Does gender moderate the relationship between career-oriented goal setting and implementation intention? Insights from Fashion Design Education

William Kwesi Senayah; Patience Kadiadze; Seth  Oppong; Tachie-Eyiah Thomas

William Kwesi Senayah Accra Technical University https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0659-2265
Patience Kadiadze Accra Technical University
Seth Oppong University of Botswana https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1977-5538
Tachie-Eyiah Thomas University of Professional Studies

Keywords: Goal-setting, Feedback Mechanism, Implementation intention, Self-efficacy, Goal Commitment

Abstract

The study examines the career goal-setting behaviour of fashion design students enrolled in a Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme using the goal-setting theory. A cross-sectional survey was carried to obtain data from 514 respondents who were conveniently sampled. Structural equation model was used to analyse the data. The study revealed that specific goal-setting constructs such as feedback mechanisms, goal commitment, and self-efficacy have significant predictive impact on implementation intention. In addition, on aggregate terms, goal-setting had a significant impact on implementation intention; however, gender did not significantly moderate the relationship between goal-setting and implementation intention. The study provides an important insight on how goal-setting constructs (i.e., self-efficacy, goal commitment, feedback mechanism, situational constraints) and implementation intention can be used to motivate students and aid policy formulation and implementation intention of students in Fashion Design and TVET. This contributes to our understanding of the application of goal-setting theory in the context of students in a career-driven academic programme, where students’ individual goal-setting behaviour may often be overlooked.