Risk attitudes, self-efficacy & occupational sector choice: An experimental survey of Nigerian undergraduate students
This research is focused on the assessment of individuals’ risk attitudes as a means to predict their employment preferences. Two sets of choices including; i) the choice between self-employment and paid employment and ii) the choice between private sector employment and public sector employment are...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Dissertation (University of Nottingham only) |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2014
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| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/27524/ |
| _version_ | 1848793388019613696 |
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| author | Esu, Orimini |
| author_facet | Esu, Orimini |
| author_sort | Esu, Orimini |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | This research is focused on the assessment of individuals’ risk attitudes as a means to predict their employment preferences. Two sets of choices including; i) the choice between self-employment and paid employment and ii) the choice between private sector employment and public sector employment are examined in this study.
Survey questionnaires were distributed among 300 respondents and the target population was Nigerian undergraduate students in their final year of university. Using students’ self-reported willingness to take risks on an 11-point Likert scale to measure general and career risk taking propensity, this study finds evidence of context-specific willingness to take risks.
While self-employment choice and private sector choice are found to be significantly related to both general willingness to take risks and career specific willingness to take career risks, the evidence found with regards to students’ perceived general self-efficacy is inconsistent with predictions in the hypotheses.
With regards to students’ willingness to take risks, the effect of age, marital status, cognitive ability and having university educated parents, are found to be insignificant. However, gender differences, having dependants, a public sector mother and studying a business major are found to have a significant impact on students’ willingness to take risks |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T18:59:30Z |
| format | Dissertation (University of Nottingham only) |
| id | nottingham-27524 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T18:59:30Z |
| publishDate | 2014 |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-275242022-03-21T16:11:51Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/27524/ Risk attitudes, self-efficacy & occupational sector choice: An experimental survey of Nigerian undergraduate students Esu, Orimini This research is focused on the assessment of individuals’ risk attitudes as a means to predict their employment preferences. Two sets of choices including; i) the choice between self-employment and paid employment and ii) the choice between private sector employment and public sector employment are examined in this study. Survey questionnaires were distributed among 300 respondents and the target population was Nigerian undergraduate students in their final year of university. Using students’ self-reported willingness to take risks on an 11-point Likert scale to measure general and career risk taking propensity, this study finds evidence of context-specific willingness to take risks. While self-employment choice and private sector choice are found to be significantly related to both general willingness to take risks and career specific willingness to take career risks, the evidence found with regards to students’ perceived general self-efficacy is inconsistent with predictions in the hypotheses. With regards to students’ willingness to take risks, the effect of age, marital status, cognitive ability and having university educated parents, are found to be insignificant. However, gender differences, having dependants, a public sector mother and studying a business major are found to have a significant impact on students’ willingness to take risks 2014-09-19 Dissertation (University of Nottingham only) NonPeerReviewed application/pdf en https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/27524/1/Orimini_Esu_Msc_Dissertation.pdf Esu, Orimini (2014) Risk attitudes, self-efficacy & occupational sector choice: An experimental survey of Nigerian undergraduate students. [Dissertation (University of Nottingham only)] (Unpublished) |
| spellingShingle | Esu, Orimini Risk attitudes, self-efficacy & occupational sector choice: An experimental survey of Nigerian undergraduate students |
| title | Risk attitudes, self-efficacy & occupational sector choice:
An experimental survey of Nigerian undergraduate students |
| title_full | Risk attitudes, self-efficacy & occupational sector choice:
An experimental survey of Nigerian undergraduate students |
| title_fullStr | Risk attitudes, self-efficacy & occupational sector choice:
An experimental survey of Nigerian undergraduate students |
| title_full_unstemmed | Risk attitudes, self-efficacy & occupational sector choice:
An experimental survey of Nigerian undergraduate students |
| title_short | Risk attitudes, self-efficacy & occupational sector choice:
An experimental survey of Nigerian undergraduate students |
| title_sort | risk attitudes, self-efficacy & occupational sector choice:
an experimental survey of nigerian undergraduate students |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/27524/ |