Multiliteracy and Work Readiness: The Central Role of Career Adaptability in the Digital Era
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35877/454RI.qems4541Keywords:
Entrepreneurial Literacy, Human Literacy, Digital Literacy, Career Adaptability, Job ReadinessAbstract
Digital transformation has become a global phenomenon that fundamentally changes the competencies required of college graduates to enter the workforce. Therefore, the multiliteracy concept, encompassing entrepreneurial literacy, human literacy, and digital literacy, is a crucial indicator that can influence the work readiness of the younger generation. This study aims to analyze the model of student work readiness formation in the digital era through the role of career adaptability as a psychosocial mechanism that bridges the relationship. This study uses a quantitative approach with a questionnaire as a data collection technique. Furthermore, the data is processed using Structural Equation Modeling analysis. This study found that human literacy and digital literacy have a direct effect on work readiness. Furthermore, entrepreneurial literacy contributes to increased career adaptability. Meanwhile, career adaptability is a determinant that can strengthen the relationship between multiliteracy and work readiness, emphasizing the importance of adaptive capacity in facing professional dynamics in the digital era. The results of this study have implications for the importance of higher education institutions developing needs-based educational curricula oriented toward work readiness and Outcome-Based Education-based learning.
References
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Fattore, M., Pelagatti, M., & Vittadini, G. (2018). A least squares approach to latent variables extraction in formative–reflective models. Computational Statistics & Data Analysis, 120, 84–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csda.2017.11.006
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Franke, G., & Sarstedt, M. (2019). Heuristics versus statistics in discriminant validity testing: A comparison of four procedures. Internet Research, 29(3), 430–447. https://doi.org/10.1108/IntR-12-2017-0515
Gerçek, M. (2023). Serial multiple mediation of career adaptability and self-perceived employability in the relationship between career competencies and job search self-efficacy. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, 14(2), 461–478. https://doi.org/10.1108/HESWBL-02-2023-0036
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Hair, J.F., Hult, G.T.M., Ringle, C.M., Sarstedt, M., Danks, N.P., & Ray, S. (2021). Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) Using R: A Workbook. Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80519-7
Hair, J.F., Ringle, C.M., & Sarstedt, M. (2013). Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling: Rigorous Applications, Better Results and Higher Acceptance. Long Range Planning, 46(1–2), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lrp.2013.01.001
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Ingsih, K. (2023). Improving Working Readiness through Mastering Soft Skills: Empirical Evidence from University Students in Indonesia. Revista de Métodos Cuantitativos Para La Economía y La Empresa, 35, 268–279. https://doi.org/10.46661/revmetodoscuanteconempresa.6426
Johnston, C.S. (2018). A Systematic Review of the Career Adaptability Literature and Future Outlook. Journal of Career Assessment, 26(1), 3–30. https://doi.org/10.1177/1069072716679921
Kaiyanan, C., Atthakorn, S., Ludpa, Y., Seti, S., Lavong, A., Pliankham, P., & Phoorisophon, T. (2024). Integrating Entrepreneurship into Education: Cultivating Skills for Innovation, Leadership, and Future Workforce Success. Journal of Education and Learning Reviews, 1(4), 49–62. https://doi.org/10.60027/jelr.2024.795
Lee, A., & Jung, E. (2021). The Mediating Role of Entrepreneurial Mindset between Intolerance of Uncertainty and Career Adaptability. Sustainability, 13(13), 7099. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13137099
Lim, W., Lee, Y., & Mamun, A. A. (2021). Delineating competency and opportunity recognition in the entrepreneurial intention analysis framework. Journal of Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies, 15(1), 212–232. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEEE-02-2021-0080
Mahajan, R., Gupta, P., & Misra, R. (2022). Employability skills framework: A tripartite approach. Education + Training, 64(3), 360–379. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-12-2020-0367
Matijaš, M., & Serši?, D. M. (2021). The Relationship Between Career Adaptability and Job-Search Self-Efficacy of Graduates: The Bifactor Approach. Journal of Career Assessment, 29(4), 683–698. https://doi.org/10.1177/10690727211002281
Md Salleh, K., Othman, AT, & Abdullah, AGK (2021). Specifying Servant Leadership as Reflective-Formative Hierarchical Component Models (HCM) in the Context of PLS-SEM. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 10(2), Pages 374-391. https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARPED/v10-i2/9796
Morris, S., Carlos, C., Kistruck, G.M., Lount, R.B., & Thomas, T.E. (2023). The impact of growth mindset training on entrepreneurial action among necessity entrepreneurs: Evidence from a randomized control trial. Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, 17(3), 671–692. https://doi.org/10.1002/sej.1472
Ojala, J., Nikander, A., Aunola, K., De Palo, J., & Ryba, T.V. (2023). The role of career adaptability resources in dual career pathways: A person-oriented longitudinal study across elite sports upper secondary school. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 67, 102438. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2023.102438
Onsomu, C.B., Macharia, J.N., & Mwangi, S.M. (2025). From Classroom to Workplace: The Combined Effects of Cognitive and Non-Cognitive Skills on Youth Labor Market Outcomes in Kenya. Economies, 13(4), 92. https://doi.org/10.3390/economies13040092
Putra, RA, Widiyanti, W., & Sutadji, E. (2020). Communication and Collaboration Skills to Prepare Vocational High School Graduates. Journal of Education: Theory, Research, and Development, 5(8), 1072. https://doi.org/10.17977/jptpp.v5i8.13877
Rodriguez, S., & Lieber, H. (2020). Relationship Between Entrepreneurship Education, Entrepreneurial Mindset, and Career Readiness in Secondary Students. Journal of Experiential Education, 43(3), 277–298. https://doi.org/10.1177/1053825920919462
Sarstedt, M., Hair, J.F., Pick, M., Liengaard, B.D., Radomir, L., & Ringle, C.M. (2022). Progress in partial least squares structural equation modeling use in marketing research in the last decade. Psychology & Marketing, 39(5), 1035–1064. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21640
Schweinsberg, A., & Garivaldis, F. (2020). Ready or not, Here I Come—Preparing Online Students for the Real Working World. In S. McKenzie, F. Garivaldis, & K. R. Dyer (Eds.), Tertiary Online Teaching and Learning: TOTAL Perspectives and Resources for Digital Education (pp. 187–197). Springer Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-8928-7_17
Sou, E.K.L., Yuen, M., & Chen, G. (2022). Career adaptability as a mediator between social capital and career engagement. The Career Development Quarterly, 70(1), 2–15. https://doi.org/10.1002/cdq.12289
Tee, P.K., Wong, L.C., Dada, M., Song, B.L., & Ng, C.P. (2024). Demand for digital skills, skill gaps and graduate employability: Evidence from employers in Malaysia. F1000Research, 13, 389. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.148514.1
Cady, S.H., Willing, J.G., & Cady, D.A. (2024). The AI Imperative: On Becoming Quintessentially Human. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 60(4), 721–731. https://doi.org/10.1177/00218863241284310
Cepeda-Carrion, G., Cegarra-Navarro, J.-G., & Cillo, V. (2019). Tips for using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) in knowledge management. Journal of Knowledge Management, 23(1), 67–89. https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-05-2018-0322
Cham, K., Edwards, M.-L., Kruesi, L., Celeste, T., & Hennessey, T. (2021). Digital preferences and perceptions of students in health professional courses at a leading Australian university: A baseline for improving digital skills and competencies in health graduates. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 69–86. https://doi.org/10.14742/ajet.6622
Chen, H., Liu, F., & Wen, Y. (2023). The Influence of College Students' Core Self-evaluation on Job Search Outcomes: Chain Mediating Effect of Career Exploration and Career Adaptability. Current Psychology, 42(18), 15696–15707. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-02923-4
Cohen, J. (2013). Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences. Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203771587
Dada, A.E., Adegbuyi, O.A., & Ogbari, M.E. (2023). Entrepreneurial Attributes and Venture Creation among Undergraduate Students of Selected Universities in Southwest, Nigeria. Administrative Sciences, 13(8), 176. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci13080176
Fattore, M., Pelagatti, M., & Vittadini, G. (2018). A least squares approach to latent variables extraction in formative–reflective models. Computational Statistics & Data Analysis, 120, 84–97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csda.2017.11.006
Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Evaluating Structural Equation Models with Unobservable Variables and Measurement Error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39. https://doi.org/10.2307/3151312
Franke, G., & Sarstedt, M. (2019). Heuristics versus statistics in discriminant validity testing: A comparison of four procedures. Internet Research, 29(3), 430–447. https://doi.org/10.1108/IntR-12-2017-0515
Gerçek, M. (2023). Serial multiple mediation of career adaptability and self-perceived employability in the relationship between career competencies and job search self-efficacy. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, 14(2), 461–478. https://doi.org/10.1108/HESWBL-02-2023-0036
Gupta, P., & Mahajan, R. (2023). Investigating stakeholder perceptions of graduate employability. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, 14(1), 109–129. https://doi.org/10.1108/HESWBL-11-2022-0239
Hair, J.F., Hult, G.T.M., Ringle, C.M., & Sarstedt, M. (2017). A primer on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) (Second edition). SAGE.
Hair, J.F., Hult, G.T.M., Ringle, C.M., Sarstedt, M., Danks, N.P., & Ray, S. (2021). Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) Using R: A Workbook. Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80519-7
Hair, J.F., Ringle, C.M., & Sarstedt, M. (2013). Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling: Rigorous Applications, Better Results and Higher Acceptance. Long Range Planning, 46(1–2), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lrp.2013.01.001
Hair, J.F., Risher, J.J., Sarstedt, M., & Ringle, C.M. (2019). When to use and how to report the results of PLS-SEM. European Business Review, 31(1), 2–24. https://doi.org/10.1108/EBR-11-2018-0203
Henseler, J., Ringle, C. M., & Sinkovics, R. R. (2009). The use of partial least squares path modeling in international marketing. In RR Sinkovics & PN Ghauri (Eds.), New Challenges to International Marketing (Vol. 20, p. 0). Emerald Group Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1474-7979(2009)0000020014
Ingsih, K. (2023). Improving Working Readiness through Mastering Soft Skills: Empirical Evidence from University Students in Indonesia. Revista de Métodos Cuantitativos Para La Economía y La Empresa, 35, 268–279. https://doi.org/10.46661/revmetodoscuanteconempresa.6426
Johnston, C.S. (2018). A Systematic Review of the Career Adaptability Literature and Future Outlook. Journal of Career Assessment, 26(1), 3–30. https://doi.org/10.1177/1069072716679921
Kaiyanan, C., Atthakorn, S., Ludpa, Y., Seti, S., Lavong, A., Pliankham, P., & Phoorisophon, T. (2024). Integrating Entrepreneurship into Education: Cultivating Skills for Innovation, Leadership, and Future Workforce Success. Journal of Education and Learning Reviews, 1(4), 49–62. https://doi.org/10.60027/jelr.2024.795
Lee, A., & Jung, E. (2021). The Mediating Role of Entrepreneurial Mindset between Intolerance of Uncertainty and Career Adaptability. Sustainability, 13(13), 7099. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13137099
Lim, W., Lee, Y., & Mamun, A. A. (2021). Delineating competency and opportunity recognition in the entrepreneurial intention analysis framework. Journal of Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies, 15(1), 212–232. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEEE-02-2021-0080
Mahajan, R., Gupta, P., & Misra, R. (2022). Employability skills framework: A tripartite approach. Education + Training, 64(3), 360–379. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-12-2020-0367
Matijaš, M., & Serši?, D. M. (2021). The Relationship Between Career Adaptability and Job-Search Self-Efficacy of Graduates: The Bifactor Approach. Journal of Career Assessment, 29(4), 683–698. https://doi.org/10.1177/10690727211002281
Md Salleh, K., Othman, AT, & Abdullah, AGK (2021). Specifying Servant Leadership as Reflective-Formative Hierarchical Component Models (HCM) in the Context of PLS-SEM. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 10(2), Pages 374-391. https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARPED/v10-i2/9796
Morris, S., Carlos, C., Kistruck, G.M., Lount, R.B., & Thomas, T.E. (2023). The impact of growth mindset training on entrepreneurial action among necessity entrepreneurs: Evidence from a randomized control trial. Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, 17(3), 671–692. https://doi.org/10.1002/sej.1472
Ojala, J., Nikander, A., Aunola, K., De Palo, J., & Ryba, T.V. (2023). The role of career adaptability resources in dual career pathways: A person-oriented longitudinal study across elite sports upper secondary school. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 67, 102438. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2023.102438
Onsomu, C.B., Macharia, J.N., & Mwangi, S.M. (2025). From Classroom to Workplace: The Combined Effects of Cognitive and Non-Cognitive Skills on Youth Labor Market Outcomes in Kenya. Economies, 13(4), 92. https://doi.org/10.3390/economies13040092
Putra, RA, Widiyanti, W., & Sutadji, E. (2020). Communication and Collaboration Skills to Prepare Vocational High School Graduates. Journal of Education: Theory, Research, and Development, 5(8), 1072. https://doi.org/10.17977/jptpp.v5i8.13877
Rodriguez, S., & Lieber, H. (2020). Relationship Between Entrepreneurship Education, Entrepreneurial Mindset, and Career Readiness in Secondary Students. Journal of Experiential Education, 43(3), 277–298. https://doi.org/10.1177/1053825920919462
Sarstedt, M., Hair, J.F., Pick, M., Liengaard, B.D., Radomir, L., & Ringle, C.M. (2022). Progress in partial least squares structural equation modeling use in marketing research in the last decade. Psychology & Marketing, 39(5), 1035–1064. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21640
Schweinsberg, A., & Garivaldis, F. (2020). Ready or not, Here I Come—Preparing Online Students for the Real Working World. In S. McKenzie, F. Garivaldis, & K. R. Dyer (Eds.), Tertiary Online Teaching and Learning: TOTAL Perspectives and Resources for Digital Education (pp. 187–197). Springer Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-8928-7_17
Sou, E.K.L., Yuen, M., & Chen, G. (2022). Career adaptability as a mediator between social capital and career engagement. The Career Development Quarterly, 70(1), 2–15. https://doi.org/10.1002/cdq.12289
Tee, P.K., Wong, L.C., Dada, M., Song, B.L., & Ng, C.P. (2024). Demand for digital skills, skill gaps and graduate employability: Evidence from employers in Malaysia. F1000Research, 13, 389. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.148514.1
Published
2025-12-31
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Dewantara, H., Inanna, I., Pahrul, P., & Rahmi, N. (2025). Multiliteracy and Work Readiness: The Central Role of Career Adaptability in the Digital Era. Quantitative Economics and Management Studies, 6(6). https://doi.org/10.35877/454RI.qems4541
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