The Determinants Of Career Change Among Holders Of Higher Degrees: The Case Of University Of Ghana Employees

ABSTRACT The study entitled “Determinants of Career Change among Holders of Higher Degree: The Case of University of Ghana Employees” was undertaken to ascertain the major factors which influence individuals to change their careers at certain stages of their working life. The purposive and snowballing sampling techniques were used to select twenty-five members of faculty willing to participate in the study. A concurrent mixed-methods approach was adopted. Specifically, the study aimed at identifying the individual and organisational factors that influenced career change. A structured interview was adopted to collect data on participants demographics, individual and organisational characteristics, with open-ended questions eliciting qualitative data to address participants‟ reasons for choosing university teaching as a second career, the process they went through to effect the change and the outcome of the career change behaviour on job satisfaction. The findings showed that a range of individual characteristics were associated with career change. Majority of the participants who switched to their present career were within the 31-40 year bracket. Higher level of education was the most important human capital factor whereas job security and better salary were the dominant organisational factors that influenced career change. Enhanced job opportunity, better salary, and the desire to impart knowledge were key reasons that accounted for the change in career among the male participants. For the female participants in particular, time for family was the most important reason for the career change. A major outcome was that the career change had been successful and worthwhile. Skills acquired by the career changers before taking up their teaching jobs impacted on the overall job performance of the participants with attendant benefits to the University. Future research should seek to address the multi-faceted aspect of this important subject namely, factors influencing career change among mid-life individuals, longitudinal study that tracks individuals throughout the career change process, and quantitative studies to assess job performance and benefits to the organization.