THE INFLUENCE OF WORK VALUES IN CAREER DECISIONS: A STUDY ON THE PERSPECTIVE OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Abstract

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study is to analyze the influence of values related to work over the values related to it over career anchors, from university students’ perspective. To achieve the objective, two theoretical perspectives were assumed: the work values’ approach proposed by Ros, Schwartz and Surkis (1999) and Porto and Pilati (2010) and the career anchors proposed by Schein (1993). To achieve the article’s purpose a quantitative research has been made with a descriptive character like survey. The research’s instrument has been answered by 958 students based on Revised Scale of Work Values (EVT-R) from Porto and Pilati (2010) and inventory of Career Anchors, developed by Schein (1993). Considering the model proposed, we have chosen to work with structural equation modeling.  The main results found reveal that the priority values among the students in the survey were Safety and Achievement. In relation to career, a predominance of anchors Security/stability and Pure Challenge could be found. The structural model analysis has also identified that the construct of Work Values explains 30,5% (R2) of the construct of Career Anchors’ variance. In general, this result stands the importance of internal demands, represented by values that individuals attribute to work on career decisions, which still has this little empirical evidence.