Locus of control and the business of health care management

The purpose of this study was to examine the Locus of Control orientation of graduate and undergraduate students. More specifically, the researcher was concerned with ascertaining the effects of the variables major (Business Administration versus Health Care Administration) and classification (graduate versus undergraduate) on their internal versus external Locus of Control orientations.;A parametric procedure was employed in this investigation. The parametric procedure was the t-Test of independent samples. One hundred twenty-five (125) graduate and undergraduate students were selected to participate in this empirical study. The Social Reaction Inventory Questionnaire was used to collect the data regarding the internality versus externality orientations of the college students. The investigative instrument had a split-half reliability coefficient of .82 for the test as a whole, and was deemed to have excellent construct validity.;The study concluded that Business and Health Care Administration students have similar overall Locus of Control orientation scores. Graduate students of Business and Health Care Administration had higher overall Locus of Control orientation scores than did the undergraduate students of Business and Health Care Administration. Internal Locus of Control orientation scores were similar for Business and Health Care Administration students. In general, Business Administration students had a higher external Locus of Control scores than their Health Care Administration counterparts and, students' classification (graduate and undergraduate) had no influence on their external Locus of Control orientation scores.;The researcher recommends that counselors, especially those involved with assisting students in choosing their field of study, should be aware of the Locus of Control orientation of the students. An understanding of how students perceive their environment can help counselors develop strategies to enhance the students' social, personal and psychological well being. Finally, counselors and other concerned individuals in the helping profession should be cognizant of the characteristics as well as the traits of internally and externally oriented students.