The Impact of Gender and Location on Career Indecision: Special Reference to Sri Lankan State Universities

Abstract

Making a career decision is one of the most important problems that adolescents face during their transition from university to work environment. In making a decision on career advancement pertaining to a preferred career, young adults and adolescents face high levels of anxiety. The inability to choose a career is referred to as career indecision among university undergraduates. Career indecision is linked to concerns such as career development and difficulties in making career-related decisions, as well as self-efficacy, career counselling opportunities, and family support, many of which can affect a student's capacity to make career decisions. The purpose of the study is to identify whether there is a significant impact of the target population's segregation based on gender and university location on career decision-making among Sri Lankan state university management undergraduates. The sample included 345 final-year management undergraduates from metropolitan and rural state universities. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire and the hypothesis was tested using an independent sample t-test. According to the study's primary findings, career indecisiveness is higher among males, while the geographical location of state universities is shown to be insignificant in terms of being career indecisive. When it comes to designing human resource development programs and policies, the research findings are useful to policymakers, government institutions, and the public at large.