Munday, Shannon (2017) Vocational Implications Among Workers in Rural Australia. Honours thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)
Abstract
Empirical evidence of work attitudes among vital infrastructure workers in rural Australia is limited. The aim of the present study is to ascertain how the specific constructs of occupational self-efficacy, work engagement and job satisfaction impact on withdrawal intentions of these 112 rural workers using Social Cognitive Career Theory as an embedded theory. Furthermore, the Australian version of the Decent Work Scale and its mediating effect on the relationship between occupational self-efficacy and withdrawal intentions was also studied in this sample. Results from simultaneous multiple regression analyses supported the hypothesis that occupational self-efficacy, work engagement and job satisfaction would account for a sizable proportion of variance in withdrawal intentions. The model was significant R2 = .42, F (4, 104) = 18.52, p < .001. All variables combined account for approximately 41.6% of the variance in withdrawal intentions. The results from the data also demonstrate several significant correlations among the major variables in the expected directions, with correlations ranging from r = -.20 for occupational self-efficacy and withdrawal intentions to r = .63 for job satisfaction and work engagement. In addition, results from a mediation analysis indicated that a partial mediating effect was reported between occupational self-efficacy and withdrawal intentions, with decent work as the mediator (confidence interval of the indirect effect -.16, .01). It is anticipated that results will contribute Australian data to the international studies currently testing the Decent Work Scale. It is hoped that the results from this research will not only expand upon the current body of literature in vocational psychology but also inform future social policy and practices among government and non-government organisations to positively impact the population of rural workers and generate future research among this understudied population.
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| Item Type: | Thesis (Non-Research) (Honours) |
|---|---|
| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Current UniSQ staff and students can request access to this thesis. Please email research.repository@unisq.edu.au with a subject line of SEAR thesis request and provide: Name of the thesis requested and Your name and UniSQ email address |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Historic - Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences - School of Psychology and Counselling (1 Jan 2015 - 31 Dec 2021) |
| Supervisors: | Nancey Hoare; Peter McIlveen |
| Qualification: | Bachelor of Science (Honours) |
| Date Deposited: | 20 Aug 2025 01:06 |
| Last Modified: | 20 Aug 2025 01:06 |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | rural and remote Australian; Social Cognitive Career Theory; decent work; Vocational Implications Among Rural Workers v psychological flexibility; occupational self-efficacy; work engagement; job satisfaction, withdrawal intentions |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1799 Other Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 179999 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences not elsewhere classified |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5299 Other psychology > 529999 Other psychology not elsewhere classified |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/52606 |
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