What makes students choose a career? An exploratory study among students of management education

Students in India have a fascination for management education, which is indicated by the exponential increase in the number of B schools in recent years. A study of reasons for students preferring management as a career choice will help us in understanding their decision-making process. An exploratory study was conducted to identify and rank the factors individuals consider before making a career decision. The important factors that emerged during the study were an individual's family background, financial position, decision-making autonomy and many more. These factors were ranked based on their relative importance for individuals who were pursuing a full-time post-graduate program in management education at a reputed university in India. A group discussion was conducted amongst the students to record their views on the various factors and the type of relationship between the factors that influence their career choice. The factors identified were ranked by using interpretive structural equation modelling (ISM). Among the various factors identified, the quality of life associated with a career was ranked as the most important factor in making a career choice and thus making it the most significant variable in the system.