Mediating Role of Academic Performance and Job Search Self-Efficacy in Correlation between Career Optimism and Pessimism and Students’ Employability Perception

The objective of the present study was to investigate the role of career optimism and pessimism in students’ employability perception. Particularly, this study examined the mediating role of academic performance and job search self-efficacy. The research design was descriptive and correlational. The sample consisted of 366 students studying in Shahrekord University in the academic year 2021-2022. They were selected through stratified sampling method. They filled out scales on their employability, job search self-efficacy, career optimism and career pessimism. In addition, the mean score was considered to measure academic performance. Pearson correlation and structural equation modeling analysis were used to analyze the data. The results showed a positive and significant relationship between career optimism with employability perception, academic performance and job search self-efficacy.  Moreover, there was a negative and significant relationship between career pessimism and employability perception. Also, the indirect effect of career optimism on employability perception through the mediation of academic performance and job search self-efficacy was confirmed. In general, the students’ career optimism increased their employability perception. However, the students’ career pessimism decreased their employability perception. On the other hand, career optimism could also lead to an increase in students’ employability perception by enhancing academic performance and job search self-efficacy.
In recent years, the issue of having a job has always been raised as one of the basic challenges for students (Menon & Saraswathy, 2017). With regard to the employability of the students, researchers have focused on their employability perception (Jackson & Wilton, 2017), which is defined as their perceived ability to achieve stable employment according to their conditions (Rothwell & Herbert, 2008). One of the variables related to the students’ employability perception is academic performance. It is considered as an important predictor for job performance (Brown & Campion, 1994). Graduates with high academic performance, probably get better ratings from employers (Pinto & Ramalheira, 2017). Another variable examined in this study is job search self-efficacy. Students with a high level of self-efficacy will show better employability skills (Ab Halim et al., 2019).
Other variables examined in this study include career optimism and pessimism. Optimistic individuals pay attention to the bright aspects of life and maintain their hope in difficult periods and, as a result, have high self-efficacy (Schuller & Seligman, 2008). On the other hand, pervasive negative expectations resulting from pessimism lead to a feeling of despair in individuals. As such, they refrain from engaging in activities outside their intrinsic motivation (Elliot & Church, 2003). With respect to academic performance, it can be stated that optimistic expectations often increase students’ academic performance (Icekson et al., 2020). On the other hand, an increase in pessimism can decrease academic performance (El-Anzi, 2005; Ruthig et al., 2009; Roso-Bas et al., 2016).
Regarding the relationship between career optimism and pessimism and employability perception, it can be stated that optimists have positive expectations about their career goals (Haratsis et al., 2016; Spurk et al., 2015). On the other hand, pessimists mainly focus on the problems and disadvantages of the dynamic process of change, which is the characteristic of today’s work atmosphere (Saka & et al., 2008). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the mediating roles of academic performance and job search self-efficacy in the relationship between career optimism and career pessimism with employability perception. The main objective of this study was to present a model of the relationship between career optimism and career pessimism with students’ employability perception through the mediation of academic performance and job search self-efficacy had a suitable fit.
 
The current research study was of descriptive-correlational. The statistical population included all students of Shahrekord University in the academic year of 2021-2022. For this study, 370 students were selected through stratified sampling method. They filled out scales on their employability, job search self-efficacy, career optimism and career pessimism. It should be noted that students’ GPA was used as a measure of academic performance. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS software (version 23) and AMOS23 software, and Pearson correlation method and structural equation modeling analysis.
 
The descriptive statistics of the research variables including mean, standard deviation and correlation coefficients of the variables are reported in Table 1.

Table 1
 Mean, Standard Deviation and Intercorrelations between Research Variables




Variables


Descriptives


Intercorrelation


 


 




Mean


Std deviation


1


2


3


4


5




Employability perception


5.30


.76


1


 


 


 


 




Career optimism


3.77


.64


.57**


1


 


 


 




Job search self-efficacy


3.82


.60


55**.


.55**


1


 


 




Career pessimism


1.90


.84


-.42**


-.60**


.38**-


1


 




Academic performance


16.55


 


.23**


.17**


.13*


-.14*


1




*  p<.05  **p<.01

In addition, Table 2 shows the fit indices of the modified research model, which indicate the acceptability and approval of the assumed model.
 
 
 
Table 2
Values ​​of Structural Equation Model Generality Evaluation Indices




Indices


Perfect fit


Adaptive fit


Frugal fit


Holter




 


CMIN


GFI


TLI


CFI


PCFI


DF


CMIN/DF


RMSEA


 




Value


704.65


.85


.84


.86


.75


262


2.69


.07


143




 
 
Figure 1
The Assumed Model of the Research
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table 3
Total, Direct and Indirect Effects Between Research Variables




 


Determination coeficient


Dependent variable


Mediation


Independent variable




Indirect


Direct


Total




P


Beta


P


Beta


P


Beta




.044


.03


.012


.50


.013


.53


 
 
 
 
.66
 
 
 


 
 
 
 
Employability perception


Academic performance


Career optimism




.596


-.01


.791


.04


.756


.03


Career pessimism




.005


.29


.012


.50


.005


.79


Job search self-efficacy


Career optimism




.398


.02


.791


.04


.499


.06


Career pessimism




-


-


.005


.15


.005


.15


Academic performance




-


-


.005


.36


.005


.36


Job search self-efficacy




 
 
 
 
According to Figure 1 and Table 3, the results considering examining the direct relationships indicated a positive and significant relationship (p ˂ 0.05) of career optimism (β=  0.50), job search self-efficacy (β= 0.36) and academic performance (β= 0.15) with employability perception. There was also a negative and significant relationship (p ˂0.05) of career pessimism (β₌ 0.04) with employability perception. In addition, regarding the investigation of indirect relationships, the results showed a positive and significant relationship (p ˂ 0.05) of career optimism on employability perception with the mediation of academic performance (β= 0.03) and job search self-efficacy (β= 0.29). Finally, the data did not confirm the effect of career pessimism on employability perception with the mediation of academic performance and job search self-efficacy.
 
This research study was conducted with the objective of investigating the roles of career optimism and pessimism on employability perception with the mediation of academic performance and job search self-efficacy. The results indicated a positive and significant relationship between career optimism, job search self-efficacy and academic performance with employability perception, and a negative and significant relationship between career pessimism and employability perception. Furthermore, there was an indirect effect for career optimism on employability perception through the mediation of academic performance and job search self-efficacy. As the findings of this study showed, academic performance, job search self-efficacy, and career optimism were important predictors of students’ employability perception. The findings are consistent with those of Spurk et al. (2015) and Tentama and Nur (2021).
Moreover, the findings of the study indicated the mediating role of academic performance and job search self-efficacy in the relationship between career optimism and employability perception, which is consistent with the findings of Hamidi Nasab et al. (2019) and Bahadori et al. (2020). Therefore, it can be explained that optimistic individuals have a positive view of the future, and have an internal source of control. As a result, optimism has a positive effect on academic performance because optimistic students consider academic performance to be influential in their future career, and CVs of individuals with higher means are evaluated as more qualified. In addition, one of the sources of employability perception is the internal factors of employability, which is the individual’s understanding of his personal capacities and skills to find a job. In regards to the content, it can be consistent with the source of internal control of optimism.
One of the most important limitations of the current research is the lack of control of the influence of other variables such as family conditions, and economic conditions. In addition, since this study is correlational (not cause and effect), the results should be interpreted with caution. In addition, future experimental research studies are recommended to the researchers.
 
Ethical Consideration
Compliance Whit Ethical Guidelines: All ethical issues such as informed consent and confidentiality of participant’s identity were respected.
Author of Contributions: All authors contributed to the study. The first author wrote the first draft of the manuscript. The second and third authors edited the manuscript and the second author is corresponding author.
Conflict of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest for this study.
Funding: This study was extract from the thesis of the master's course and conducted with no financial support.
Acknowledgment: The author thanks all participants in the study.