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Does College Experience Matter? A National Study Understanding Graduates’ Job Satisfaction, Kevin R. Majewski

Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs)

Using data from the National Center for Education Statistics Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS:2002), a nationally representative and longitudinal survey, this dissertation investigated the impact of the college experience on the post-graduation outcome of job satisfaction as graduates enter the workforce. Through the lens of the Social Cognitive Model of Career Self-Management and Utility Theory, this study identified demographic, college, and workplace factors that relate to job satisfaction. The synthesis of these factors was the basis for a comprehensive model of job satisfaction for college graduates. Controlling for the background and workplace environment of graduates, the proposed model with …