A multidimensional analysis of the "degree-to-domesticity" paradox: Investigating university students’ perceptions of socio-cultural, domestic, workplace, and psychological determinants of female workforce opt-out behavior

Abstract

This study examined perceptions of undergraduate and graduate students regarding predictors of workforce opt-out behavior among female university students at the University of Sargodha, Pakistan. The objectives of the study were to examine students’ perceptions regarding the levels and nature of perceived workforce opt-out behaviour among female university students, including socio-cultural determinants, domestic and family determinants, and psychological and personal determinants in predicting perceived workforce opt-out behaviour among female university students. Data were collected from a stratified sample of 300 students across six academic departments of the University of Sargodha, using a 45-item structured questionnaire. Findings indicated a strong inclination toward workforce opt-out choices, heavily driven by community surveillance, threats to family honor, and anticipated unshared domestic labor. Additionally, anticipated workplace challenges, such as gender-based wage gaps and rigid corporate structures, erode professional self-efficacy, transforming external societal pressures into internal career anxiety. The study concluded that increasing female enrollment in higher education did not guarantee labor market participation unless accompanied by corporate policy reforms. It was recommended that universities may establish targeted career counseling and mentorship programs, while policymakers may mandate flexible working hours and safe transportation to better utilize female human capital.