PSYCHOLOGY MASTER'S THESIS ABSTRACT

Jeff Belloli
Industrial/Organizational
May 1999

Career Self-Efficacy in the Prediction of Expected Salary

    Career self-efficacy has been linked to the perceived range of career options an individual considers; however, the link to the salary of careers considered has yet to be established.  Career self-efficacy used in the present study is defined as lack of confidence and anxiety over career choice.  The present study explored the relationship of 99 Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) students’ to expected salary, assessing the extent to which career self-efficacy beliefs, in concert with socioeconomic status, gender, race, current salary, and undergraduate grade point average, predicted the salary expected of individuals seeking employment.

    Hierarchical regression analyses with expected salary upon completion of the MBA program as the dependent variable were performed on the demographic variables and career self-efficacy utilizing the Wulff/Steitz measure.  Results demonstrated only current salary was predictive of expected salary.  Implications for the measure and future directions for the career self-efficacy/salary relationship are discussed.

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