Employing the Twenty Statements Test and a framework of self-motives (self-esteem, self-efficacy, authenticity), this paper examines the self-concept of Ukrainian doctoral students while means-ends decoupling takes place at the state level. The latter implies that the practices of state policies are disconnected from the state's core goal of creating public welfare. Data are taken from a survey of 125 doctoral students at one Ukrainian university and supplemented with 30 personal interviews within the sample of respondents. The findings reveal that in the Ukrainian case, means-ends decoupling at the state level causes institutional complexity, which results in means-ends decoupling at the organisational level, which in turn leads to cultural complexity. Institutional and cultural complexities experienced by doctoral students trigger them to sustain means-ends decoupling at the individual level. The main decoupling for most Ukrainian PhD students is that doctoral education neither increases their employability nor contributes to the development of science, economy or society. Means-ends decoupling at all levels results not only in a severe diversion of financial and human capital but also has a negative impact on individuals' well-being, hindering their personal and professional development and evoking a sense of meaning-lessness, alienation and cognitive dissonance.

中文翻译：

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乌克兰博士生的自我概念：国家层面的手段与目的脱钩

本文采用二十句话测试和自我动机框架（自尊、自我效能、真实性），在国家层面进行手段与目的脱钩的同时，考察了乌克兰博士生的自我概念。后者意味着国家政策的实践与国家创造公共福利的核心目标脱节。数据来自对乌克兰一所大学的 125 名博士生的调查，并辅以受访者样本中的 30 次个人访谈。研究结果表明，在乌克兰的案例中，国家层面的手段-目的脱钩导致制度复杂性，从而导致组织层面的手段-目的脱钩，进而导致文化复杂性。博士生所经历的制度和文化复杂性促使他们在个人层面维持手段与目的的脱钩。大多数乌克兰博士生的主要脱钩是博士教育既没有提高他们的就业能力，也没有为科学、经济或社会的发展做出贡献。各级手段和目的脱钩不仅导致财务和人力资本的严重分流，而且对个人福祉产生负面影响，阻碍他们的个人和职业发展，并唤起一种无意义感、异化感和认知感。不和谐。经济或社会。各级手段和目的脱钩不仅导致财务和人力资本的严重分流，而且对个人福祉产生负面影响，阻碍他们的个人和职业发展，并唤起一种无意义感、异化感和认知感。不和谐。经济或社会。各级手段和目的脱钩不仅导致财务和人力资本的严重分流，而且对个人福祉产生负面影响，阻碍他们的个人和职业发展，并唤起一种无意义感、异化感和认知感。不和谐。