Factors Predicting Postponement of a Final Dissertation: Replication and extension

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors predicting postponement of final dissertation completion. This phenomenon affects a substantial number of last year’s graduate students and has been largely neglected throughout higher education literature. We aimed to confirm the results from the only study that investigated the factors related to this phenomenon and overcome some limitations of this study concerning the investigation of the processes involved in FD postponement. A questionnaire assessing individual characteristics, social support, motivational and engagement variables was administered to 268 students a few months before the FD deadline. Results indicated that behavioral engagement, age and role conflict have an independent and significant impact on whether or not the final dissertation is completed on time. In addition, path analyses revealed that role conflict was associated with self-efficacy beliefs which, in turn, predicted greater behavioral engagement. Further, behavioral engagement was the most important contributor of FD postponement.