Research on Behavioral Intention to Engage in Postdoctoral Work and its Influencing Mechanism
Postdoctoral researchers are an active force among young teachers in universities. With the continuous expansion of recruitment scale,the behavioral intention of PhD graduates to engage in postdoctoral work has attracted more and more attention.This study conducted surveys and qualitative interviews with PhD candidates and young PhDs in China who have not yet undertaken postdoctoral work. The findings reveal that while most PhDs show some intention to pursue postdoctoral positions,they lack clear behavioral plans. The attitude toward postdoctoral work is significantly positively influenced by perceived academic demand and perceived tangible benefits,and negatively influenced by perceived costs and risks. Behavioral intention is significantly positively influenced by attitude,subjective norms,and perceived behavioral control,with subjective norms having the highest impact. Behavioral intention mediates between perceived behavioral control and behavioral plans. There are significant differences in the mechanisms affecting behavioral intentions among PhD students with different disciplinary backgrounds and academic stages. Based on these findings,recommendations include improving the recruitment mechanisms and supporting measures to alleviate doctoral concerns about the costs and risks of engaging in postdoctoral work,establishing a comprehensive classification system for postdoctoral roles with corresponding funding and evaluation criteria,and enhancing academic career guidance and professional planning for PhD students to encourage autonomy and prevent herd behavior.
postdoctoralbehavioral intentiontheory of planned behaviorinfluence mechanismspostdoctoral systempolicy recommendations
万方数据
维普
