Factors affecting students’ intension toward employment: an application of the extended Theory of Planned Behavior

The main purpose of this study was to identify factors affecting students’ intention toward employment by applying an extended version of the Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Two additional variables, self-identity and moral norms were added to increase the prediction power of students’ intention toward employment. The statistical population consisted of all freshmen and senior undergraduate students who registered in Khuzestan Ramin University of Agriculture and Natural Resources located in Mollasani in academic year 2013-2014 (N=770). Based on Krejcie and Morgan table, 275 individuals were selected as the statistical sample. The sample was chosen through proportional stratified sampling technique. Data were collected using a questionnaire. The questionnaire’s face and content validity was confirmed by a panel of agricultural extension and education experts and its construct validity was confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis using AMOSversion20. Reliability of the questionnaire was conducted and confirmed using Cronbach`s alpha (α: 0.77- 0.92). The results showed that there was a significant positive correlation between all predictor variables of the extended TPB (attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, self-identity and moral norms) and students’ intention toward employment. In addition, hierarchical regression analysis indicated that attitude, subjective norms, self-identity, and moral norms totally explaining 64.3 percent of the variances in students’ intention toward employment.