A Quantitative Causal-Comparative Study of Occupational Self-Efficacy Beliefs for Acquisition Professionals after Completing Professional Credentials Designed for the Knowledge or Performance Dimension

The purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative study is to explore the impact between credential programs designed for the knowledge or performance dimension and whether there is a difference in how those designs affect defense acquisition professionals’ occupational self-efficacy beliefs and whether the years of professional experience affect those results. This study endeavors to contribute to the field of education by shedding light on the relationship between the design of professional credential programs and occupational self-efficacy beliefs within the approximate 19,000 members of the defense acquisition workforce who have attained a credential since 2019. The occupational self-efficacy short-form (OSS-6) questionnaire was used to collect data electronically and analyzed using a two-way ANOVA followed by the Scheirer-Ray Hare test. The results of this study included the failure to reject both two of the three null hypotheses and revealed significant differences significant differences in occupational self-efficacy scores between individuals with under 10 years of professional experience and those with 10-15 years (p = .021), as well as a significant difference between individuals with under 10 years of professional experience and those with 20 or more years (p < .001). The study concludes that years of professional experience significantly impact occupational self-efficacy among defense acquisition professionals, while credential type has a limited influence. Recommendations for future research include exploring the broader implications of occupational self-efficacy, the role of professional credentials, and the application of Bloom’s taxonomy in classifying credentials.