Gender or Proactivity? The Instance of Information Systems Students' Occupational Self-Efficacy

Abstract

Purpose- Due to persisting gender inequality in the transition from university to the labour market in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) occupations, the purpose of this research was to investigate empirically the joint effect of gender and proactivity on Information Systems (IS) students' occupational self-efficacy (OSE), as well as the mediating role of proactivity in the gender-occupational self- efficacy link.Design/methodology/approach- Two cross-sectional quantitative studies: the first with a sample of 113 IS students and the second employing a longitudinal design with 52 IS students.Findings- The results indicate that gender had no effect on IS students' OSE beyond proactivity. However, gender had an indirect effect on their OSE mediated by proactivity.Research limitations/implications- The analyses included several control variables (income, age, academic achievement, and conscientiousness). However, future research may include larger samples that allow controlling additional variables such as cultural differences. Practical implications- Since the findings indicate that OSE of less proactive students is lower, it is especially vital to focus effort on enhancing these students' OSE during their academic studies.Social implications- Cultivating females' proactivity may assist in decreasing the existing gender inequality in the transition from university to the labour market in STEM occupations, as well as promoting women’s success in other exceptional challenges in the workplace.Originality/value- Students' OSE has not received much research attention, in spite of the importance of the transition from university to the labour market. This research initially addresses this gap. Moreover, it highlights the mediating role of proactivity in the gender-OSE link among IS students.