Heinze, Nathan D.

The purpose of this study is to explore environmental and personal factors that may influence college undergraduates' decisions to pursue a major in information technology. These factors include self-efficacy, outcome expectations, personality traits, interest in computers, attitudes, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and perceived IT job availability. The paper develops and tests a theoretical model based on social cognitive theory and the theory of planned behavior, and also incorporates the five factor model of personality. The intent of this study is to extend the social cognitive theory and theory of planned behavior literatures by expanding their application to IT career choice issues and by including personality traits as additional factors. The latter addition also indicates a unique application of the five factor personality model, as it is rarely used in concert with self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and broad environmental factors such as job market demands. A multi-section survey was administered to college undergraduates at four large universities in the southeastern United States. Analysis of the data results showed that college undergraduates with positive attitudes towards the IT major and high perceived behavioral control regarding the IT major had a greater intention of pursuing IT. The study also found positive links between 1) computer self-efficacy and self-evaluating outcome expectations regarding an IT career, 2) computer self-efficacy and perceived behavioral control, and 3) self-evaluating outcome expectations and attitudes towards the IT major. In addition, personality traits moderated a number of model relationships. Finally, it was found that males were significantly more likely to choose IT than females and scored higher on computer self-efficacy, self-evaluating outcome expectations, attitudes towards the IT major, interest in computers, and perceived behavioral control. The results and contributions of the study are discussed and recommendations are made for future research.