@article{wickramasinghe2024parents,
  title = {Do Parents Push the Button? Parental Influence on IT Career Choices of Sri Lankan University Students},
  author = {Mihiri WICKRAMASINGHE and Maheshika DISSANAYAKA},
  year = 2024,
  url = {https://ibimapublishing.com/articles/IBIMABR/2024/838145/},
  journal = {IBIMA Business Review},
  volume = 2024,
  pages = 10,
  doi = 10.5171/2024.838145,
  abstract = {Parental influence is a powerful force shaping career choices of young individuals, especially in emerging fields with limited understanding. This influence is particularly crucial for careers in newly emerged industries like Information Technology (IT) and Information Systems (IS). In contexts where parental influence is traditionally strong, understanding how parents shape their children's interest in these fields becomes even more important. This study addresses this gap by investigating how Sri Lankan’s parents influence their children's career choices in the IS field. We employed a quantitative approach, surveying 247 IS students at a Sri Lankan state university using a self-administered questionnaire that measured six key parental influence attributes. The findings suggest that three attributes: ‘perceived parental career concerns on welfare and prestige’, ‘perceived transmission of parental views and values regarding career’, and ‘perceived parental encouragement to self-direction in career choice’, have a significant impact on students’ career selection in IS sector. The study further assessed the influence of parents’ demographic variables on students’ career choices. These findings provide valuable insights for educators, counselors, and policymakers, emphasizing the need for tailored guidance to enhance students' understanding of IS career opportunities.},
  keywords = {Career choices, information systems, parental influence},
  note = Article ID: 838145
}