Measuring students’ self-perceived employability capital attainment: the development and validation of a scale

Self-perceived employability is individual’s perceived ability to get sustainable employment appropriate to one’s qualification level. Previous researches demonstrated the importance of self-regulation in shaping self-perceived employability in emerging adulthood, when career aspirations have a significant role in career-related decision-making process. However, the relationships between career aspirations, self-regulation, and self-perceived employability among university students were rarely known. This study examined a theoretical model, whether self-regulation served as a partial mediator between career aspirations and self-perceived employability. Using a convenience sampling, we involved 600 university students who were at their second, fourth, sixth, eighth, and tenth semester (68% female, M age = 19.97 years; SD = 5.57) from a university in Semarang. Structural equation modeling demonstrated that career aspirations were associated with self-perceived employability directly and indirectly via self-regulation. It means, the higher students career aspirations, the better their self-regulation and self-perceived employability. Self-regulation also leads to higher self-perceived employability. We interpreted the findings of this study form developmental and goal-setting perspective. To promote self-perceived employability, students are recommended to boost their career aspirations and develop a good self-regulation skill.

The use of the psychological contract to explain self-perceived employability

Abstract. In today’s highly competitive job market, education students must possess strong self-perceived employability (SPE), or confidence in their ability to achieve and maintain career goals that match their competencies. One key internal factor believed to enhance SPE is career calling, the sense that one’s career is a meaningful calling. However, many past studies treated career calling as a single construct, overlooking the distinct roles of its two dimensions: search for calling and presence of calling. This study investigates how these dimensions predict SPE among education students at Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia. Using a non-experimental, causal quantitative design with a cross-sectional survey approach, data were collected from 334 students in PGSD, PGPAUD, and Special Education programs through disproportionate stratified sampling. Instruments included the Indonesian versions of the Calling and Vocation Questionnaire (24 items, α = 0.84) and the Student Self-Perceived Employability Scale (16 items, α = 0.86). Multiple linear regression analysis confirmed a statistically significant model (F = 284.347; p < .001), explaining 83.9% of the variance in SPE (R² = .839). Four dimensions significantly predicted SPE: transcendent summons–search, transcendent summons–presence, purposeful work–presence, and prosocial orientation–presence. These findings highlight the stronger predictive role of presence in shaping students’ confidence for entering the workforce. Abstrak. Pasar kerja yang semakin kompetitif menuntut mahasiswa ilmu pendidikan memiliki self-perceived employability (SPE) yang tinggi, yaitu keyakinan terhadap kemampuan diri dalam memperoleh dan mempertahankan karier sesuai kompetensinya. Dalam konteks ini, career calling, persepsi bahwa karir adalah panggilan bermakna, dipandang sebagai faktor internal penting yang dapat meningkatkan SPE. Namun, penelitian sebelumnya cenderung melihat career calling sebagai konstruk tunggal tanpa mempertimbangkan peran spesifik dari dimensi search for calling dan presence of calling. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menguji sejauh mana dimensi-dimensi career calling memprediksi SPE pada mahasiswa ilmu pendidikan Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia. Penelitian ini menggunakan desain kuantitatif kausalitas non-eksperimental dengan pendekatan survei cross-sectional. Sampel terdiri dari 334 mahasiswa PGSD, PGPAUD, dan Pendidikan Khusus, yang diperoleh melalui teknik disproportionate stratified sampling. Instrumen yang digunakan adalah Calling and Vocation Questionnaire (24 item, α = 0,84) dan Student Self-Perceived Employability Scale (16 item, α = 0,86). Hasil regresi linear berganda menunjukkan model signifikan (F = 284,347; p < 0,001) dengan R² = 0,839. Empat dimensi career calling berpengaruh signifikan terhadap SPE: transcendent summons–search, transcendent summons–presence, purposeful work–presence, dan prosocial orientation–presence. Temuan ini menegaskan pentingnya aspek presence dalam memperkuat keyakinan mahasiswa untuk memasuki dunia kerja secara kompeten.

Purpose This study aims to understand how employability capitals’ dynamics foster self-perceived employability (SPE) among students and graduates, which is still being empirically explored. Building upon the Employability Capital Growth Model and the Social Cognitive Career Theory’s career self-management model, we aimed to understand how different capitals associate by testing a serial mediation model connecting career identity (reflecting career identity capital) and SPE through the serial mediation of cultural capital and job interview self-efficacy (ISE) (an element of psychological capital).Design/methodology/approach We adopted a two-wave design involving 227 Italian University students and graduates. We recruited participants through multi-channel communication. The hypothesised relationships were analysed employing the structural equation modelling approach with the SPSS AMOS statistical package.Findings The results indicated that career identity, cultural capital, ISE and SPE are meaningfully related. In particular, in line with our expectations, we observed that career identity predicts cultural capital, which is positively associated with ISE which, ultimately, impacts SPE.Originality/value Our work adds to existing research by advancing the understanding of employability capitals, explaining how they interact and influence SPE, which is crucial for a sustainable transition into the workforce. At a practical level, our findings call upon, and guide, efforts from various stakeholders in the graduate career ecosystem (i.e. universities and their partners) to offer students and graduates meaningful experiences to form and use their employability capitals.

This study examined the relationship between two personal resources, career adaptability and general self-efficacy, and two career outcomes, self-perceived employability and entrepreneurial intentions in a West African context, characterized by a developing economy. A Togolese sample of 334 university students and 216 job seekers completed French versions of the General Self-Efficacy Scale, the Self-Perceived Employability Scale, the Entrepreneurial Intentions Scale and an adapted form of the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale. A multi-group path analysis showed that the results are similar for both groups. Career adaptability and general self-efficacy were positively related to self-perceived employability. The contribution of career adaptability was especially strong for job seekers. Only general self-efficacy was related to entrepreneurial intentions. Furthermore, perceived employability was positively related in some way to entrepreneurial intentions in both groups. Career adaptability seems to be especially important for employability among job seekers (activation of resources), whereas entrepreneurial intentions may be more context-dependent. Finally, perceived employability failed to mediate the relationship between personal resources and entrepreneurial intentions in both samples.

The mediating effect of psychological strengths and resilience on enhancing youth employability through social entrepreneurship education and training

Based on the unfolding model of voluntary employee turnover, this paper has investigated the influence of coworker turnover (CT) on stayer turnover intention (TI), the mediating effect of job satisfaction (JS) and the moderating effect of Self-perceived Employability (SPE) for stayer. Data has been collected from 259 employees came from 21 regions. By using hierarchical regression and bootstrapping, it was found that SPE moderated the effect of stayer's job embeddedness (SJE) on JS. When Self-perceived internal employability (SPIE) is higher, the positive effect between SJE and JS become stronger. When Self-perceived external employability (SPEE) is higher, the positive effect between SJE and JS become weaker. Moreover, it was proved that JS has mediating effect between stayer perceived similarity (SPS) and SJE.

Le concept d’employabilité fait débat. Non seulement, il pose le problème du partage des responsabilités entre employeurs et salariés au sujet des trajectoires professionnelles, mais surtout, un courant de recherche émergent tend à examiner les effets du développement de l’employabilité perçue sur le comportement des salariés à l’égard des organisations syndicales. Dans la continuité du modèle Exit-Voice-Loyalty développé par Hirschman, cet article contribue à ce courant qui reste encore peu exploré empiriquement. La littérature existante hésite encore sur le sens à donner à la relation entre employabilité et prise de parole, notamment par l’intermédiaire des organisations syndicales : l’employabilité peut certes diminuer les coûts associés à une décision de démission et ainsi diminuer la nécessité de prendre la parole ; mais, inversement, en facilitant un hypothétique reclassement, l’employabilité peut être conçue comme une ressource que le salarié peut mobiliser dans un rapport de force, en ce sens qu’elle diminue le coût ou la probabilité de représailles associées à l’expression d’une insatisfaction, et ceci tout particulièrement lorsque le climat des relations professionnelles est positif. Pour aller plus loin, nous introduisons une distinction, d’une part, entre employabilité interne et externe et, d’autre part, entre prise de parole “directe” et “représentative”, c’est-à-dire par l’intermédiaire des représentants du personnel. Nous testons nos hypothèses grâce aux réponses à un questionnaire adressé à l’ensemble des salariés d’une grande banque de réseau française. Nos résultats montrent que l’employabilité interne favorise la prise de parole directement auprès du management, alors que l’employabilité externe semble n’avoir aucun effet sur aucune forme de prise de parole, sauf lorsque que le climat des relations professionnelles est coopératif. Cela confirme la nécessité de différencier la dimension interne de la dimension externe de l’employabilité. Enfin, nos résultats ne permettent pas de conclure que le développement de l’employabilité se fait au détriment des organisations syndicales : ce n’est pas nécessairement par l’instauration d’un pouvoir collectif de négociation et d’opposition que les syndicats peuvent contribuer à l’amélioration de la position des salariés, mais plutôt en créant les conditions d’une relation coopérative avec la ligne managériale.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the perception of employability and success among workforce education and development (WED) graduates. A quantitative study was conducted through the administration of an online survey to graduates (N = 85) of a WED program located within a midwestern, state university. The survey included demographic questions and a Likert-scale questionnaire consisting of 14 items from Rothwell and Arnold’s self-perceived individual employability scales (2007). A principal components analysis was conducted to explore and confirm the related measures. Ordinary least squares regression was used to evaluate the relationship between the graduates’ perceptions of their employability and career success and other demographic variables. The results of this study may be useful to public administrators, higher education institutions, WED faculty, human resource development professionals, students, and researchers.

Careers in Disarray? COVID-19 and Self-Perceived Employability

Orientation: Research has been conducted regarding work readiness in a various contexts. However, there are deficiencies in studies that have focused on the precursors of work readiness in an African context.Research purpose: The primary objective of this study was to determine the impact of career self-efficacy (CSE), career exploration (CE) and self-perceived employability (SPE) on work readiness (WR) of students in the South African context, particularly in the Gauteng Province.Motivation for the study: There is an unequivocal gap between what educational institutions teach as well as what the South African labour market requires, highlighting a misalignment and one of many reasons graduates struggle to find work.Research approach/design and method: To close the research gap, the current study used a quantitative approach using the cross-sectional survey research design. A structured questionnaire was administered to 254 randomly selected students. The collected data were analysed using structural equation modelling.Main findings: The hypotheses testing results revealed that the WR was influenced significantly and positively by CSE, CE and SPE.Practical/managerial implications: The present research provides implications from which managers of institutions of higher learning can benefit. For instance, ensuring that experiential learning is involved in all the programmes. This will be more advantageous to students who would like to evaluate themselves to determine if they are work ready.Contribution/value-add: This study adds fresh understanding regarding the precursors that stimulate work readiness among students in a South African context.

Graduate employability is always being a global concern since it ties directly to tertiary education. Essentially, it refers to undergraduates' perceived chances of getting a job or the ability to be employed after graduation. Due to rapidly changing labour market, there is a need for empirical research in the area of self-perceived employability and its influencing factors. Hence, this study used the CareerEDGE model constructs to examine the influencing factors of undergraduates’ employability and the mediating effect of self-efficacy. Data were collected from 256 final-year students sponsored by the Malaysian Public Service Department across twenty public universities in Malaysia. Structural Equation Modelling Analysis of Moment Structures was employed for data analysis. The results showed that only career development learning influenced the employability. The other constructs (work experience; degree subject knowledge and skills; generic skills; and emotional intelligence) showed no influence. Additionally, self-efficacy did not mediate these relationships. These findings suggest that the CareerEDGE model does not influenced employability of PSD-sponsored undergraduates, and self-efficacy is not a key factor in this context. The findings contributed to the current body of knowledge and highlight the need for further exploration of undergraduates perceived employability studies, especially in the Malaysian context.

This study investigates the impact of workplace impoliteness on the work engagement of faculty in private universities in China. Employing a moderated chain mediation model, it explores the mediating roles of internal identity perception and organizational identity, as well as the moderating effect of self-perceived employ-ability. Hierarchical regression analysis confirms the negative influence of workplace impoliteness on work engagement, internal identity perception, and organizational identity. Empirical testing reveals the mediating effects of internal identity perception and organizational identity, individually and jointly, on the relationship between workplace impoliteness and work engagement. Moreover, the study validates the moderating role of self-perceived employ-ability on specific pathways within the theoretical model. The findings underscore the importance of addressing workplace impoliteness and enhancing work engagement in private university settings.