Factors contributing to career anxiety among management students: the role of education in the driving change

Purpose This study intends to investigate the influence of beliefs about personal ability (BPA), irrational belief about employment (IBE), and belief about working environment (BWE) on the development of career anxiety (CA) among management students pursuing specializations such as Marketing, Finance, Human Resources, Supply Chain/Operations, Energy and Environment and Agri-Business. Design/methodology/approach Responses were collected from management graduates and analysed using multinomial logistic regression to identify which management domains exhibit higher levels of career-related anxiety. Findings The study reveals a widespread experience of CA among students across all six specialisations, with BPA emerging as the most frequently cited factor. Insights gained from analysing CA across diverse management domains offer unique perspectives but contribute to a deeper understanding for policymakers, academicians and educational institutions regarding this prevalent issue among management students in emerging economies like India. Originality/value This study provides a unique contribution to education-based literature by focusing on CA among management students enrolled in various professional courses. By incorporating independent variables such as BPA, IBE and BWE, it enhances the understanding of factors that drive CA in this population.