The Relationship Between Career Social Support and Employability of College Students: A Moderated Mediation Model

The association between perceived social support and future decent work perception: A moderated mediation model

This study examined the relationship between perceived social support, career exploration, and future decent work perception among undergraduate teacher education students in Fujian Province, China. The research focused mainly on the moderating role of proactive personality in these relationships. Data from 542 valid questionnaires revealed that perceived social support significantly influenced career exploration, impacting students' perceptions of future decent work. More importantly, our analysis showed that proactive personality intensified the positive effects of social support on career exploration activities, enhancing students' outlook on their future careers. These findings confirmed social cognitive theory's relevance in understanding career development processes and highlighted the potential of proactive personality traits to leverage social resources more effectively. Given the evolving educational demands and the current socio-economic conditions in China, our study suggested that educational programs should emphasize nurturing proactive behaviors and strengthening social support systems to better prepare students for future professional challenges. These insights were crucial for educators aiming to enhance the quality and effectiveness of teacher education programs, promoting a more robust entry into the workforce for future educators.

IS THIS (TELE)WORKING? A path model analysis of the relationship between telework, job demands and job resources, and sustainable employability

BACKGROUND

Technological advancements and the COVID-19 crisis have accelerated the adoption of telework, impacting employees' work dynamics. Moreover, an aging workforce emphasises the need for sustainable employability. With reference to the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) Model, this study explores how telework relates to job demands and job resources and, subsequently, to sustainable employability.

OBJECTIVE

The present study investigates the repercussions of increased telework on employees' sustainable employability. Hypotheses posit direct and indirect (i.e., mediated) relationships, providing insights for evidence-based telework policies.

METHODS

Data from 552 government employees was collected through an online survey. Data collection occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic when widespread teleworking was prevalent. A path model was employed to analyse associations between telework, job demands (specifically work pressure), job resources (social support, workplace communication, and role clarity), and sustainable employability dimensions, including vitality, work ability, and employability.

RESULTS

Our path model reveals that heightened telework was associated with elevated work pressure and diminished role clarity. Surprisingly, a positive association emerges between work pressure and sustainable employability. Notably, no significant relationship is found between telework, social support, and workplace communication. Role clarity is likely to be pivotal, positively influencing vitality and employability.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides valuable insights into the effects of telework on job demands, resources, and sustainable employability. The unexpected positive association between work pressure and sustainable employability challenges conventional stressor paradigms. The relationships between telework, job demands, job resources, and sustainable employability uncovered in this study can contribute to evidence-based teleworking policies and strategies that support employee health and employability amidst evolving work structures.

The impact of perceived work dirtiness on nursing students' professional commitment: the mediating role of career adaptability and the moderating role of social support - a cross sectional study

BACKGROUND

Social consensus in the nursing industry is that the job is accompanied by dirtiness. It is generally accepted that negative cognition about a career is an important determinant in reducing nursing students' professional commitment. However, the impact of nursing students' perceived work dirtiness on professional commitment and its mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to analyze the association between perceived work dirtiness and professional commitment and to examine the mediating role of career adaptability and the moderating role of social support among nursing students in mainland China.

METHODS

A cross-sectional online study was conducted among 341 nursing students from three medical universities in Henan, China. The participants' perceived work dirtiness, career adaptability, professional commitment, and social support were obtained. SPSS 26.0 and Amos 23.0 software were used for the statistical analysis.

RESULTS

Perceived work dirtiness was negatively related to career adaptability and professional commitment (P < 0.001). Career adaptability played a partial mediating role (β= -0.177, P < 0.001) in the relationship between perceived work dirtiness and professional commitment. Social support played a moderating role (β = 0.134, P < 0.01) in the relationship between perceived work dirtiness and career adaptability. Moreover, social support moderates the mediating role of career adaptability.

CONCLUSIONS

Nursing students' perceived work dirtiness is an important factor in reducing professional commitment. Therefore, nursing educators must enhance courses focusing on professional qualities, providing avenues for nursing students to access social support. This proactive approach aims to mitigate the adverse impact of perceived work dirtiness on professional commitment among nursing 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.

College Students' Employability, Cognition, and Demands for ChatGPT in the AI Era Among Chinese Nursing Students: Web-Based Survey

BACKGROUND

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) and the widespread use of ChatGPT, nursing students' artificial intelligence quotient (AIQ), employability, cognition, and demand for ChatGPT are worthy of attention.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to investigate Chinese nursing students' AIQ and employability status as well as their cognition and demand for the latest AI tool-ChatGPT. This study was conducted to guide future initiatives in nursing intelligence education and to improve the employability of nursing students.

METHODS

We used a cross-sectional survey to understand nursing college students' AIQ, employability, cognition, and demand for ChatGPT. Using correlation analysis and multiple hierarchical regression analysis, we explored the relevant factors in the employability of nursing college students.

RESULTS

In this study, out of 1788 students, 1453 (81.30%) had not used ChatGPT, and 1170 (65.40%) had never heard of ChatGPT before this survey. College students' employability scores were positively correlated with AIQ, self-regulation ability, and their home location and negatively correlated with school level. Additionally, men scored higher on college students' employability compared to women. Furthermore, 76.5% of the variance was explained by the multiple hierarchical regression model for predicting college students' employability scores.

CONCLUSIONS

Chinese nursing students have limited familiarity and experience with ChatGPT, while their AIQ remains intermediate. Thus, educators should pay more attention to cultivating nursing students' AIQ and self-regulation ability to enhance their employability. Employability, especially for female students, those from rural backgrounds, and students in key colleges, deserves more attention in future educational efforts.

The Influence of Personal Evaluation and Social Support on Career Expectations of College Students

This study aimed to investigate the factors influencing career expectations, determine the influence of college students' personal ability on personal evaluation in the process of gaining employment, and further explore the impact of personal evaluation and social support on career expectations. This study used a random sampling method to administer questionnaires to final-year undergraduates majoring in the liberal arts, science, art, and sports at two Chinese universities. Career expectations were positively correlated with satisfaction. The preferred employer for graduates is a school. In selecting a career, college students believed that exerting their talents was most important. Personal evaluations had a significant effect on self-development in career expectations. The level of social support had a significant effect on prestige and welfare stability in career expectations.

Prioritizing Career Preparation: Learning Achievements and Extracurricular Activities of Undergraduate Students for Future Success

Preparing for a job can be difficult for undergraduates as this would be one of their first experiences of responsibility; obtaining a job will make them economically independent beings taking responsibility for their lives. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, this task has become even more challenging for Generation Z students, born in the mid-1990s, as they navigate a turbulent job market. This study aims to analyze undergraduates' priority decisions regarding the criteria and activities of their career preparation. The study conducted a questionnaire analysis using the methodology of analytic hierarchy process (AHP) with 93 university students in the Republic of Korea. This research finds that students rank personal feelings of achievement as the most important criterion in their career preparation. They perceive extracurricular activities and internships as the most beneficial experiences for job readiness. On the contrary, networking activities within the university and with alumni received the least importance. These results highlight a need for universities to innovate their educational approach. Addressing the gap between current curricula and student needs and enhancing self-efficacy among students are critical. Innovative educational strategies could be a key to meeting societal expectations, such as the integration of business and technology, and catering to the unique learning needs of Generation Z. This becomes particularly relevant considering the rise of new career paths, such as youth startups, leveraging advanced technologies.

Employability of students in vocational secondary school: Role of psychological capital and student-parent career congruences

The main problem of vocational secondary school graduates is unemployment or inactive youth. Apart from developing their ability, external support, particularly from their parents, is also important for students in a collectivistic country like Indonesia. Therefore, this study aims to predict the role of psychological capital and perceived student-parent career congruences to the employability development of vocational secondary school students. Participants were 317 final-year students from rural private vocational secondary schools in Indonesia, 46.23% male and 31.76% female. They were 17-19 years old, mean age of 17.21 and standard deviation of 0.64. The data were analyzed by hierarchical regression analysis. We found that psychological capital and student-parent career congruences were indeed significantly correlated with employability development in the vocational secondary school students. These findings are beneficial for vocational schools in preparing the school program to improve students' psychological ability and work readiness. The results also give some insights for parents to provide facilitative support for their children to make them more employable as vocational graduates.

Future orientation and perceived employability of chinese undergraduates: a moderated mediation model

Although scholars and practitioners have highlighted the significance of students' attitudes for their future employment, few empirical examinations have attempted to determine the potential association between students' future orientation and their perceived employability. Thus, drawing on career construction theory, we test the positive effect of students' future orientation on their perceived employability by exploring the mediator of problem-based learning and the moderators of job market knowledge and proactive personality. Collecting our data via a time-lagged design (N = 368), we have found that the positive association between future orientation and employability is mediated by problem-based learning. Our moderation analyses further revealed that job market knowledge positively moderates the relationship between future orientation and problem-based learning and that students' proactive personality positively moderates the relationship between problem-based learning and perceived employability.