Adapted work placement delivery method under COVID-19 towards students’ job preparatory behaviours

Abstract

This study investigated students’ perceptions of an adapted work placement (WP) delivery method due to COVID-19, their intention of finding paid jobs or becoming self-employed and how the intention influenced their job preparatory behaviours (JPB). Ajzen’s Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) was utilised as a theoretical framework to model the research design. The TPB framework has three constructs – attitude towards behaviour, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control – that lead to students’ intentions with regard to future jobs and, ultimately, behaviours. The study analysed three sets of data from: (i) semi-structured interviews with accounting students, (ii) a semi-structured interview with the head of an accounting department, (iii) document analysis of a WP guidebook. All data were collected from a polytechnic in Indonesia. There were three key findings. In terms of students’ perceptions, the adapted WP programme created disappointment among the students. Beyond this disappointment, the adapted delivery method unexpectedly increased the students’ self-employment intentions. Nonetheless, the intentions did not entirely prompt the students to pursue JPB towards self-employment. This paper provides insights into how higher education institutions might restructure their WP programmes, especially in times of crisis, and provides suggestions for students’ job preparations.

Work placement (WP) or internship programmes are recognised as a critical experiential learning activity conducted by universities worldwide, enabling students to be work-ready before graduation. Through WP, students are provided with career development opportunities and undergo a beneficial experience that facilitates their future careers (Okolie et al., 2021a). WP has been established in Indonesia’s HEIs (Prianto et al., 2017): the Indonesian government even included it as one of the key programmes under the Independent Campus – Independent Learning policy (in Indonesian, Kampus Merdeka-Merdeka Belajar) that was declared in 2020.

In March 2020, the first COVID-19 case was confirmed in Indonesia, foreshadowing a significant challenge for Indonesian HEIs. As part of their response, HEIs adjusted their approach to running WP services. Adjustments included changing the form of activities (Sumantyo, 2020), a work from home directive (Mediawati et al., 2020), administering online internships (Mubarok, 2020; Rinandiyana et al., 2021) and cancelling or postponing programmes (Mediawati et al., 2020). These adjustments meant that students needed to become more accustomed to online learning or would unable to acquire the necessary skills in their field. Therefore, this study aims to explore how students’ perceptions of the adapted WP delivery method, their intentions regarding finding paid jobs or becoming self-employed and how their intentions influenced their job preparatory behaviours (JPB).

JPB can be divided into two categories: preparatory job search behaviour (PJSB) for paid employment and self-employment preparatory behaviours (SPB). Soelberg’s theory of PJSB suggests that the preparatory job search activity measures the person’s effort to gather job information and potential leads from various sources (Power and Aldag, 1985). This description of PJSB considers the initial job search alternatives as preparation before conducting the active job search, such as sending a resume or undergoing interviews (Power and Aldag, 1985). On the other hand, SPB refers to behaviours for self-employment preparation – for example, searching for information, obtaining training, developing networks (Katz, 1992).

Previous studies have shown the importance of investigating students’ JPB after the pandemic. The key motivation for these investigations is that students’ JPB during the pandemic might have been different from that in the pre-pandemic period. For example, one study stated that exploring young people’s sense of identity and career aspirations is crucial since these may be affected during the pandemic (Blustein et al., 2020). In another, US-based study, Aucejo et al. (2020) investigated the pandemic’s impact on Arizona State University students’ current and expected outcomes. They conducted a comprehensive survey of 1500 students and found heterogeneous impacts. Their results showed that the expectation of securing a job declined by 35% for students who graduated during the rise of COVID-19 in the spring or summer of 2020 (Aucejo et al., 2020). The pandemic also created significant challenges regarding job security in the subsequent years (Jones et al., 2021). Overall, the International Labour Organization (ILO, 2020) asserted that young people were most vulnerable to the social and economic impacts of the pandemic.

Students’ JPB, although increasingly important following the crisis of the pandemic, remains relatively little studied. One notable study conducted by Okolie et al. (2021b) evaluated the moderated mediation model of students’ JPB, specifically with regard to SPB, after completion of a WP programme in business organizations. The authors found that the WP had a substantial impact on students’ self-efficacy with regard to self-employment, expectations of self-employment outcomes and behaviours towards self-employment preparation. Building on that research, this study further investigates students’ behaviours towards self-employment preparation. Specifically, it focuses on students’ perceptions of an adapted WP programme, their intentions to find paid jobs or become self-employed, and how those intentions influence their JPB.

This study focuses on a WP programme for accounting students in an Indonesia polytechnic, which gives the students a vital opportunity to establish connections with leading business organisations while developing them personally and professionally (Anjum, 2020). The programme has been established for more than 70 years (Knechel and Snowball, 1987). The American Accounting Association (AAA) set out various benefits of WP for accounting students, including exposure to accounting techniques and problems that are not encountered in class. Furthermore, according to the AAA, students can improve their understanding of the business world and increase their capability to evaluate and assimilate college experiences (AAA Committee on Faculty Residency and Internship Programmes, 1952). It is now especially important for accounting students to obtain work experience before graduation as e-globalisation and digital disruption have caused volatile labour demands (Frey and Osborne 2017; O’Connell et al., 2015). In essence, the WP experience enables them to experience the bigger picture of the working environment while preparing and equipping them with an appropriate skillset.

The WP programme for accounting majors in Indonesia is mandatory and students are placed in the accounting departments of various companies, banks and government offices. However, due to COVID-19, many organizations refused to take on interns because of social restrictions.

This study, therefore, discusses how accounting students perceived the adapted WP delivery method and their intentions of finding paid jobs or becoming self-employed, and how those intentions influenced their JPB. The research questions are:

• 1. How did accounting students perceive the adapted WP delivery method during the COVID-19 pandemic?

• 2. What intention did the students show in their job preparation in terms of finding jobs or becoming self-employed?

• 3. How does the intention influence students’ job preparatory behaviour in terms of finding jobs or becoming self-employed?

Literature review

COVID-19 has had an impact on higher education institutions (HEIs) across the world. Many studies have confirmed that, during the pandemic, the majority of students’ concerns revolved around their future professional careers as employment grew more uncertain (Aristovnik et al., 2020; Achdut and Refaeli, 2020; Parola, 2020; Chen and Zeng, 2021; Liu et al., 2021; Timonen et al., 2021; Zhuang et al., 2021). Furthermore, according to a study conducted in the USA, COVID-19 caused 13% of students a delay in graduation and 40% of them failed to find work or internships (Aucejo et al., 2020).

Previous studies have also specifically investigated the impact of COVID-19 on WP. Zaman et al. (2021) noted that students had been facing difficulties in finishing their WP since the outbreak of the pandemic. Zhang et al. (2022)also confirmed that students at the postgraduate level had mental health problems because their WP programmes had been affected by COVID-19. Hence, many WP alternatives have been implemented by universities internationally. Wheeler and Waite (2021) reviewed five adapted WP delivery methods that could be implemented, including waivers/substitutes, e-internship (online/virtualization), incorporation of on-campus resources, incorporation of off-campus resources, and do-it-yourself (DIY). They examined the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Online delivery is among the methods most investigated by scholars. AlGhamdi (2022) evaluated an online WP programme for IT students and found that the students were satisfied with this alternative. Gill (2020) explored the employability skills possessed by Australian students who had undertaken online WP and confirmed that they had become accustomed to remote working, which would be beneficial for future positions that might include this kind of working. Januszewski and Grzeszczak (2021) found that students appreciated the online WP programme and that it effectively improved their self-learning and ability to performing tasks independently. In contrast to those three studies, Hora et al. (2021) found a negative effect of online WP – in comparison to students undertaking an in-person WP, online interns had significantly lower levels of happiness with their experience, poorer scores for both academic and developmental assessments, lower levels of learning of 21st-century skills, and less expansion of professional networks.

Most previous studies have investigated online WP programmes or their impacts on students’ employability skills. Limited scholarly attention has been given to understanding how students’ experiences of WP programmes during the COVID-19 pandemic affected the career preparations that were considered highly important for them (Blustein et al., 2020). The above stated aims and research questions of this study are designed to fill this literature gap.

Theoretical underpinning and framework

The Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) was utilised to investigate the students’ JPB. Previous reviews by Armitage and Conner (2001) and Sutton (1998) have shown that this theory is effective in predicting a wide range of individual behaviours. Ajzen (1991) explained that, for individuals to perform a certain action or behaviour, they need to have the intention or desire to do so. Then, the question is how this intention is constructed. Ajzen (1991) provided three constructs that have a direct influence on intention: attitude towards behaviour, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control. These three constructs can work independently or collectively in influencing an individual’s intention (Ajzen, 1991).

In the TPB, the attitude towards a behaviour is the individual’s behavioural belief. They evaluate the behaviour’s outcome and consequences, either good or bad, advantageous or disadvantageous, useful or useless (Ajzen, 1991). Attitude can be considered as negative or positive. Thus, individuals with a positive attitude may exhibit a positive desire or intention to conduct the behaviour and those with a negative attitude may exhibit a negative desire or intention.

Subjective norm results from the normative belief originating from the society’s opinion or norm, or the perceived pressure of the individual’s environment – that is, socio-cultural influences or influences of friends and family (Ajzen, 1991). These factors potentially influence the individual’s intention to act. The perceived behavioural control construct emerges from an individual’s belief in their control over their behaviour, which derives from their own experience or the experience of others. The individual makes an evaluation of the difficulty or ease in performing a certain behaviour that will influence their self-efficacy (belief in their capability). Individuals will carry out actions if they perceive them to be easy because of prior experiences in conducting the behaviour and consequently have confidence in their ability to execute the actions. The TPB framework is summarized in Figure 1 and was used to create the study framework illustrated in Figure 2.

Figure 1.

Theory of planned Behaviour, 1985.

Figure 2.

Theoretical framework of the study.

The usefulness of the TPB in exploring job search behaviours has been demonstrated previously by researchers including Vinokur and Caplan (1987), Caska (1998), Van Ryn and Vinokur (1992), van Hooft et al. (2004) and Song et al. (2006). However, those studies explored active job search behaviour and, to my knowledge, no previous study has utilised the theory for JPB. Therefore this study draws on the TPB to understand students’ intention after experiencing WP during COVID-19 pandemic by evaluating their attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control variables to identify the prominent factors that influenced their behavioural intention towards JPB (see Figure 2).

Materials and methods

The participants

The participants in this study included 12 accounting students selected from 360 in the same year of study (2021). Purposeful sampling was used to select participants by choosing students who were in their final semester (semester 6) and had completed a compulsory WP during their fifth semester. All 360 students met this criterion and 12 among them agreed to take part in the interviews. These participants provided written consent via WhatsApp prior to their interviews. Before gathering the data, the researcher received approval from the Center for the Study of International Cooperation in Education (CICE), Hiroshima University.

Table 1 contains biographical information about the participants (all are given pseudonyms). They had undertaken their WP in one of three types of host institution: a large company, a micro, small or medium-size enterprise (MSME), or a government office. The large companies included a light steel distributor, a battery distributor, a shopping mall, and a mosquito repellent factory. The MSMEs included a prawn cracker production company, a fish processing business, a rifle accessories production company, a clothing company, a pyjama shop, and a motorcycle exhaust production company. The government office concerned was a town hall.

Table 1.

Demographic data of participants.

Number	Name	Gender	Age	Host employer for WP	Duration of WP
1	Hana	Female	22	Light steel distributor (large company)	1 month
2	Mela	Female	21	Battery distributor (large company)	2 weeks
3	Ika	Female	21	Prawn cracker company (MSME)	1 week
4	Lia	Female	22	Fish processing business (MSME)	2 weeks
5	Indah	Female	22	Rifle accessories production (MSME)	2 weeks
6	Dian	Female	22	Shopping mall (large company)	1 week and 2 days
7	Ami	Female	21	Clothing (MSME)	2 weeks
8	Lina	Female	22	Mosquito repellent production (large company)	2 weeks
9	Lala	Female	21	Clothing company (MSME)	2 weeks
10	Rahma	Female	20	Pyjama shop (MSME)	2 weeks
11	Rian	Male	23	Town hall (Government office)	2 weeks
12	Diki	Male	21	Motorcycle exhaust production (MSME)	2 weeks
Head of study program
				Time at polytechnic
13	Yuli	Female	44	8 years

With regard to the duration of the WP in the accounting department, before the pandemic it was for 2 months but during the pandemic it was to be only 2 weeks. However, the actual duration of students’ WPs host varied, with some lasting less than 2 weeks because the host institution did not allow them to stay longer due to COVID-19 and others lasting more than 2 weeks because they were already on the staff of their WP host institution.

In addition to the student participants, one head of the department was also interviewed (also referred to here by a pseudonym). She had worked in the polytechnic for 8 years and had been the head of the department for 4 years.

Data collection and analysis

Qualitative methodology was used to obtain detailed information concerning the WP experienced by the accounting students. Specifically, semi-structured interviews were used to collect participants’ views in relation to the stated central phenomenon. Before the interviews, participants were informed that their participation was entirely voluntary and were guaranteed anonymity and confidentiality. The interviews ranged from 30 min to 1 hour in length.

Primary questions put to the student participants included: (1) ‘Can you tell me about your experiences during WP?’ and (2) ‘What is your opinion of the adapted WP delivery method during the pandemic? What was your feeling?’ Other questions included: (3) ‘What did you learn during the WP?’ (4) ‘What changes did you feel after conducting the WP?’ (5) ‘What was your image of WP before you did it?’ (6) ‘How did you see yourself before and after WP?’ (7) ‘What preparations are you currently making for your career?’ (8) ‘How might WP affect your career plans between finding a paid job or being self-employed?’ (9) ‘Do you think WP provided the answer for your future career in accounting?’

The interview with the head of the study programme, who is also the head of the department, was concerned with WP delivery methods before and during the pandemic, together with their benefits and shortcomings. Questions included: (1) ‘When did the students undertake the WP programme?’ (2) ‘Where was the WP held during COVID-19 pandemic?’ (3) ‘How long was the duration of the WP during COVID-19?’ (4) ‘What is the difference between the WP programme delivery methods pre-pandemic and during the pandemic?’ (5) ‘Is consideration given to the duration and location of the WP programme during COVID-19?’ (6) ‘What do you think about the adapted WP delivery method conducted by your department?’ (7) ‘What are the benefits and shortcomings of that delivery method?’ (8) ‘What are the supervision and assessment processes for this adapted WP delivery method?’ (9) ‘What about the content of the adapted programme? Was it arranged by involving stakeholders like the host institutions?’

Since the participants were more comfortable expressing themselves in Indonesian, the interviews were conducted in that language. They were carried out online using WhatsApp calls, as the pandemic conditions prevented the interviewer from travelling to Indonesia and performing face-to-face interviews. Several participants were interviewed twice to clarify specific answers by asking additional questions. Furthermore, the students’ WP guidebook was investigated to understand how the department delivered the programme. This study therefore has three sets of data: (1) the interviews with the students, (2) the interview with the head of the accounting department and (3) the document analysis of the WP guidebook. These three sets of data enable triangulation (Creswell, 2014) in the interpretation of the students’ views.

The interview data were transcribed and translated into English, and the transcriptions and WP guidebook were subsequently coded using the Atlas.ti nine software. Predetermined and emerging codes were used in the coding process (Creswell, 2014). The predetermined codes were chosen from a list of codes made before the analysis and some were based on the constructs of the TPB framework. These codes included: “JPB”, “intention”, “paid employment intention”, “self-employment intention”, “attitude toward behaviour”, “positive attitude toward self-employment”, “negative attitude toward self-employment” and “subjective norm”. Others were: “family”, “friends”, “host institution”, “perceived behavioural control”, “experiences during WP”, “other people’s experiences”, “experiences in conducting business”, “self-efficacy”, “self-efficacy toward self-employment”, “self-efficacy toward paid employment”, “WP delivery method before COVID-19”, “strengths of WP past delivery method”, and “weaknesses of WP past delivery method”. The final predetermined codes were: “adapted WP delivery method during COVID-19”, “strengths of adapted WP delivery method”, “weaknesses of adapted WP delivery method”, “WP duration”, “WP assessment mechanism”, “WP supervision mechanism” and “WP’s host institution before COVID-19”.

During the coding process, emerging codes were identified, constituting additional information for analysis and generating themes. These emerging codes included: “self- and paid employment intention”, “still unsure”, “capital problem”, “pandemic anxiety”, “automation issues”, “automation anxiety”, “disappointed”, “not disappointed” and “the new mechanism for next year’s WP”. Combining predetermined and emerging codes generates similar themes that collectively form crucial ideas (Creswell, 2012), known as ‘voices’.

Findings

This study presents three voices as key findings. Voice one is from the HEI. Voice 2 and 3 are the students’ voices. Several specific themes within these voices are discussed.

Voice 1: The adapted WP delivery method

This voice concerns how the accounting department changed the WP delivery method because of the pandemic, followed by its benefits and shortcomings. The results are derived from the WP guidebook analysis and the interview with the head of the department, Yuli. On investigation, it was found that the department had not produced a new WP guidebook, and so the guidebook referred to an outdated WP delivery method. Two critical themes emerge from Yuli’s interview: (1) changing the WP to MSMEs and (2) shortening the WP duration.

Theme 1: Changing the WP to MSMEs

The WP guidebook highlighted the locations of WP programmes, which included private and government-owned companies, government institutions, banking and industrial organisations and others that utilise accounting. In addition, Yuli asserted that, before the COVID-19 outbreak, the WP programmes could be conducted in MSMEs although students would preferably work in large companies or institutions such as government offices. Since the pandemic, there had been a shift in the focus to MSMEs, as larger companies were not accepting students for WPs. Furthermore, Yuli highlighted that students were directed to MSMEs to support their businesses during the pandemic. During the WP, everyday activities comprise financial data documentation or creating marketplaces for digital marketing – for instance, developing online shops or Facebook and Instagram pages. Nevertheless, several students did not undertake their WP in an MSME, including those who were working during their studies (who undertook the WP at their workplace).

Concerning the benefits and shortcomings of this change, Yuli pointed out that, on the positive side, students’ self-employment intention was elevated and the WP enabled them to be beneficial for the recipient employers which was advantageous for the MSMEs. Meanwhile, the negative impact was that the students were less likely to be recognised by large companies.

Theme 2: Shortening the WP duration

The WP guidebook indicated that the placement had to last for 2 months, and yet it was shortened to 2 weeks because of the pandemic (Yuli). Yuli asserted that the changed duration was inadequate for students, but she believed that they would nevertheless obtain useful experience in the working environment. For instance, in a WP in a large company the student must perform the tasks delegated by their superior. However, in an MSME the student is stimulated to think ‘how to’ and about what they can do to help the business, whether with regard to the financial records or digital marketing. Thus they have to reflect on how their support can benefit the MSME.

Therefore, there is still an output even though the programme has lasted only 2 weeks, and students can benefit from this change. Notably, Yuli did not anticipate a significant impact on the students’ knowledge and career goals from the short WP duration. She had not performed an evaluation of the students undergoing WP in the current year.

Voice 2: We are disappointed, yet the WP in an MSME gave us a self-employment intention. However, we are still unsure about becoming full-time entrepreneurs

The study found that students were disappointed with the adapted WP mechanism, but that they showed a positive attitude toward self-employment and self-efficacy. Nevertheless, they were unsure about becoming full-time entrepreneurs, and thus their behaviours exhibit preparation both for finding a paid job and choosing self-employment. This finding relates to the research questions, which concern students' perceptions of the adapted WP delivery method and their intentions and behaviours in their preparations for finding a paid job or becoming self-employed.

Theme 1: We are disappointed

The respondents confirmed that their image of WP before undertaking the programme had changed in light of the department’s altered WP policy. They had anticipated that their WP would be in offices, working in administration or accounting departments. However, most were directed to undertake the programme in MSMEs and were asked to carry unusual activities like managing social media, with few placed in large companies or government offices. The respondents who had undertaken their work placements in a large company did so because the company was already their workplace (these students worked from morning to afternoon in the company and studied in the evening in the regular evening classes).

Disappointment was expressed by Ami, who conducted the WP in an MSME. She confirmed that there was insufficient interaction with the owner because of the short duration of the placement and thus she was unable to grasp the necessary skills. Meanwhile, Lala shared a similar experience of disappointment with her WP in an MSME:

“Yes, I thought I will do the work placement in an office. Such as recording the income, in the administration section or in other section so I have an idea how I work later on. But due to the pandemic, it was not allowed to do work placement in offices, companies. So there is still not much idea about my career in the future.”

Furthermore, Diki pointed out that:

“I am actually little bit disappointed. If the work placement programme is held in offices, we can learn about the working system, while if it is done in a small enterprise, the challenges are not too complicated.”

Before conducting the WP, he had imagined that he might complete his placement in the banking sector, where he would be able to learn about how the system worked. However, he said he had not had a significant experience during his placement. Lia shared a similar sentiment:

“Maybe it is a matter of time. The work placement was too short so the data [for the final project] that was obtained was not so much.”

Unlike most other students, Rian completed his WP in a government office in his village, rather than in an MSME. His WP was proposed to the accounting department so that he could contribute to his village, considering the inadequate human resources available to deal with technological matters such as payroll documentation. Despite being in a government office, however, Rian shared his discontent with the short WP duration:

“I think I was not satisfied enough because I could not contribute significantly and there were only a few experiences I could get. It was completely different from the same programme in previous years.”

Mela felt that the 2-week WP was ineffective, and her knowledge could not be applied thoroughly, even though it had been conducted in her workplace. She stressed that consideration should be given to extending the WP by a month or two. Lina also undertook the WP in her workplace and felt that the duration was too brief. She added that a relatively long time was required for the WP’s data collection and report, which will be used in the thesis.

On the other hand, Dian had a somewhat different view. Her WP was in a shopping mall:

“Maybe because I did the work placement in the place where I work 2 weeks is enough. However, for other students who are in MSMEs, it’s less likely.”

Hana expressed the same view, although her WP had lasted for around a month: she did not have a fixed WP duration as she continued working there as usual.

Theme 2: Self-employment intention

This theme is derived from the results of the data analysis using the TPB framework, with the data coded according to the three TBP constructs: attitude toward behaviours, subjective norm and perceived behavioural control (self-efficacy). It was found that six of the seven students who had undertaken the WP in an MSME exhibited self-employment intentions.

Concerning the attitude toward self-employment, the six respondents who undertook their WP in an MSME showed positive attitudes towards self-employment, increasing their self-employment intention. Students’ comments are presented below to shed light on the findings.

One respondent, Ami, attended a regular evening class and simultaneously worked and studied. Her WP was conducted in an MSME that manufactures home-based t-shirts and printed jackets. She exhibited interest in self-employment and a positive attitude towards it. She asserted that it was better to run a business with enough capital than to be recruited into paid employment. She preferred self-employment as it was more flexible and manageable, and her activities would not be dictated by an employer.

Lia, a regular evening class student, conducted her WP in a fish processing MSME that manufactures fish-based ingredients. She felt happy during the WP, which has built and developed her career path to becoming an entrepreneur. She said:

“[I’m] excited to focus more on the business because it seems nice to be at home while being able to make money.”

Diki also showed a positive attitude toward self-employment, stating a preference for entrepreneurship and an interest in developing leadership skills and establishing a successful business. He said he was interested in becoming an exhaust manufacturer, similar to his WP employer. Moreover, Lala showed positive evaluation of self-employment, inducing her self-employment intention. Although she had not yet graduated, she owned a small business selling grilled seafood, Takoyaki, burgers and French fries, and ran an arisan club (in Indonesia, an arisan is a rotating savings and credit association that has social gatherings at fixed intervals in members’ homes). She sees the businesses as giving her various advantages, stating that:

“Alhamdulillah [thanks to God], from selling grilled seafood and Arisan business, I was able to buy a motorbike.”

Meanwhile, Rahma and Ika also showed positive attitudes toward entrepreneurship, conducting online trading selling soft lenses and selling Takoyaki, respectively.

With regard to the subjective norm construct, three respondents with an intention to become self-employment confirmed that their family and friends had motivated them to become entrepreneurs. For instance, Lala completed her WP in an MSME that manufactures printed clothes. Although the WP motivated her to succeed in business, it did not significantly impact her self-employment interest. She believes in her business skills because of suggestions and support from her parents. Her father is a business owner, making bricks, cabinets and tables. She explained:

“Yes, rather than not having activities while studying online, my father suggested me to do selling.”

Her friends had also been supportive:

“Yes, my friends also said, ‘You do not have to work, just open a business at home. Your businesses were already running’.”

Thus her environment significantly motivated her intention towards self-employment.

Ika asserted that her interest in or positive attitude toward self-employment was attributable to her parents and relatives:

“Maybe because my parents are also sellers in the market, then my relatives mostly are also selling, having their own business.”

Ami shared a similar insight, noting that the helped in her parents’ business, which exposed her to the idea of self-employment and ultimately motivated her to become an entrepreneur.

Theme 2: Perceived behavioural control (self-efficacy toward self-employment)

Four respondents with an intention to become self-employed stated that their self-efficacy vis-à-vis self-employment had increased because of their WP experiences in MSMEs and exposure to trading. Furthermore, relatives’ and recipient employers’ experiences also influenced their self-confidence.

Ami owns a small business and plans to acquire more capital to improve the business after graduation. She plans to develop it into a successful catering enterprise, and she is now selling Internet data packages. Her interest in accounting was to acquire knowledge about the financial records that would need to be maintained for her business. After completing the WP, she felt more confident about starting a business since she had acquired new knowledge about MSMEs, which had sparked her interest in entrepreneurship. She stressed that the specific knowledge about sales systems and marketing obtained during her WP had increased her confidence.

Lia described her small business selling chicken nuggets that she had started 2 months previously while at her former workplace. The small business had been started as a pastime while she waited for a full-time job after graduation; however, she now felt more confident about being an entrepreneur rather than working as an employee. Lia hoped to open a shop and employ people, especially during the pandemic. She added that the WP had impacted her career plan; she felt excited to be more focused on business after undertaking the placement WP. She had learned how to market products and process raw materials during the WP in an MSME:

“Yes, I am happy during the work placement. Really built my career spirit.”

Lala assisted her friend’s clothing business by handling its social media and promoting the products through Shopee and Facebook. During the WP, Lala commented that she learned more about dealing with customers, different characteristics of the business, and working in a team. While awaiting graduation, she had been working as a bookeeper in a shop and was also running a small business. However, unlike Ami and Lia, she confirmed that the WP had not influenced her decision to run a business since she was runing a different type of business than her WP host. She said that her experiences in selling had increased her self-efficacy with regard to self-employment.

Rahma undertook her WP, her first work experience, at an MSME which sold pyjamas. In her role, she conducted marketing activities through social media, which was a new development for the company. Rahma said that she had learned more about marketing during her WP. She was running a small business selling soft lenses for a year while waiting for graduation. She confirmed that she preferred working in sales and elaborated that her surroundings had contributed to this preference – most of her friends were sellers and their experiences in sales had contributed to her confidence with regard to conducting a business. Her short WP experience at the MSME had positively impacted her desire for entrepreneurship.

Ika’s previous experience of selling snacks during her senior high school year had increased her self-confidence in becoming an entrepreneur. Her experience of assisting an MSME in online sales had improved her ability in selling and further increased her confidence.

Theme 3: Still unsure of becoming full-time entrepreneurs

Despite the six students’ WP involvement in MSMEs and their positive attitudes toward self-employment, they were still unsure about becoming full-time entrepreneurs after graduation. This uncertainty was attributed to capital problems and the desire to gain experience as paid employees. For instance, when asked about her plans after graduation, Ami said:

“I will try to find vacancies after I graduate because I want to work and look for experiences while earning money for capital.”

Lia explained that she would continue with her business; however, the business would only be a side job as she still wanted to work at a company as an employee. In Lala’s case, most of her friends advised her not to work in an office and to conduct her business from home since she ran several small businesses. Nevertheless, she still wanted to work in an office setting to gain more experience; thus, she would continue running her businesses with her mother’s assistance while working. Currently, Lala is looking for job vacancies for bank staff.

Sharing the same views as those three students, Rahma, when given the choice between becoming a full-time entrepreneur or an office-based enmployee, said:

“Both, ma’am, because selling online can be done anywhere, so if I am at the office I can sell when I am free because my sales system is a pre-ordered system.”

Rahma was looking for job positions related to her major, such as a teller or customer services employee in a bank, since it was also her desire to be working in customer service.

Ika runs a small business selling Japanese food, Takoyaki, and shared similar thoughts:

Interviewer: “If you are asked to choose, for example, you got a job call, but your Takoyaki business is increasing. Which one do you choose?”

Ika: “Mmmmm. Both, because I can find employees for my business.”

Diki also shared a similar opinion when asked about being a full-time entrepreneur or an employee:

Interviewer: “If there is a choice between working in an office and running a business, does that mean that you prefer to be a businessman?”

Diki: “Yes, but I also want to feel and experience working in an office.”

Voice 3: Pandemic anxiety influences individuals with paid employment intention

Theme 1: Perceived behavioural control (self-efficacy toward finding paid job)

Six respondents who undertook their WP in organisations other than MSMEs declared that they would prefer to find a paid job rather than becoming self-employed. They mostly confirmed that they possessed high self-efficacy toward paid employment. Four students had had previous experiences as employees since they had been working during their studies at the polytechnic and two said that they were confident because they had acquired certificates related to the accounting field: their study programme had provided them with training and the certificates. Therefore, their perceived behavioural control played a significant role in their paid employment intention.

Theme 2: Pandemic anxiety

Four of the six respondents shared fears regarding their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hana’s had worked at a distribution company for two and half years, where she also did her WP; however, she had concerns regarding her future job because of the pandemic:

“That is obviously worrying. When the condition was not even COVID-19, finding a job was already quite difficult, and the learning process in the university at that time was done online. In terms of understanding material, it is less than offline learning. Therefore, I am a little scared … I have graduated but do not understand the material. In my work now, I am still wondering where to look for another job since my company is laying off employees and sales are down. Therefore, a little bit of fear. In my view, it’s hard to find a job.”

Likewise, Mela worked for 2 years while studying in college and conducted the WP in her workplace. She was interested in self-employment but did not intend to be an entrepreneur as she did not have experience in it. In other words, her experiences as an employee made her more inclined towards paid employment. Mela also confirmed that she had concerns during the current pandemic.

Echoing Hana and Mela, Lina had conducted her WP in a manufacturing factory that produced mosquito repellent, in which she was also currently working. Apart from her day job, she attended evening classes and studied from afternoon to evening. Sharing similar feelings to those of Hana and Mela, Lina said:

“In the past, there was a feeling of worry because I was still working as a temporary employee, and I wanted to find a better job to gain experience. Meanwhile, the condition of COVID-19 everything is limited. Actually, working in this factory is only for the experience; I want to get a better job.”

The final student, Rian, who conducted the WP in the village government office, also said that he felt afraid of finding jobs during the pandemic. He added that searching for jobs had become difficult due to the pandemic.

Discussion and conclusion

Regarding the three research questions concerning students’ perceptions of the adapted WP delivery method, their intention to find a paid job or to become self-employed, and how their intention influenced their JPB, this study found that overall the adapted WP programme had created disappointment among the students. Most felt that they were unable to grasp the necessary skills in their field of accounting since they were asked to undertake activities like developing online shops or assisting in social media marketing. The students also felt they did not get many insights into their future career. On the other hand, a study conducted by Reyad et al. (2018) confirmed that an effective solution for changing market demand was to prepare accounting students to start their own business. Given the large number of university graduates and the limited number of available job opportunities, the university graduate seeking a public or private sector job is becoming less needed in a highly competitive environment (Reyad et al., 2018). Although students felt that the WP activity had not been of much value for them, unconsciously they had prepared themselves to face changing market demands in their future career. WP programmes are also beneficial to MSMEs during a crisis like the pandemic: many MSMEs in Indonesia have a significant need for assistance with online marketing, and this was especially acute during the pandemic (Universitas Indonesia and UNDP Indonesia, 2020).

Because of the short duration of the adapted WP programme and the unusual activities requested of the interns, there might be a negative influence on the perceptions of employers after the students have graduated and are in search of work: employers might not be convinced that the graduates have acquired the appropriate skills and this may impact the graduates’ recruitment potential.

The student feedback reported in this paper may provide a valuable input for accounting departments when restructuring WP programmes in times of crisis – students’ perceptions are considered to constitute a prominent stakeholder voice in programme restructuring (Geryk, 2018; Mainardes et al., 2010; Okolie et al., 2021c).

Beyond their disappointment, the adapted delivery method unexpectedly increased students’ self-employment intention. This finding supported the view expressed by the head of study programme that the adapted method might have a positive impact on the students’ self-employment intention. This study also specifically confirmed that the increase in a student’s sense of self-efficacy regarding self-employment generally occurred because they had been placed in an MSME. This finding is consistent with those of previous studies that, in the context of SPB, students who undertake WP in business organizations are more likely to develop self-efficacy toward self-employment and self-employment outcome expectations (Okolie et al., 2021c).

The intention towards self-employment and becoming an entrepreneur is crucial to help Indonesia increase its number of employed graduates. Al-Haddad et al. (2019) found that employment in MSMEs could decrease the unemployment rate; thus, placing students in MSMEs is beneficial for Indonesia as the unemployment rate increased during the pandemic. In the Indonesian context, MSMEs accounted for about 61% of the GDP and employed 97% of Indonesian workers in 2018 (Indonesian Ministry of Co-op and MSMEs, 2020). Based on data from the Indonesian Ministry of Co-operation and MSMEs, the number of MSMEs in 2019 was also relatively large, having reached 65 million with an increase of 1,271,528 over 2018 (Indonesian Ministry of Co-op and MSMEs, 2021). The large number of MSMEs in the country thus provides a strategic solution for HEIs seeking recipient employers for WP programmes, and at the same time offers an opportunity to improve students’ interest in self-employment. To the author’s best knowledge, establishing WPs in MSMEs as a means of improving students’ intention toward self-employment is a relatively novel idea, with many previous studies focusing on entrepreneurship education as a critical element in influencing an individual’s attitude toward becoming an entrepreneur (Bae et al., 2014; OECD, 2008; Rauch and Hulsink, 2015; Sánchez, 2013; Utami and Sari, 2017).

Entrepreneurial intentions are regarded as the forerunner of entrepreneurial action (Krueger et al., 2000). Nonetheless, this study found that the intention did not entirely prompt the students to pursue JPB toward self-employment. The students were still unsure when they were given a choice between self-employment or paid employment and were looking for job vacancies even though they owned small businesses. In work-related activities like this WP programme, as Patton and Creed (2001) have explained, students may have trouble in making career decisions. The students’ uncertainty in this study is attributed to problems related to capital and their desire to gain experience as employees first. This is in line with a previous study which found that one of the most common barriers to new business start-up was lack of finance, especially in developing countries (Kristiansen and Indarti, 2004).

Of the students who wanted to be waged employees first, before becoming self-employed, most confirmed that they had been working while studying at the polytechnic and did not want to leave their jobs. Some of the other students who definitely preferred to find paid jobs rather than become self-employed also related this preference to their experiences of employment during their studies. They also tended to stay at their current workplaces rather than trying to find new ones. Jackson and Collings (2018) explained that paid employment during study programmes, especially in the final year, could increase the possibility of finding full time employment after graduation both short- and long-term, at least in a shorter time since some graduates chose simply to stay at their first workplace after graduation. The general intention to find paid jobs reported in this study is also in line with the findings of Coates (2015), who noted that off-campus paid employment experiences could influence students’ career readiness to become paid employees.

Pandemic anxiety also influenced students with paid employment intention. The students thought that their job might be insecure during the pandemic, and were afraid of losing it as the search for alternative employment was becoming more challenging. This finding is consistent with those of previous studies that employment has become increasingly uncertain because of COVID-19, and college graduates are becoming increasingly disorganized and anxious in their job search and preparation (Achdut and Refaeli, 2020; Parola, 2020; Chen and Zeng, 2021; Timonen et al., 2021; Zhuang et al., 2021; Liu et al., 2021).

In conclusion, the adapted WP delivery method caused incoherence in students’ JPB, leaving them uncertain about whether to seek employment or become self-employed (see Figure 3 for a summary of the findings using the TPB framework). Applying the TPB in investigating students’ JPB after undertaking the adapted WP programme produced detailed information on the intention aspect. The students’ intentions did not automatically lead to actual behaviour: they were still uncertain about their future jobs. In general, they were looking for job vacancies even though they owned small businesses. For the students who had a self-employment intention, their uncertainty was attributed to problems related to capital and their desire to gain the experiences as employees first. For those intending to find paid employment, one factor was the uncertain situation due to COVID-19. This is in line with the study conducted by Haekal et al. (2021) of university students in Indonesia, which found that undergraduate students generally thought that COVID-19 and insecure working circumstances were substantial obstacles to future employment (Haekal et al., 2021). Hence, HEIs must provide interventions through career guidance services to assist students’ career plans, particularly taking into account the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Figure 3.

Developed TPB framework based on study findings.

The study findings have implications and provide insights for HEIs with regard to improving and restructuring WP activities in times of crisis, such as the pandemic. These insights will benefit students’ job preparation prior to graduation as well as their career trajectories after graduation. There are, however, two key limitations. First, the interviews were conducted fully online, using WhatsApp calls. Second, the only one university representative was interviewed. Future research should use face-to-face interviews so that respondents’ facial expressions and body language can be observed. It would also be valuable to recruit diverse groups of participants from different HEIs to enhance the applicability of findings. Additional groups of participants, such as employers (the host institutions of the WPs) and students’ supervisors might also be included in future studies. Moreover, although the findings of this study suggest that placing students in MSMEs for their WP could elevate their self-employment intention, more research is required to investigate the best procedure for undertaking WP programmes, including how the home and host institutions supervise the interns – especially in a time of crisis. The contribution to students’ career trajectories of WP delivery methods adapted to address the constraints of the pandemic may also be a topic for future studies.

ORCID iD

Rahmatika Dewi https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6986-9036