Career maturity, career decision-making self-efficacy, interdependent self-construal, locus of control and gender role ideology of Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong

The study proposed a career readiness model with five career-related attributes of which the relationship between career maturity and gender role ideology was mediated by interdependent self-construal and career decision-making self-efficacy, while the relationship between locus of control and career maturity was mediated by career decision-making self-efficacy. The model was tested by path analysis, using a sample of 502 Chinese Secondary Four students in Hong Kong. The statistical results of the career readiness model suggested satisfactory goodness of fit, with 15% of the total variation in career maturity explained by the career-related attributes in combination. Gender role ideology had a direct positive effect on career maturity, with the indirect effect mediated by interdependent self-construal and career decision-making self-efficacy. Locus of control had a direct negative effect on career maturity and an indirect effect mediated by career decision-making self-efficacy. With the exception of the effects of gender role ideology on career decision-making self-efficacy and interdependent self-construal on career maturity, all the other hypothesized paths were supported by the data. After controlling the effects of the three background variables of gender, participation in career-related activities and participation in extra-curricular activities on the career readiness model, the estimated path coefficients of the five career-related attributes with the inclusion or exclusion of the background variables were statistically consistent.