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Students' employability confidence in COVID-19 pandemic: role of career anxiety and perceived distress

Wasim Qazi (Department of Education and Learning Sciences, IQRA University, Karachi, Pakistan)
Zubaida Qazi (Pink Pakistan Trust, Karachi, Pakistan)
Syed Ali Raza (IQRA University, Karachi, Pakistan)
Faiza Hakim Shah (IQRA University, Karachi, Pakistan)
Komal Akram Khan (IQRA University, Karachi, Pakistan)

Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education

ISSN: 2050-7003

Article publication date: 21 March 2023

Issue publication date: 2 January 2024

367

Abstract

Purpose

The present research aims to investigate the impact of “COVID-19 phobia” factors (psychological, social, economic and psychosomatic) on career anxiety and perceived distress. Further, this research assesses whether career anxiety and perceived distress foster or diminish students' employability confidence.

Design/methodology/approach

“Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM)” has been used to analyze the data.

Findings

The results depict that factors (psychological, economic and psychosomatic) are positively and significantly associated with career anxiety and perceived distress. However, social factors indicate an adverse impact on perceived distress. Further, career anxiety and perceived distress positively influence employability confidence, but the associations are not highly impactful.

Originality/value

This research elucidates an unexplored phenomenon in the context of a developing country that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) phobia scale (i.e. psychological, social, economic and psychosomatic) result in career anxiety and distress. Moreover, no studies highlighted the direct impact of career anxiety and perceived distress on employability confidence.

Keywords

Citation

Qazi, W., Qazi, Z., Raza, S.A., Hakim Shah, F. and Khan, K.A. (2024), "Students' employability confidence in COVID-19 pandemic: role of career anxiety and perceived distress", Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, Vol. 16 No. 1, pp. 120-133. https://doi.org/10.1108/JARHE-02-2022-0072

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited

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