How communication networks influence college students' career exploration: An application of the theory of planned behavior

초록

Although communication plays a critical role in career exploration, empirical investigations of the relationship between communication factors and vocational behavior have been surprisingly scarce in both vocational and communication education research. In an attempt to fill this research gap, the current study proposes a conceptual model integrating discussion networks and the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Survey data involving 405 college students in South Korea indicated that TPB components (i.e., behavior, behavioral intention, evaluative beliefs) were significantly associated with characteristics of discussion networks. More specifically, network density influenced subjective norm, career exploration intentions, and actual behavior. While network size had an influence on attitudes, network heterogeneity influenced behavioral intentions. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed in regards to vocational and communication education. © 2018 American Communication Association.

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