In Ghana, the transition from school to the labour market has been extremely difficult for graduates, especially in securing jobs. It is estimated that the tertiary institutions in Ghana produce an annual graduate turnout of 300,000 students. This thesis seeks to understand the extent to which social capital and networks act as a resource-opportunity structure in obtaining or depriving employment opportunities. The research findings were obtained by the application of qualitative methods. This study argues that graduate unemployment in Ghana is not as a result of lack of employability skills and incompetence of the graduates, but rather the issue of limited employment opportunities and favouritism, often called ‘whom you know’ in the labour market. Informal job search methods reflect jobseekers’ activation and use of social networks or ties, such as acquaintances, friends, relatives, neighbours, colleagues, and peers. Particularly, an individual’s family and friends (strong ties) are not only important sources of job information but also means of securing jobs. Attitudinal and behavioural traits and the kind of interactions between graduates and their contacts enabled the author to group social networks into three categories: formal social networks (employee referral), informal social networks (family and friends) and linking referrals (third-party or intermediary). The key to understanding why both employers and jobseekers are resorting to informal networks is due to the limited job opportunities in the labour market. The pervasiveness of informal channels means that without having a relative or a friend to connect you to a vacancy, securing a job would be difficult. This means that intrinsic and extrinsic factors underpinning the graduates’ aspirations are being shaped by social support and barriers in the labour market. The seemly widespread and ‘general acceptance’ of informal channels in the labour market has led to favouritism and discrimination. Specifically, it has led to the constant redirecting of jobs toward a certain class of people; institutional closure for some people; occupational segregation and immobility leading to limit status attainment; deliberate favouring of one’s family members and friends (nepotism and cronyism). In addition, informal channels have opened the floodgate for referee opportunism, agents and agent scammers to flourish in the job market.

This study identified the relationships of student engagement with senior student satisfaction and perceived employability skills from STEM fields in the U.S. A comparison of the relationships of student engagement, student satisfaction, and perceived employability skills was made across senior Asian international students and their American peers in STEM programs. The National Study of Student Engagement (NSSE) data (2011) was used in this study. Structural equation modeling analyses and invariance tests were employed to estimate different models of student engagement, student satisfaction, and perceived employability skills across different samples. The results found that both sense of support and relationships with others of emotional engagement were found the most important constructs to predict college student satisfaction and perceived employability skills. The cognitive engagement had a significant positive effect on student perceived employability skills across all college students, Asian international students, and American students in STEM education. Moreover, this study identified the mediator role of student perceived employability skills on the relationship between student engagement and student satisfaction for all three samples. Additionally, Asian international students differed from American students regarding academic involvement, participating in extracurricular activities, and sense of support in STEM education. Last but not least, this study supported that the three-dimension student engagement model developed by Fredricks et al. (2004) could apply to U.S. college students. Practical and theoretical implications were discussed and limitations acknowledged. / Doctor of Philosophy / It is widely accepted that attracting STEM talents to the U.S. is a key element to maintain the United States' economic supremacy and competitive advantage in a global economy. Asian international students play a significant role to maintain a steady supply of STEM talent pipelines in the U.S. job market. The purpose of this study is to understand the relationships of student engagement with senior student satisfaction and perceived employability skills from STEM fields in the U.S. This study This study was also to identify the relationships of student engagement, student satisfaction, and perceived employability skills across senior Asian international students and their American peers in STEM programs. The results found that both sense of support and relationships with others of emotional engagement were the most important factors to predict college student satisfaction and perceived employability skills. Cognitive engagement had a significant positive influence on student perceived employability skills across all college students, Asian international students, and American students in STEM education. Moreover, this study identified the mediator role of student perceived employability skills on the relationship between student engagement and student satisfaction. Additionally, Asian international students differed from American students regarding academic involvement, participating in extracurricular activities, and sense of support in STEM education. Last but not least, this study supported that the three-dimension student engagement model could apply to U.S. college students. Practical and theoretical implications were discussed and limitations acknowledged.

This study investigated the relationship between the self-directedness (as measured by the Adult Learner Self-Directedness Scale) and employability attributes (as measured by the Student Employablity Attributes Scale) of adult learners enrolled at a South African distance learning higher education institution. Correlational and inferential statistical analyses were carried out in order to realise the research objective. A stratified random sample of 1 102 mainly black and female participants participated in the study. The research indicated self-directedness to be a significant positive predictor of employability attributes and also revealed significant differences between the gender, race and age groups regarding these variables. Recommendations are suggested for use by university lecturers and human resource development professionals. / Human Resource Management / M. Comm. (Human Resource Management)

The purpose of this study was to construct a career meta-competency model for sustained employability in the contemporary world of work. This study explored a convenience sample (N = 304) of early career employees’ personality preferences (measured by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator), self-esteem (measured by the Culture-free Self-esteem Inventories for Adults) and emotional intelligence (measured by the Assessing Emotions Scale), as a composite set of their personality attributes, in relation to their employability attributes (measured by the Employability Attributes Scale). The participants comprised 81% blacks and 64% females employed in the business management field in managerial/supervisory (53%) and staff (28%) level positions. Their ages ranged between 25 and 40 years (early adulthood and establishment phase) (79%). The correlations, canonical correlations and multiple regression results indicated that the participants’ personality attributes were significantly and positively related to their employability attributes. Structural Equation Modelling indicated a moderate fit between the theoretically hypothesised career meta-competency model and the empirically tested structural model. The results indicated job level as a significant moderator of the relationship between the participants’ personality and employability attributes. Middle management level was associated with an inverse relationship between the personality and employability attributes. Staff and middle managers did not significantly differ regarding their mean scores on these variables. On a theoretical level, the study deepened understanding of the cognitive, affective, conative and interpersonal behavioural dimensions of the hypothesised career meta-competency model. On an empirical level, the study produced an empirically tested career meta-competency model in terms of the various behavioural dimensions. On a practical level, career v counselling and development interventions for guiding employees’ sustained employability in terms of the career meta-competency behavioural dimensions were recommended. / Industrial & Organisational Psychology / D. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

This study investigated the relationship between the self-directedness (as measured by the Adult Learner Self-Directedness Scale) and employability attributes (as measured by the Student Employablity Attributes Scale) of adult learners enrolled at a South African distance learning higher education institution. Correlational and inferential statistical analyses were carried out in order to realise the research objective. A stratified random sample of 1 102 mainly black and female participants participated in the study. The research indicated self-directedness to be a significant positive predictor of employability attributes and also revealed significant differences between the gender, race and age groups regarding these variables. Recommendations are suggested for use by university lecturers and human resource development professionals. / Human Resource Management / M. Comm. (Human Resource Management)

Diese qualitative Studie untersucht das Employabilitykonzept am Beispiel von Werkern eines deutschen Werkes eines deutschen Automobilherstellers. Ihre Wahrnehmung des Konzepts Employability und die Hintergründe dieser Wahrnehmung sind im Fokus. Einem triangulativen Ansatz folgend wird weiterhin die Perspektive betrieblicher Vertreter auf das Konzept Employability erhoben. Es werden zudem betriebliche Prozesse und Strukturen erhoben, die als bedeutsam für auf Employability bezogene Wahrnehmungen erachtet werden. Befunde: Employability und damit verbundene Forderungen nach der Selbststeuerung der Existenzsicherung auf dem Arbeitsmarkt – Aktivitäten des Lernens und der beruflichen Entwicklung betreffend – tangieren die Werker kaum. Betrieblicherseits ist die Entwicklung einer arbeitsmarktbezogenen – überbetrieblichen – Attraktivität der Werker ebenfalls nicht im Fokus, sondern vielmehr die Förderung der intern zu zeigenden Leistungsbereitschaft. Grundsätzlich nehmen Werker betrieblich-strukturell vermittelt die Erfordernis zur Selbststeuerung der Entwicklung tätigkeitsrelevanter Kompetenzen wahr – seitens der betrieblichen Vertreter wird diesbezüglich die Entwicklung eines neuen Selbstverständnisses gefordert. Derartige betriebliche Forderungen nach Selbststeuerung lehnen die Werker jedoch ab: Diese Selbststeuerung entspricht einerseits kaum ihrem arbeitsbezogenen Rollenverständnis, andererseits führen die Werker derartige Selbststeuerungserfordernisse auch auf die als unzureichend erlebten betrieblichen Unterstützungsstrukturen zurück, die sie als Ausdruck einer fehlenden betrieblichen Wertschätzung wahrnehmen. Zusammenfassend zeigt sich das Employabilitykonzept im Bereich der industriellen Produktion als nicht bedeutsam. / In this qualitative study the concept of employability is analysed. The study focuses upon blue-collar workers working in a German plant of a German car producer. The blue-collar workers’ perceptions of the concept of employability and reasons for this are analysed. Following a triangulative approach the perspective of their employer on the concept of employability is also studied. Moreover, structures and processes that are potentially relevant for the blue-collar workers’ perceptions of the concept of employability are analysed. Results: The concept of employability and related requirements such as taking care for surviving in the labor market by self-directing learning and career development are relatively unimportant for blue-collar workers. Also the company is not interested in any form of personal development in terms of improving their skill base to make them employable. It solely focusses upon the willingness of the blue-collar workers to complete the tasks assigned to them. The blue-collar workers realise that in order to fulfill the job requirements self-direction in the development of job-related competences is needed. Regarding self-direction the employer wants to have a new culture. Generally, the demands of the company regarding self-direction aren’t valued by the blue-collar workers. On the one hand self-direction doesn''t fit to the blue-collar workers'' expectations of or attitudes towards work. On the other hand it is perceived as the negative result of non-supportive work structures. Because of these non-supportive work structures the blue-collar workers do not feel valued by the company. In summary the concept of employability has no relevance on the shop floor.

The purpose of this study was to construct a career meta-competency model for sustained employability in the contemporary world of work. This study explored a convenience sample (N = 304) of early career employees’ personality preferences (measured by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator), self-esteem (measured by the Culture-free Self-esteem Inventories for Adults) and emotional intelligence (measured by the Assessing Emotions Scale), as a composite set of their personality attributes, in relation to their employability attributes (measured by the Employability Attributes Scale). The participants comprised 81% blacks and 64% females employed in the business management field in managerial/supervisory (53%) and staff (28%) level positions. Their ages ranged between 25 and 40 years (early adulthood and establishment phase) (79%). The correlations, canonical correlations and multiple regression results indicated that the participants’ personality attributes were significantly and positively related to their employability attributes. Structural Equation Modelling indicated a moderate fit between the theoretically hypothesised career meta-competency model and the empirically tested structural model. The results indicated job level as a significant moderator of the relationship between the participants’ personality and employability attributes. Middle management level was associated with an inverse relationship between the personality and employability attributes. Staff and middle managers did not significantly differ regarding their mean scores on these variables. On a theoretical level, the study deepened understanding of the cognitive, affective, conative and interpersonal behavioural dimensions of the hypothesised career meta-competency model. On an empirical level, the study produced an empirically tested career meta-competency model in terms of the various behavioural dimensions. On a practical level, career v counselling and development interventions for guiding employees’ sustained employability in terms of the career meta-competency behavioural dimensions were recommended. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / D. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

Rapid forces for change in the post-modern society have left their mark on the labour market, creating a metamorphosis in the nature of work and the way in which careers should be approached. This has resulted in the need for individuals to possess a combination of attributes that will enable them to take an adaptive, proactive approach to their careers, which involves managing their employability. Employability is especially relevant to graduates, who are expected to acquire more than academic capabilities to ‘hit the ground running’ in their transition from higher education to the workplace. Despite the significance of the topic, it remains conceptually ambiguous with few empirical studies that explain its foundation, and fewer still that have constructed a measure explicitly gauging employability, particularly in South Africa. The main purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a measure of graduate employability in the context of the new world of work. A theoretical model of graduate employability was developed based on an extensive review of the literature and the Graduate Employability Measure (GEM) was subsequently constructed. A cross-sectional survey was utilised to collect data from a random sample of final-year undergraduates and postgraduates from the College of Economic and Management Sciences at a higher distance learning institution in South Africa. The 272 useable questionnaires returned were subjected to exploratory factor analysis, which revealed a reliable three-factor model consisting of the dimensions of career self-management drive, career resilience and cultural competence, and explaining 36.42%, 3.5% and 2.97% of the variance respectively. Analysis of variance was used to determine whether there were any significant differences between the biographical variables of the sample and the GEM factors. It was found that females and final-year undergraduates obtained significantly higher means on all the GEM dimensions than males and postgraduates respectively. The findings inform the conceptualisation of the employability construct, the elements it consists of, and how it can be measured in a valid and reliable manner. The GEM has the potential to be useful to students in a career guidance context, to employers that desire to select and develop highly adaptable employees, and to higher education, which can incorporate these important employability attributes in the curriculum to deliver highly employable graduates. / Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Human Resource Management / unrestricted

Orientation: The employee engagement approach has been utilised to combat burnout in both private and public sector institutions. With increasing research, selfperceived employability is gaining popularity as an effective tool to reduce burnout in the contemporary world of work. Knowledge of the relationship between these three constructs is therefore important for public sector institutions and researchers in industrial and organisational psychology in South Africa. Research purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between burnout, employee engagement and self-perceived employability amongst employees in the South African public sector. Motivation for study: Numerous studies have highlighted the prevalence of poor service delivery in public sector institutions as linked to employees feeling disconnected from their work as a result of numerous burnout symptoms. A plethora of studies have emphasised the significance of employee engagement in reducing burnout. With increasing research, focus has also been on the employability construct as a tool to manage burnout in the ever-changing working environment and the labour market. Both employee engagement and self-perceived employability have been utilised as approaches to reduce burnout amongst employees. However, the relationship between these three constructs is unknown, and therefore the findings of this study will be crucial for both public sector institutions and researchers in industrial and organisational psychology in South Africa. Research design, approach and method: The researcher conducted a quantitative study. It involved a non-probability sample of 158 South African public sector employees. Correlational and descriptive statistical analyses were utilised to analyse the data. Main findings: Burnout has a significant negative relationship with employee engagement; however, burnout does not significantly correlate with self-perceived employability. There are significant differences between the various biographical groups and burnout, employee engagement and self-perceived employability. Practical/managerial implications: Approaches to reducing burnout amongst employees should consider employee engagement and self-perceived employability as effective tools to enhance employees’ wellness, morale and productivity. Improving the engagement levels of employees and enhancing their employability will greatly improve the well-being of employees in public sector institutions and help alleviate the actual employee burnout. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

This research focuses on the relationship between self-esteem, graduateness skills and attributes and career adaptability among young adults in the school-to-work transition phase to assist them in dealing with the transitions they are faced with during the school-to-work transition phase in the hopes of making them more career adaptable and employable. A cross-sectional quantitative research approach was followed, and a non-probability convenience sample (N = 332) of undergraduate black (98.5%) and female (62%) young emerging adults (18 to 29 years) at a Further Education and Training (FET) college in South Africa participated in the study. A canonical correlation analysis indicated a significant overall relationship between the graduateness/self-esteem canonical variate and the career adaptability canonical variate. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that the relationship between graduateness skills and attributes and career adaptability was moderated by self-esteem. Tests for mean differences revealed that males and females differed significantly regarding their personal self-esteem and lie items. Recommendations are suggested for use by human resource professionals in terms of career development practices. / Human Resource Management / M. Com. (Human Resource Management)