"Be perfect in every respect": the mediating role of career adaptability in the relationship between perfectionism and career decision-making difficulties of college students

Linking undergraduates' future work self and employability: a moderated mediation model

BACKGROUND

The career intentions of students play a crucial role in shaping the growth of the hospitality and tourism industry. Previous research underlines the significance of future work self in predicting outcomes related to one's career. However, there is limited knowledge regarding the precise ways, timing, and conditions under which the future work self of undergraduate students can enhance their employability.

METHODS

This paper aims to address the existing research gap by employing career construction theory and self-determination theory to propose a moderated mediation model-i.e., career exploration serves as a mediator and job market knowledge functions as a moderator in the relationship between future work self and employability. We conducted two independent studies (i.e., an experimental study and a time-lagged field study) to test the proposed model. Specifically, in Study 1 we employed an experimental research design to recruit 61 students majoring in tourism management to participate. They were randomly assigned to two scenarios (future work self: high vs. low), and we manipulated different levels of future work self by means of scenario descriptions. In Study 2, we used the time-lagged research design to collect data via submitting questionnaires among 253 Chinese undergraduates who majored in hospitality and tourism at a university in the middle area of China.

RESULTS

The results indicate a positive correlation between undergraduates' future work self and their employability. Furthermore, this relationship is mediated by a mediator of career exploration. It is important to note that this mediating relationship is also contingent upon the moderator variable of undergraduates' job market knowledge when considering the impact of career exploration on employability.

CONCLUSION

The findings contribute to enriching the current understanding of the positive effects of future work self on undergraduates' desirable outcomes in employability.

The Relationship between Career Calling and Resilience among Rural-Oriented Pre-Service Teachers: The Chain Mediating Role of Career Adaptability and Decent Work

From a Psychology of Working Theory (PWT) perspective, this study aims to explore how career adaptability and decent work mediate the effects of career calling on the resilience of rural-oriented pre-service teachers. The Career Calling Scale, Career Adaptability Scale, Decent Work Scale, and Resilience Scale were used to survey 393 rural-oriented pre-service teachers. The results found that career calling positively predicted the resilience of rural-oriented pre-service teachers; career adaptability mediated the relationship between career calling and resilience of rural-oriented pre-service teachers; decent work mediated the relationship between career calling and resilience of rural oriented pre-service teachers; and career adaptability and decent work play a chain mediating role between career calling and career adaptability of rural-oriented pre-service teachers. Therefore, this study concludes that career calling not only directly influences the resilience of rural-oriented pre-service teachers, but also indirectly influences the resilience of rural-oriented pre-service teachers through career adaptability and decent work.

The generation mechanism underlying the career decision-making difficulties faced by undergraduates in China during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study based on SCCT theory

As COVID-19 continues to spread worldwide, the record number of graduates in China and pressure resulting from the economic downturn have led to low confidence in employment among college students, and the difficulties associated with career decision-making have gradually developed into a psychological barrier to the successful employment of Chinese college students. Using the "purposive sampling" approach to qualitative research, this study selected 20 undergraduates exhibiting delayed employment from a university as our research sample and used the career self-management model of social cognitive career theory (SCCT) as an analytical framework to conduct semistructured interviews with the aim of exploring influencing factors associated with and generation mechanism underlying the career decision-making difficulties experienced by Chinese undergraduates during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the career self-management model of SCCT theory, the four variables of individual, parents, peers and social environment influence Chinese undergraduates' career decision-making difficulties. On this basis, this study proposes a multivariable and single-subject generation mechanism to explain undergraduates' career decision-making difficulties and tries to explicate the mental changes associated with the career decision-making difficulties encountered by undergraduates exhibiting delayed employment by reference to mind sponge theory.