Intergenerational occupational transmission: Do offspring walk in the footsteps of mom or dad, or both?

•Examined intergenerational occupational transmission using Theory of Planned Behavior•Congruence was calculated between parent's occupations and child's chosen profession.•Intention to work in parent's occupations was predicted by TPB's three variables.•Congruence was predicted by intention and perceived behavioral control.•Results support the relational approach in career decision making.

The purpose of this research was to apply the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) in order to investigate intergenerational occupational transmission between parents and their children. A sample of 260 undergraduate students completed a questionnaire measuring TPB variables, and congruence was calculated between the parents' occupations and their offspring's chosen profession. Intention to work in the parents' occupations was predicted by attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control. Congruence between parents' and their children's occupational choice was predicted by intention and perceived behavioral control. The findings provide support to the relational approach in career choice. Implications of the findings for career counselors and young people's career choices are discussed.