20- 30%) because of job competition, pressure from parents, etc., so the mental health of today's younger generation is getting weaker and weaker. weaker than previous generations of young people.
That's why when they come across a suitable career, they can complete their work in a very positive state and are willing to devote themselves because they feel these careers are truly suitable for them. If they choose an unsuitable career, they can easily feel depressed, stressed, dissatisfied and may have minor psychological injuries. Research by Mashige and Oduntan (2011) also shows that workers can experience stress, unhappiness and even burnout if appropriate choices are not made. This also suggests that Vietnam's unemployment rate may increase and lead to an imbalance in current employment.
Therefore, being able to choose a good career is an important factor for student success (Lui et al. Career choice is influenced by a combination of institutional and personal factors. Institutional factors include university guidelines, parental influence, cultural expectations, social stereotypes, religious influences, national regulations, and government policies. Personal motivational factors, both intrinsic and extrinsic, play an 10 important role in shaping career decisions.
Understanding how these factors interact with each other is essential for a more comprehensive understanding of career choice dynamics in Vietnam. In addition, identifying the influence of institutional factors and individual motivation also addresses gaps in existing research in Vietnam on career choice. Most current career choice theories emphasize individual factors, often ignoring the significant impact of institutional factors, especially in the context of Vietnam's integration and rapid development economically as it is today. This study aims to fill these gaps by focusing on the institutional environment and personal motivation of Vietnamese students in choosing a career.
Moreover, this research can also assist universities and policymakers in developing better career guidance programs that consider both institutional and individual factors. From there, students can make more informed career choices. Overall, this study is essential to provide a comprehensive understanding of the factors that influence the career choices of business.and economics students in Hanoi. It aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice, provide actionable insights for educators, policymakers and students, and can contribute to the long-term success of the education sector and labor market in.2 Research objectives The main purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of institutional and individual factors on the career choices of business and economics students in Hanoi.
To achieve this goal, the study set the following objectives: ● Explore current literature on influences on career choice ● Identify institutional factors that influence career choice ● Identify personal motivational factors that influence career choice: ● Compare the influence of institutional and individual motivational factors ● Provide recommendations and policies to better support students in their career choice process. This study can achieve its goals by answering the following research questions: ● To what extent do the institutional factors (government policies, regulations of educational institutions, professional standards, cultural norms, societal expectations, social prejudices, parental obedience , religious ) predict the career choices of students? 11 ● To what extent do the personal motivational factors (intrinsic and extrinsic) predict the career choices of students? 1.4 Research methodology This study uses quantitative methods to collect 191 surveys from students majoring in economics and business in Hanoi. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire and using a Likert scale. The author analyzed the collected data using SPSS, SMART PLS 3 and then used descriptive statistical methods to identify factors affecting students' career choices.5 Research Structure Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: Literature review Chapter 3: Research framework Chapter 4: Research Methodology Chapter 5: Results and discussion Chapter 6: Conclusion and proposals.
12 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Concept of career choice. The term 'career' is broadly defined by Gecikli (2002) as any professional, market or business activity in which a person may engage throughout their life, from the years of study through to upon death.encompasses the many different roles and occupations a person can undertake. Similarly, Kolawole et al. (2012) describe job choice as a series of decisions made when choosing a career path, emphasizing the ongoing and evolving nature of these decisions.
Maina (2013) offers a more detailed definition of career choice, describing it as “the decision to pursue a course of study leading to a specific profession based on one's interests, passions, and skills.” , influenced by guidance from parents, friends and role models”." This definition emphasizes the importance of personal interests and skills, as well as the significant impact of social influence. Hartung (1995) builds on this by suggesting that career choice involves choosing a profession based on personal readiness, ability, interest, assertiveness, comfort, and clarity. He implies that choosing a career is a process of careful consideration, influenced by many internal and extrinsic factors, and not just a single decision. This study applies the definitions of both Hartung (1995) and Maina (2013) to explore career choice.
According to these definitions, career choice is a comprehensive process that includes a deliberate decision to pursue a specific profession. This decision is influenced by personal interests, passions, and skills as well as.extrinsic factors such as parental guidance, peer pressure, and role models. The decision-making process also depends.on an individual's self-awareness, clarity about their career goals, and willingness to commit to their chosen career path. According to Gottfredson's Theory of Limits and Compromise (1981), career choice is a developmental process that begins in childhood and involves gradually eliminating unacceptable choices based on Individuals' awareness of their abilities, interests, and social expectations that shape their career choices.
This theory emphasizes the role of gender, social class, and other demographic factors in shaping career aspirations and choices. In summary, career choice is a complex interaction of personal and social factors that guide an individual's career journey. The definitions of Gecikli (2002), Kolawole et al.