Human capital effects in the job search process for new labor market entrants: A double-edged sword?

Although traditional research on human capital shows that it enhances employment success, its role in the job search process is unclear. To explain its weak effects in previous studies, this study draws on goal system theory to propose that human capital may act as a double-edged sword: On one hand...

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Main Authors: NG, Jomel Wei Xuan, SONG, Zhaoli, LIEVENS, Filip
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Language:English
Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2023
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Online Access:https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/7269
https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/lkcsb_research/article/8268/viewcontent/human_capital_effects.pdf
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spelling sg-smu-ink.lkcsb_research-82682023-09-26T07:37:38Z Human capital effects in the job search process for new labor market entrants: A double-edged sword? NG, Jomel Wei Xuan SONG, Zhaoli LIEVENS, Filip Although traditional research on human capital shows that it enhances employment success, its role in the job search process is unclear. To explain its weak effects in previous studies, this study draws on goal system theory to propose that human capital may act as a double-edged sword: On one hand it facilitates the ease of gaining employment, on the other hand it may compromise the frequency of job search behaviors. We conducted a bi-weekly repeated survey study on new labor market entrants and measured human capital using academic achievement scores. Results confirmed that human capital, though instrumental for proximal job search success, interferes with self-regulatory behaviors in job search. That is, human capital negatively predicted withinperson job search intensity, and negatively moderated the within-person relationship between employment efficacy and job search intensity. On the positive side, human capital positively predicted within-person number of interview invitations. Overall, these results provide a more nuanced picture of the role of human capital in the job search process. 2023-07-01T07:00:00Z text application/pdf https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/7269 info:doi/10.1016/j.jvb.2023.103894 https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/lkcsb_research/article/8268/viewcontent/human_capital_effects.pdf http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business eng Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University Job search human capital self-regulation self-efficacy interview invitations Human Resources Management
institution Singapore Management University
building SMU Libraries
continent Asia
country Singapore
Singapore
content_provider SMU Libraries
collection InK@SMU
language English
topic Job search
human capital
self-regulation
self-efficacy
interview invitations
Human Resources Management
spellingShingle Job search
human capital
self-regulation
self-efficacy
interview invitations
Human Resources Management
NG, Jomel Wei Xuan
SONG, Zhaoli
LIEVENS, Filip
Human capital effects in the job search process for new labor market entrants: A double-edged sword?
description Although traditional research on human capital shows that it enhances employment success, its role in the job search process is unclear. To explain its weak effects in previous studies, this study draws on goal system theory to propose that human capital may act as a double-edged sword: On one hand it facilitates the ease of gaining employment, on the other hand it may compromise the frequency of job search behaviors. We conducted a bi-weekly repeated survey study on new labor market entrants and measured human capital using academic achievement scores. Results confirmed that human capital, though instrumental for proximal job search success, interferes with self-regulatory behaviors in job search. That is, human capital negatively predicted withinperson job search intensity, and negatively moderated the within-person relationship between employment efficacy and job search intensity. On the positive side, human capital positively predicted within-person number of interview invitations. Overall, these results provide a more nuanced picture of the role of human capital in the job search process.
format text
author NG, Jomel Wei Xuan
SONG, Zhaoli
LIEVENS, Filip
author_facet NG, Jomel Wei Xuan
SONG, Zhaoli
LIEVENS, Filip
author_sort NG, Jomel Wei Xuan
title Human capital effects in the job search process for new labor market entrants: A double-edged sword?
title_short Human capital effects in the job search process for new labor market entrants: A double-edged sword?
title_full Human capital effects in the job search process for new labor market entrants: A double-edged sword?
title_fullStr Human capital effects in the job search process for new labor market entrants: A double-edged sword?
title_full_unstemmed Human capital effects in the job search process for new labor market entrants: A double-edged sword?
title_sort human capital effects in the job search process for new labor market entrants: a double-edged sword?
publisher Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University
publishDate 2023
url https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/7269
https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/lkcsb_research/article/8268/viewcontent/human_capital_effects.pdf
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