Research on the Decision-Making Mechanism of Human Capital Investment in the Behavior of “Returning to School for a Master Degree”—An Interview Analysis Based on Grounded Theory

Fang Huang, Jian Wu

Abstract


Currently, it has become increasingly common for individuals engaged in social work to pursue a Master’s degree as part of their professional development. Following the qualitative research approach of grounded theory, this study conducted in-depth interviews with six graduate students majoring in education from local universities and performed a three-level coding analysis on the collected data. The motivations behind social candidates’ pursuit of a Master’s degree are primarily driven by material needs, spiritual aspirations, and other factors. Drawing upon the human capital theory, this study examines the investment decision-making behavior of this particular cohort. The decision mechanism underlying this behavior is as follows: the anticipated income level associated with a master’s degree surpasses the current income level; the expected return on investment outweighs the investment cost; while human capital investment in graduate school entails minimal risk, its return rate exceeds that of other investments; substantial hidden benefits are derived from investing in human capital. The research findings can serve as a valuable reference for the reform and adjustment of graduate enrollment and training in higher education institutions.


Full Text:

PDF


DOI: https://doi.org/10.22158/wjer.v11n5p121

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Copyright © SCHOLINK INC.  ISSN 2375-9771 (Print)  ISSN 2333-5998 (Online)