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1 – 10 of 154Shann Torng Wong, Siew Chin Wong and Chui Seong Lim
The post-pandemic crisis has reshaped work dynamics across industries, leading to a widespread reliance on technology for remote work and business continuity. Operations have…
Abstract
Purpose
The post-pandemic crisis has reshaped work dynamics across industries, leading to a widespread reliance on technology for remote work and business continuity. Operations have shifted to the digital space, altering job requirements and creating new career opportunities. The expansion of the digital industry has generated numerous career choices. The purpose of this study is to determine the relationships between self-efficacy, social media, career outcome expectations and career choices among fresh graduates in Malaysia amid the pandemic crisis.
Design/methodology/approach
Research data were collected from a sample of 318 fresh graduates from both public and private universities in Malaysia. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyze the data in this study.
Findings
The empirical findings revealed significant correlations between self-efficacy, social media usage and career outcome expectations and the career choices of Malaysian fresh graduates.
Research limitations/implications
The present study offers an empirical framework to explain career choices among fresh graduates in Malaysia during the pandemic crisis, based on a review of related literature on careers. This research contributes to the body of knowledge on career choices among Generation Z fresh graduates and provides practical implications for organizations and individual employees. It suggests developing relevant Human Resource Development (HRD) interventions to retain the young workforce within organizations.
Originality/value
This study enriches the existing literature on self-efficacy, social media and career outcome expectations in the context of a pandemic crisis. It offers a new interpretation of how individual and contextual factors impact career choices, shaping the career management attitudes of fresh graduates in the post-pandemic era. The empirical findings also give valuable insights into higher education institutions, organizations and government authorities in Malaysia to develop relevant interventions to assist undergraduate students in their career choice exploration.
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Samson Onyeluka Chukwuedo, Anthony Osinachi Okorafor, Ikechukwu Chidiebere Odogwu and Francisca Nebechi Nnajiofor
Within the umbrella of technology and vocational education (TVET), technology or technical education in higher institutions of learning is obligated to produce the required…
Abstract
Purpose
Within the umbrella of technology and vocational education (TVET), technology or technical education in higher institutions of learning is obligated to produce the required manpower needed in the industry. Thus, it is pertinent to explore the interaction between the industry and higher education students. Drawing on the tenets of theory of planned behavior (TPB), this study offers valuable insights into the nomological networks of work-integrated learning (WIL), perceived behavioral control (PBC), subjective norm (SBN), personal attitude (PAT) and job search intention (JSI).
Design/methodology/approach
The study applied a structurally hypothesized model that was drawn from the TPB to collect data for the constructs. Using a cross-sectional survey after the WIL experiences of the students, we collected data from technology education undergraduates (N = 214) in their final academic year from universities in Nigeria.
Findings
With structural equation modeling, the study found that WIL is directly associated with JSI, PBC, SBN and PAT. In line with the tenets of the TPB, simple mediation models were supported about the influence of WIL on JSI via PBC and PAT discretely but not via SBN. Further, the results support two paths of serial mediation models, indicating sequential indirect links between WIL and JSI via SBN and PBC, as well as via SBN and PAT.
Research limitations/implications
Our findings have implications for higher education practitioners, industry experts and employers of labor.
Originality/value
Although extant literature has relatively shown that WIL impacts employability skills, this study has remarkably shown the WIL-JSI nexuses within the variables of TPB.
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This study employs the social ecology model to comprehensively explore the complex challenges young Black men face in South Africa and aims to highlight the importance of…
Abstract
Purpose
This study employs the social ecology model to comprehensively explore the complex challenges young Black men face in South Africa and aims to highlight the importance of collaboration in addressing these multifaceted issues.
Design/methodology/approach
A multidisciplinary approach combines insights from sociology, education and the health literature with regard to government reports and academic data, and provides a holistic analysis of challenges faced by young Black men. Furthermore, it emphasises formal and informal learning, social and environmental influences and health disparities.
Findings
Young Black men in South Africa encounter complex challenges throughout their developmental journey, including limited family support, educational barriers, financial constraints, societal expectations and health disparities. Therefore, collaboration among stakeholders is essential for creating an equitable and inclusive environment that supports their development.
Originality/value
This research provides a comprehensive understanding of the challenges faced by young Black men in South Africa by emphasising the interconnectedness of informal education, economic empowerment and healthcare. Future research should focus on longitudinal studies, cultural influences and international comparisons, informing evidence-based interventions for a more equitable society.
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Abdolrahim Gheyassi and Amir Alambeigi
This study’s main objective is to determine the extent to which social capital and psychological capital can explain differences in career adaptability among higher education…
Abstract
Purpose
This study’s main objective is to determine the extent to which social capital and psychological capital can explain differences in career adaptability among higher education students.
Design/methodology/approach
The study employed a quantitative approach, utilizing a survey research design. Data were gathered using an online questionnaire completed by 384 fourth-year undergraduate agricultural students in Iran. The inverse square root and multistage sampling methods were used to determine the sample size. The partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) method examined the associations between latent variables.
Findings
The results suggest that social and psychological capital significantly influence the career adaptability of agricultural students, highlighting their significance in enhancing career adaptability. Moreover, psychological capital positively mediates the relationship between social capital and career adaptability.
Practical implications
Agricultural higher education institutions must focus on developing students' social and psychological capital to cultivate career adaptability in agricultural students. Agricultural higher education institutions, for example, should help students develop soft skills.
Originality/value
This study offers novel insights into the significance of individual resources, such as social and psychological capital, in enhancing the career adaptability of students. In addition, the key contribution of this study is the researchers' empirical evidence that multiple career resources are interconnected (social capital, career adaptability, and psychological capital).
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Yin Ma, P.M. Nimmi, Maria Mouratidou and William E. Donald
This study aims to explore the impact of engaging in serious leisure (SL) on the well-being (WB) and self-perceived employability (PE) of university students while also…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore the impact of engaging in serious leisure (SL) on the well-being (WB) and self-perceived employability (PE) of university students while also considering the role of career adaptability (CA) as a mediator.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 905 domestic undergraduate students from China completed an online survey.
Findings
The findings reveal that participation in SL positively influences WB and PE. Additionally, the results indicate that CA mediates the SL-WB relationship but not the SL-PE relationship.
Originality/value
The theoretical contribution of this research comes from advancing our understanding of sustainable career theory through empirical testing of SL, PE, and CA on WB outcomes within a higher education setting. The practical implications of this study involve providing universities with strategies to support domestic Chinese undergraduate students in enhancing their WB and PE through active engagement in SL pursuits and the development of CA. Moreover, our findings serve as a foundation for future research investigating whether insights gained from domestic Chinese undergraduate students can provide solutions on a global scale to address the persistent challenges of improving student WB and PE.
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The study examines the influence of family social capital on prospective university graduates' entrepreneurial intentions in Tanzania. The study also looks at the way…
Abstract
Purpose
The study examines the influence of family social capital on prospective university graduates' entrepreneurial intentions in Tanzania. The study also looks at the way entrepreneurial education amplifies the primary link between the study variables.
Design/methodology/approach
Cross-sectional data were gathered at a specific period from potential graduates in Tanzanian universities using structured questionnaires under the quantitative approach. The links between family social capital, entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intention were examined using the PROCESS macro.
Findings
Family social capital significantly influences the entrepreneurial intention of prospective Tanzanian university graduates. The entrepreneurial intentions of prospective graduates from Tanzanian universities are positively and significantly impacted by entrepreneurship education. The relationship between family social capital and the entrepreneurial intention of prospective graduates from Tanzanian universities is positively and significantly moderated by entrepreneurship education, and as a result, the positive impact of family social capital is amplified with increased entrepreneurship education.
Research limitations/implications
This study examines the impact of family social capital on the entrepreneurial intention of the prospective graduates from Tanzanian Universities. Other studies may look at the impact of family social capital on entrepreneurial intention when controlled with social capital acquired after university life. This is to check if the entrepreneurial intention has changed in any way.
Practical implications
Universities should stress the importance of offering entrepreneurship education as a way to complement and amplify the influence of family support on encouraging people to intend to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities. This is because the presence of entrepreneurship education increases the positive impact of family social capital on entrepreneurial intention. Furthermore, families should have the culture of having good relationship that brings strong family social capital which are necessary for the intention to pursue entrepreneurship opportunities.
Originality/value
The study advances the literature on analysing the entrepreneurial intention of prospective graduates in Tanzanian universities by giving empirical evidence from Tanzania. The report also identifies entrepreneurship education as a crucial programme to enhance the impact of family social capital and entrepreneurial intention on aspiring graduates in Tanzanian universities. Furthermore, the study shows the importance of family social capital on the prospective graduate’s intention to pursue entrepreneurship opportunities.
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Rajni Singh, Kuldip Singh Sangwan and Devika Sangwan
This study seeks insights into the engineering undergraduates’ knowledge of problem-solving process, teamwork characteristics and communication skills.
Abstract
Purpose
This study seeks insights into the engineering undergraduates’ knowledge of problem-solving process, teamwork characteristics and communication skills.
Design/methodology/approach
The data for the study were collected through consecutive sampling technique from 78 engineering undergraduates at the Birla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani, Pilani Campus, India on a five-point Likert scale-based questionnaire.
Findings
Exploratory factor analysis results traced three stages of the problem-solving process. However, the results of teamwork characteristics and communication skills validated the literature-based results. An important finding was that all the three skills were correlated. This means that one skill can be used to develop and promote other skills. The paired sample t-test demonstrated that all the three skills were perceived with a difference, which indicates that these skills worked in collaboration without losing their individuality.
Research limitations/implications
This study supports that there is a need to engage learners in an active and collaborative environment to improve the engineering undergraduates’ knowledge of skills.
Originality/value
The conscious effort to make the engineering undergraduates aware would reduce the gap between the graduating engineers skills currently possessed in academia and the required skills at workplace.
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Indah Widiastuti, Cucuk Wawan Budiyanto, Towip Towip, Yuyun Estriyanto, Syed Ahmad Helmi Syed Hassan and Devi Pratami
This study aims to comprehend vocational preservice teachers' recalled experiences with the Cooperative Problem-based Learning (CPBL) pedagogical approach in an entrepreneurship…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to comprehend vocational preservice teachers' recalled experiences with the Cooperative Problem-based Learning (CPBL) pedagogical approach in an entrepreneurship course and to reveal how these experiences will impact their future teaching practice. The course under study intends to improve preservice teachers' entrepreneurial attitudes while equipping them with the skills necessary to create a comparable teaching strategy at school after graduation.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used the semi-structured interview data to triangulate the qualitative data collected from the students' reflection journals. The data were thematically analyzed whereas the codes with comparable elements were combined, resulting in themes that describe the relevance of scaffolding used with each component of the MUSIC motivational model.
Findings
The results revealed that the student teachers who took part in the research stated in their comments how the scaffolds used in the CPBL sessions impacted their learning. Additionally, they could articulate the experiences that strengthened their perceptions regarding entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship education.
Practical implications
By implementing scaffolded CPBL in entrepreneurship course during the teacher preparation program, the preservice teachers would be able to put a similar approach into the practice of their future teaching profession in guiding students to accomplish instructional outcomes.
Originality/value
This study highlights the importance of providing more innovative practices for entrepreneurship education across teacher preparation curricula to help develop the skills necessary for entering the future profession. The findings also emphasize the value of scaffolding in PBL, including expert, peer and activity design scaffolding. It also completes the body of research indicating that PBL-based entrepreneur education instruction can help students develop their entrepreneurial skills and attitudes while also providing a great chance to improve their teaching abilities.
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The purpose of the study is to assess if a policy of female inclusive education should be complemented with a policy of female ownership of bank accounts to fight female…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the study is to assess if a policy of female inclusive education should be complemented with a policy of female ownership of bank accounts to fight female unemployment. The study therefore examines how female ownership of bank accounts moderates the incidence of female education on female unemployment.
Design/methodology/approach
The focus is on 44 sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries for the period 2004–2018 and the empirical evidence is based on interactive quantile regressions. The interactions are tailored such that female ownership of bank accounts influences the effect of female inclusive education on female unemployment.
Findings
From the empirical findings it is evident that female ownership of bank accounts does not effectively moderate female education in order to reduce female unemployment unless complementary policies are considered. The complementary policies should be in view of boosting the interaction between female education and female bank account ownership in increasing employment opportunities for the female gender and by extension, reducing female unemployment. The invalidity of the moderating effect is robust to the inclusion of more elements in the conditioning information set as well as accounting for other dimensions of endogeneity such as simultaneity and the unobserved heterogeneity. Policy implications are discussed.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the extant literature by assessing how female ownership of bank accounts complements female inclusive education to reduce female unemployment.
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Oscar Espinoza, Luis González, Catalina Miranda, Luis Sandoval, Bruno Corradi, Noel McGinn and Yahira Larrondo
The job satisfaction of university graduates can serve as an indicator of success in their professional development. At the same time, it can be a measure of higher education…
Abstract
Purpose
The job satisfaction of university graduates can serve as an indicator of success in their professional development. At the same time, it can be a measure of higher education systems’ effectiveness. The purpose is to assess the relationship of university graduates’ socio-demographic characteristics, aspects of their degree program, experiences in the labor market and current working conditions and their job satisfaction.
Design/methodology/approach
The data were collected from a survey conducted at 11 Chilean universities with 534 graduates. An ordinal logistic regression model was fit to calculate job satisfaction probabilities for different graduate profiles.
Findings
The results show that sex, field of study, gross salary and horizontal match are related to graduates’ job satisfaction. Men and graduates in education and humanities are more likely to report being satisfied with their current job. Those graduates receiving higher salaries and those who are horizontally well-matched report higher levels of job satisfaction.
Originality/value
This study contributes to expanding knowledge about the job satisfaction of university graduates. Specifically, based on the results obtained, it introduces the idea of aspiration fulfillment as a possible determinant of job satisfaction in different fields of study. This can serve as a starting point for research that delves into differentiated expectations for graduates from different disciplines.
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