Psychological capital and locus of control as determinants of graduate employability beyond human and social capital

Abstract

This paper discusses the dimensions of psychological capital and locus of control that influence graduate employability beyond human and social capital. To highlight this relationship, data were collected from a large sample of graduates from the University of Padua, Italy. Graduates completed two questionnaires: one at graduation and another two years later. The questions were related to both human capital, which refers to the outcome of graduates’ educational investments, and other social factors, and to a specific psychometric test used to evaluate the graduates’ psychological capital and locus of control. The collected data showed that psychological factors can explain graduate employability more accurately than the effects of human capital and social differences alone. The results also revealed differences among the categories of graduates with respect to conditional opportunities to either find a job in a relatively short time or enter a higher study programme.