Examining Malaysian graduates' school-to-work transition: a mediation model using career adaptability and maximization

• Main Author: Lau, Shi Yea
• Format: Thesis
• Published: 2020
• Subjects: BF Psychology; HF Commerce; LB Theory and practice of education
• Online Access: http://eprints.sunway.edu.my/2408/

School-to-work transition had changed to adapt to the evolving landscape of the labour market in the 21st century. Fresh graduates nowadays deal with the dilemma of having to acquire career adaptability to adjust to the changing world of work or to engage in maximization to obtain careers best suited for them. Hence, using Savickas’ (2005) career construction theory and incorporating Cheek and Schwartz’s (2016) maximization construct, this study investigated the mediating effect of fresh graduates’ career adaptability and maximization on the relations between their adaptivity traits (i.e., personality traits and core self-evaluations) and adapting responses (i.e., career exploration, career planning, and career decision self-efficacy) to school-to-work transition. Participants consist of 297 fresh graduates (113 males and 184 females; mean age: 23.22 years old) from Malaysia who completed a battery of questionnaires assessing adaptivity traits, career adaptability, maximization, and adapting responses. Using structural equation modelling, results showed that both career adaptability and maximization mediated the relations of neuroticism, imagination, and core self-evaluations with career exploration and career decision self-efficacy. High neuroticism and core self-evaluations led to more career adaptability and maximization, which in turn lead to more career exploration. Moreover, career adaptability mediated the relations between conscientiousness and career exploration, career planning, and career decision self-efficacy. Maximization also mediated the relations of extraversion and agreeableness with career exploration and career decision self-efficacy. This study suggested that career adaptability may be the more helpful resource that encouraged behaviour that led to positive career results, such as career satisfaction, whereas maximization may lead to a combination of behaviour that led to less favourable career results.