"Good jobs vs. Happy jobs": The role of "self-concept" in shaping career choices
Date
2015-04
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Abstract
As the Ghanaian graduate labor market is increasingly becoming more competitive to
keep up with tertiary institutions churning out 10,000's of students annually, it has
become essential for workers to not only find job roles, but to be retained in those job
roles. In order to do this, one must consider the factors that influence the career
choices of the graduate labor pool. This research studies "self-concept" specifically
as a key factor in determining career choices made by the average graduate worker.
Beyond this, the study seeks to explore a possible relationship between career
personality alignment and job satisfaction. Through the use of online questionnaires,
the study sampled data from 80 respondents, representing the graduate workforce of
Ghana. Secondary data obtained from journals, books, scholarly and news articles
were also used to guide the research methodology and data collection and analysis.
The theoretical framework adopted for the purpose of this research was Holland's
Theory of Career Choice and Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. From data findings
obtained, income was the motivator most highly ranked by respondents, whilst career
personality alignment was lowly ranked. Career personality alignment was however
the main theme underlining job satisfaction levels for respondents. Age played a
significant role in determining the job characteristics prioritized by the graduate
workforce, with the older sample population placing emphasis on the need for career
personality alignment as their main source of satisfaction, whilst younger
respondents identified income as the most valuable intrinsic job characteristic.
Description
Thesis submitted to the Department of Business Administration, Ashesi University College, in partial fulfillment of Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, April 2015
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Keywords
Ghana, self-concept, self-actualization, graduate employment, careers, job satisfaction