Motivations and outcomes in dual-degree programs: insights from graduate scholarships for Indonesian civil servants

The present study investigates the motivations and outcomes of Indonesian civil servants and prospective civil servants who received Indonesian, Australian, and Japanese government scholarships to study for graduate dual-degrees domestically in Indonesia and internationally in either Australia or Japan. A survey was administered to 162 current and former dual-degree students, followed by ten semi-structured interviews. Survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, two factor analyses, and a multivariate analysis of variance, while interview data were analyzed utilizing two cycles of coding. The survey and interview findings both showed that participants were highly motivated by the opportunity to study abroad and experience personal growth more so than by career benefits. Further, interview findings indicated that some participants were motivated by the prestige of an overseas education and the opportunity to enhance one’s social status. Regarding outcomes, survey and interview data showed that participants perceived development in their professional knowledge and soft skills through their dual-degree programs. Moreover, the interviews highlighted potential organizational benefits via networking and knowledge sharing as well as the impact of organizational context and career field on participants’ career advancement opportunities. Lastly, utilizing a multivariate analysis of variance, the survey findings showed that there was a relationship between study abroad location and student motivations and outcomes; participants might have been biased and perceived that studying in Australia provided greater personal and career benefits compared to studying in Japan. Together, these findings have implications for dual-degree program managers as well as Indonesian government organizations employing dual-degree graduates.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12564-021-09687-9?wt_mc=Internal.Event.1.SEM.ArticleAuthorOnlineFirst&utm_source=ArticleAuthorOnlineFirst&utm_medium=email&utm_content=AA_en_06082018&ArticleAuthorOnlineFirst_20210403