Factors Influencing Employability: A Study from Business Administration Graduates' Perspectives at Prince of Songkla University
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Abstract
This study investigates factors influencing the employability of business administration graduates from their own perspectives. A quantitative research design was applied, with data collected through an online survey of 185 graduates from the Faculty of Business Administration, Prince of Songkla University. Descriptive statistics and stepwise multiple regression analysis were employed. The findings show that graduates rated technical skills ( = 4.58, S.D. = 0.83), emotional and social skills (
= 4.53, S.D. = 0.40), and work experience (
= 4.52, S.D. = 0.36) at the highest levels, while social mobility (
= 4.20, S.D. = 0.62) and employability (
= 3.54, S.D. = 0.83) were rated at high levels. Stepwise regression results indicate that only two factors significantly predicted employability (p < 0.05): technical skills (β = 0.466), positively associated with employability, and social mobility (β = -0.231), negatively associated. These results underscore the critical role of technical skills in enhancing employability, whereas prioritizing social mobility may adversely affect employability from graduates’ viewpoints. Further research is recommended to explore additional determinants, as the current model explains only a limited portion of the variance.
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