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When Size Does Matter: Identifying Multilevel Factors Contributing To It Major Choice, Andy Luse, Julie Rursch, Doug Jacobson

Julie Rursch

The current enrollment crisis in information technology (IT) has left employers scrambling to find qualified individuals to fill positions in IT within the corporation. One issue facilitating this dearth of workers is the lack of individuals pursuing IT-related majors. This research uses high school students to investigate the reasons behind individual choice to major in IT. Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT) is used as a theoretical framework for better understanding these decisions and group-level contextual supports/barriers are investigated in a multilevel context. Findings show strong support for school size as a significant school-level predictor of intention to major in IT …