A Missing Link? Self-Efficacy and Employability: The Role of Coaching in Raising Self-Efficacy and Employability of Accounting Students
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The document investigates the relationship between coaching, self-efficacy, and employability of accounting students, focusing on whether coaching can enhance students' self-efficacy beliefs to improve their job-seeking behaviors. It outlines the theoretical foundations of self-efficacy, defines employability, and emphasizes the potential of coaching to build self-belief and increase employability efforts. Research questions aim to explore the effectiveness of coaching in raising students' employability attempts and the significance of self-efficacy in this context.
![A Missing Link? Self-Efficacy and Employability:
The Role of Coaching in Raising Self-Efficacy and Employability of Accounting Students
Joanna Molyn (mj59@gre.ac.uk)
Accounting & Finance Department, University of Greenwich, London
Can Coaching Help Students to Apply for Jobs?
Increasing employability of students has become one of
the major strategic concerns of Higher Education
Institutions. The following questions have guided this
research:
Why students fail to apply for placements and
internships? Is this because of their self-efficacy?
Do they believe that they are good enough and suitable
for these opportunities that are presented to them?
If not, can coaching become a tool that can be used to
change their negative self-efficacy beliefs and increase
their employability efforts and job-seeking behaviours?
What is Self-Efficacy?
Self-efficacy is a person’s belief or expectation that he or she
can successfully perform some behaviour or behaviours.
Individuals with high-levels of self-efficacy are more likely to
achieve tasks and goals whereas individual with low selfefficacy suffer from self-doubt that hinders their goal
achievement (Bandura, 1977). Hence, self-efficacy beliefs
influence people’s behaviours and actions (Nasta, 2007). This
belief is a function of direct and often transformational
experiences, social influences and logical thinking. The
person’s judgement on his level on self-efficacy will determine
whether he or she will initiate a behaviour, how much effort he/
she will put into it, how long the person will persist despite
obstacles or difficulties (Bandura, 1982, 1997). Self-efficacy
is an important dimension of employability (Knight & Yorke,
2002).
What is Employability?
Employability is a set of personal attributes and skills that helps
students to find employment (Yorke, 2006).
How Can Coaching Help?
Coaching is a tool that helps to build self-belief and to increase selfawareness (Whitmore, 2002). It has been also recognised as a useful
learning vehicle that can be used in an educational and employability
contexts (HEA, 2012). Multiple studies confirmed that coaching had
significant positive effect on self-efficacy (Baron et al, 2011).
The Hypothesised Coaching-Self-Efficacy- Employability
Link
Coaching
Self-
Ef9icacy
Employabi
lity
Efforts
of
Students
This study will investigate the link between coaching,
self-efficacy and employability efforts of accounting
students. It will examine whether coaching can be used
in an educational context to change students' selfefficacy beliefs in order to increase their employability
efforts (defined as attempts to seek employment or jobseeking behaviours).
It will investigate, through measuring self-efficacy of
students prior to- and post- a coaching intervention and
through the post-coaching interviews, whether coaching
is an effective tool in increasing self-efficacy of
accounting students. It will also investigate the impact of
increased self-efficacy on students' attempts to seek
employment (such as applying for placements,
internships, volunteering work and full and part-time
jobs).
Conceptual Framework
The conceptual framework has been derived from
research in effectiveness of psychotherapy and its
findings that a positive change is due, to a therapeutic
alliance but also due to self-efficacy (Weinberg, 1993).
Research Questions
The following research questions will guide this study:
1. Is coaching effective in raising the employability
efforts (attempts to seek employment) of accounting
students?
2. Is self-efficacy a significant factor in increasing
employability efforts of accounting students?
The following sub-questions will guide this study:
1. What are the self-efficacy beliefs of accounting
students?
2. Does changing accounting students’ self-efficacy
beliefs impact their attempts to seek employment?
Research Design
Population: A&F Year 1 students at the University of Greenwich
Quasi-experimental research
Sample size of 30 students in an experimental and 30 students in a
control group.
Mixed method approach (consecutive triangulation):
1. Quantitative approach will use a questionnaire to measure
students’ self-efficacy levels and their attempts to seek
employment prior to- and after- the coaching intervention
2. Qualitative approach will use pre- and post- interviews in
order to identify students’ self-efficacy beliefs and their
perception of their self-efficacy level prior-to and post the
coaching intervention
References
Bandura, A. (1977), ‘Self-efficacy: toward a unifying theory of
behavioural change’, Psychological Review 41: 195-215
Bandura, A. (1982), ‘Self-efficacy mechanism in human agency’,
American Psychologist, 37: 122-147
Bandura, A. (1997), ‘Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of
behavioral change’, Psychological Review 84: 191-195
Baron, L., Morin, L., Morin, D. (2011),’Executive coaching: The effect
of working alliance discrepancy on the development of coachees' selfefficacy’, Journal of Management Development, 30(9): 847 - 864
Bergin, A.E. (1982), Comment on converging themes in
psychotherapy, New York: Springer
Knight, P., and Yorke, M. (2002), Employability through the curriculum.
Tertiary Education and Management, 8(4), 261–276
Nasta, A. K. (2007), ‘Influence Of Career Self-Efficacy Beliefs On
Career Exploration Behaviors’, Master Thesis. The State University of
New York [Online], Available from:
http://dspace.sunyconnect.suny.edu/bitstream/handle/1951/42318/
KristenNastaMastersThesis.pdf?sequence=1 (Accessed 30 October
2013)
Whitmore, J. (2002), Coaching for Performance, London: Nicholas
Brealey International
Weinberg, J. (1993), ‘Common Factors in Psychotherpy’ in Sticker, G.
and Gold, J.R. (ed) Comprehensive Handbook of Psychotherapy
Integration, New York: Plenum Press, 43-56
Yorke, M. (2006), ‘Employability in Higher Education: What it is – what
it is not’. Learning and Employability Series One. York: ESECT and
HEA](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/srheposter10december2013joannamolyn-131107075644-phpapp02/85/A-Missing-Link-Self-Efficacy-and-Employability-The-Role-of-Coaching-in-Raising-Self-Efficacy-and-Employability-of-Accounting-Students-1-320.jpg)
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A Missing Link? Self-Efficacy and Employability: The Role of Coaching in Raising Self-Efficacy and Employability of Accounting Students
- 1. A Missing Link? Self-Efficacy and Employability: The Role of Coaching in Raising Self-Efficacy and Employability of Accounting Students Joanna Molyn ([email protected]) Accounting & Finance Department, University of Greenwich, London Can Coaching Help Students to Apply for Jobs? Increasing employability of students has become one of the major strategic concerns of Higher Education Institutions. The following questions have guided this research: Why students fail to apply for placements and internships? Is this because of their self-efficacy? Do they believe that they are good enough and suitable for these opportunities that are presented to them? If not, can coaching become a tool that can be used to change their negative self-efficacy beliefs and increase their employability efforts and job-seeking behaviours? What is Self-Efficacy? Self-efficacy is a person’s belief or expectation that he or she can successfully perform some behaviour or behaviours. Individuals with high-levels of self-efficacy are more likely to achieve tasks and goals whereas individual with low selfefficacy suffer from self-doubt that hinders their goal achievement (Bandura, 1977). Hence, self-efficacy beliefs influence people’s behaviours and actions (Nasta, 2007). This belief is a function of direct and often transformational experiences, social influences and logical thinking. The person’s judgement on his level on self-efficacy will determine whether he or she will initiate a behaviour, how much effort he/ she will put into it, how long the person will persist despite obstacles or difficulties (Bandura, 1982, 1997). Self-efficacy is an important dimension of employability (Knight & Yorke, 2002). What is Employability? Employability is a set of personal attributes and skills that helps students to find employment (Yorke, 2006). How Can Coaching Help? Coaching is a tool that helps to build self-belief and to increase selfawareness (Whitmore, 2002). It has been also recognised as a useful learning vehicle that can be used in an educational and employability contexts (HEA, 2012). Multiple studies confirmed that coaching had significant positive effect on self-efficacy (Baron et al, 2011). The Hypothesised Coaching-Self-Efficacy- Employability Link Coaching Self- Ef9icacy Employabi lity Efforts of Students This study will investigate the link between coaching, self-efficacy and employability efforts of accounting students. It will examine whether coaching can be used in an educational context to change students' selfefficacy beliefs in order to increase their employability efforts (defined as attempts to seek employment or jobseeking behaviours). It will investigate, through measuring self-efficacy of students prior to- and post- a coaching intervention and through the post-coaching interviews, whether coaching is an effective tool in increasing self-efficacy of accounting students. It will also investigate the impact of increased self-efficacy on students' attempts to seek employment (such as applying for placements, internships, volunteering work and full and part-time jobs). Conceptual Framework The conceptual framework has been derived from research in effectiveness of psychotherapy and its findings that a positive change is due, to a therapeutic alliance but also due to self-efficacy (Weinberg, 1993). Research Questions The following research questions will guide this study: 1. Is coaching effective in raising the employability efforts (attempts to seek employment) of accounting students? 2. Is self-efficacy a significant factor in increasing employability efforts of accounting students? The following sub-questions will guide this study: 1. What are the self-efficacy beliefs of accounting students? 2. Does changing accounting students’ self-efficacy beliefs impact their attempts to seek employment? Research Design Population: A&F Year 1 students at the University of Greenwich Quasi-experimental research Sample size of 30 students in an experimental and 30 students in a control group. Mixed method approach (consecutive triangulation): 1. Quantitative approach will use a questionnaire to measure students’ self-efficacy levels and their attempts to seek employment prior to- and after- the coaching intervention 2. Qualitative approach will use pre- and post- interviews in order to identify students’ self-efficacy beliefs and their perception of their self-efficacy level prior-to and post the coaching intervention References Bandura, A. (1977), ‘Self-efficacy: toward a unifying theory of behavioural change’, Psychological Review 41: 195-215 Bandura, A. (1982), ‘Self-efficacy mechanism in human agency’, American Psychologist, 37: 122-147 Bandura, A. (1997), ‘Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change’, Psychological Review 84: 191-195 Baron, L., Morin, L., Morin, D. (2011),’Executive coaching: The effect of working alliance discrepancy on the development of coachees' selfefficacy’, Journal of Management Development, 30(9): 847 - 864 Bergin, A.E. (1982), Comment on converging themes in psychotherapy, New York: Springer Knight, P., and Yorke, M. (2002), Employability through the curriculum. Tertiary Education and Management, 8(4), 261–276 Nasta, A. K. (2007), ‘Influence Of Career Self-Efficacy Beliefs On Career Exploration Behaviors’, Master Thesis. The State University of New York [Online], Available from: http://dspace.sunyconnect.suny.edu/bitstream/handle/1951/42318/ KristenNastaMastersThesis.pdf?sequence=1 (Accessed 30 October 2013) Whitmore, J. (2002), Coaching for Performance, London: Nicholas Brealey International Weinberg, J. (1993), ‘Common Factors in Psychotherpy’ in Sticker, G. and Gold, J.R. (ed) Comprehensive Handbook of Psychotherapy Integration, New York: Plenum Press, 43-56 Yorke, M. (2006), ‘Employability in Higher Education: What it is – what it is not’. Learning and Employability Series One. York: ESECT and HEA