Linking Demographic Profile to Family Influence and Career Decision Preferences
##plugins.themes.EpsilonTheme.article.main##
Candy H. Faculin*
Ofelia N. Villares
Mariza O. Jortil
Alexander Franco A. Delantar
Despite extensive literature on family and demographic factors influencing career choices, their specific intersection and impact on students in Business and Accountancy programs remain an underexplored area in the Philippines' higher education. This descriptive-correlational study investigated the impact of family and demographic factors on students' career choices at the College of Management, Business, and Accountancy at Cebu Institute of Technology–University (CIT-U). A total of 109 respondents, representing 10% of the enrolled population in the second semester of AY 2024–2025, participated in the survey. Descriptive statistics summarized students’ perceptions of family influence and career preferences, while Chi-square tests and logistic regression models assessed associations and predictive relationships. The results showed that while students increasingly value independence in their choices, families primarily influence career decisions through financial support and encouragement. Employability and financial feasibility emerged as the strongest drivers of career preferences, with financial uncertainty reducing career confidence. Demographic variables, such as age, gender, income, and parents’ education, showed significant associations with family influence or career preferences. However, older students demonstrated greater autonomy in decision-making. The study emphasized the importance of balancing family involvement, financial support, and career empowerment initiatives while respecting students’ independence. In line with the results, recommendations include strengthening family-inclusive career guidance, providing employability programs, and addressing financial challenges. Policymakers are recommended to promote equitable funding and access to higher education to support informed, independent decision-making for career choices.
Ahmed, K. A., Sharif, N., & Ahmad, N. (2017). Factors Influencing Students’ Career Choices: Empirical Evidence from Business Students. Journal of Southeast Asian Research, Vol. 2017 (2017), Article ID 718849, https://doi.org/10.5171/2017.718849
Akosah-Twumasi, P., Emeto, T., Lindsay, D., Tsey, K., & Malau-Aduli, B. (2018). A systematic review of factors that influence youths’ career choices—the role of culture. Frontiers in Education, 3, 58. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2018.00058
Born, L. (2024). 2024/2 A gender-related pay disadvantage cannot be justified by better negotiating skills (GE)—European Employment Law Cases. https://doi.org/10.5553/eelc/187791072024009001003.
Born, V. D. L., Hegna, K., & Vasbø, K. B. (2024). Reconciling ideals of autonomy and parental influence. Young people’s stories of educational choice. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 45(6), 991–1009. https://doi.org/10.1080/01425692.2024.2381684
Cooksey, R. W. (2020). Descriptive Statistics for Summarising Data. Illustrating Statistical Procedures: Finding Meaning in Quantitative Data, 1(1), 61–139. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-2537-7_5
Fernandez, C., Balijon, M., & Ancho, I. (2023). Career preferences of Filipino senior high school students. CTU Journal of Innovation and Sustainable Development, 15(3), 81–91. https://doi.org/10.22144/ctujoisd.2023.053
Fouad, N. A., Kim, S., Ghosh, A., Chang, W., & Figueiredo, C. (2016). Family influence on career decision making. Journal of Career Assessment, 24(1), 197–212. https://doi.org/10.1177/1069072714565782
Hadiyati, M., & Astuti, B. (2023). Student careers: What factors influence career choice? Journal of Education Research and Evaluation, 7(4), 61686. https://doi.org/10.23887/jere.v7i4.61686
Humayon, A., Raza, S., Khan, R., & Ansari, N. (2018). The Effect of Family Influence, Personal Interest, and Economic Considerations on Career Choice Among Undergraduate Students in Higher Educational Institutions of Vehari, Pakistan. International Journal of Organizational Leadership, 7(3), 137–149. https://doi.org/10.33844/ijol.2018.60333
Jackson, D., & Tomlinson, M. (2020). Investigating the relationship between career planning, proactivity, and employability perceptions among higher education students in uncertain labour market conditions. Higher Education, 80(3), 435–455. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-019-00490-5
Koçak, O., Ak, N., Erdem, S., Sinan, M., Younis, M., & Erdoğan, A. (2021). The role of family influence and academic satisfaction on career decision-making, self-efficacy, and happiness. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(11), 5919. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18115919
Malik, N., & Hussain, I. (2020). Effects of Demographic Variables on Career Choices of University Students. Global Educational Studies Review, 5(3), 83–90. https://doi.org/10.31703/GESR.2020(V-III).09
Mansor, A., & Tan, K. (2009). Influence of Gender on Career Readiness among Malaysian Undergraduates. Australian Journal of Career Development, 18, 33–44. https://doi.org/10.1177/103841620901800206.
Mauraji, F. R., & Matuzahroh, N. (2024). Factors that Influence Career Decisions in Adolescents: A Systematic Review. International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews, 5(7), 403–409. https://doi.org/10.55248/gengpi.5.0724.1618
Metheny, J., & McWhirter, E. (2013). Contributions of Social Status and Family Support to College Students’ Career Decision Self-Efficacy and Outcome Expectations. Journal of Career Assessment, 21, 378–394. https://doi.org/10.1177/1069072712475164.
Ouano, G., J. J., Torre L., J. F. D., Japitan I., W., & Moneva C., J. (2019). Factors influencing grade 12 students' chosen courses in Jagobiao National High School – Senior High School Department. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications (IJSRP), 9(1), p8555. https://doi.org/10.29322/IJSRP.9.01.2019.p8555
Prpić, G., Vuković, M., & Babic, T. (2021). Gender Differences in Ambition Levels and Career Aspirations Among Students. In 2021, 44th International Convention on Information, Communication and Electronic Technology (MIPRO) (pp. 699–703). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.23919/mipro52101.2021.9596827
Puson, Ma. A. C. B., Belanio, T. B., Gallego, R. C., Orbisayan, P. S. A., Parcia, R. L. S., Ana, K. P. M. Sta., & Petalla, M. B. (2024). Exploring external factors influencing career choices among grade 12 students in Western Visayas, Philippines. Asian Journal of Education and Social Studies, 50(9), 281–291. https://doi.org/10.9734/ajess/2024/v50i91587
Seneviratne, R. (2023). Ethics of research. Journal of the National Science Foundation of Sri Lanka, 5(2). https://doi.org/10.4038/jnsfsr.v51i2.11747.
Sharif, N., Ahmad, N., & Sarwar, S. (2019). Factors influencing career choices. IBT Journal of Business Studies, 15(1), 33–46. https://doi.org/10.46745/ilma.jbs.2019.15.01.03
Silva, A., Vautero, J., & Taveira, M. (2021). The Influence of Family on Undergraduates' Career Choice Implementation. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, 21(4), 551–570. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10775-020-09453-0
Simpson, S. H. (2015). Creating a Data Analysis Plan: What to Consider When Choosing Statistics for a Study. The Canadian Journal of Hospital Pharmacy, 68(4), 311–317. https://doi.org/10.4212/cjhp.v68i4.1471
Sultana, T., & Mahmud, M. (2020). Exploring the influential stimulators of career choice: An empirical assessment by exploratory factor analysis. Asian Journal of Empirical Research, 10(5), 137–149. https://doi.org/10.18488/journal.1007/2020.10.5/1007.5.137.149
Thapa, B. (2023). Determinants of Career Choices among Management Students under Tribhuvan University in Nepal. International Research Journal of MMC, 4(4) https://doi.org/10.3126/irjmmc.v4i4.61929.
Tortor, A. L. C., Ohayas, R. L., & Moneva, J. C. (2020). Financial Status, Parents Influence, Peer Influence and Self-Choice of Students in Selection of Strand in The Senior High School, Cebu, Philippines. Business and Economic Research, 10(1), 350. https://doi.org/10.5296/ber.v10i1.16241
Tuma, T. (2025). Family matters! The influence of family, peers, mentors, and professors on STEM college students’ motivational beliefs and career decision making. bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.01.22.633242.
Vautero, J., Silva, A. D., & do Céu Taveira, M. (2021). The Influence of Family on Undergraduates' Career Choice Implementation. International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, 21(4), 551–570. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10775-020-09453-0
Wang, Z., & Dong, W. (2024). Relationship between family variables and career adaptability: A meta-analysis. Behavioral Sciences, 14(9), 840. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14090840
Whiston, S. C., Rossier, J., & Barón, P. M. H. (2017). Evidence-based practice in career and workforce development interventions. In The Handbook of Career and Workforce Development (pp. 39-56). Routledge.
Wu, R., Sun, X., Huang, B., Feng, H., Qi, Y., & Si, J. (2025). Unleashing the power of family socioeconomic status and perceived parental expectations: predicting adolescents’ career aspirations. Social Psychology of Education, 28(1), 38. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-024-09962-8.
Xie, L., Shen, Q., Gao, B., & Jia, W. (2025). Economic confidence and career decision self-efficacy in Chinese college students: The mediating role of career optimism and the moderating role of career social support. Population, Resources & Environmental Economics, 6(1), 77–87. https://doi.org/10.23977/pree.2025.060108
Yadav, P. (2023). Significance of anonymity and privacy in improving inclusivity and diversity in Higher Education Learning Environments. ArXiv, abs/2301.07471. https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2301.07471.
Zhan, M. (2006). Assets, parental expectations and involvement, and children's educational performance. Children and Youth Services Review, 28(8), 961–975. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2005.10.008
