Academic Fit, Adolescent-parent Career Congruence, and Career Exploration in University Students

Based on the person-environment congruence theory which argues that better fit with individual's environment will lead to more positive outcomes, we examined the relationships between the fit between individuals and organization (i.e., academic fit), the fit between individuals and their parents (i.e., adolescent-parent career congruence), and career exploration in Indonesian university students. We surveyed 125 students (53.6% girls, mean age = 18.96 years) majoring in Fisheries and Marine Science from a state university in Semarang, Central Java, using measures of academic fit, adolescent-parent career congruence, and career exploration. We examined whether adolescent-parent career congruence mediated the relationship between academic fit and career exploration. Structural equation modelling demonstrated that adolescent-parent career congruence partially mediated the relationship between academic fit and career exploration, suggesting that fitting with academic situation affects career exploration behavior by directly motivating students to engage in career exploration activities, and also by facilitating congruence with parents regarding career matter, that in turn, influences involvement in career exploration behavior. Findings of this study showed the vital roles for academic fit and adolescent-parent career congruence in students’ career exploration behavior.