Abstract
This article published in Gruppe Interaktion Organisation (GIO) reports study results on soft skills and mental work ability in young professionals ready to enter the job market. The so-called soft skills (psychological capacities) are nowadays an entrance ticket into the modern working world. Thus, the question is to which degree young professionals who will soon enter the labor market are fit in their soft skills. Are physical or mental health problems related with deficits in soft skills? Which dimensions of soft skills are impaired?365 young professionals in advanced education from a technical college, who will soon enter the labor market, were investigated via online-questionnaire. Participants were asked to rate their self-perceived capacity level according to Mini-ICF-APP, mental and physical health problems, exam and education-related anxiety, self-efficacy and procrastination.Students with mental health problems had higher exam anxiety, and lower study-related self-efficacy as compared to students without health problems at all, or students with physical health problems. But, procrastination behavior was similarly present among students with mental health problems and students with physical health problems. Students with health problems did not report globally weaker capacity levels. Lower levels of capacities depend on the type of health problem: In students with mental health problems, social soft skills were impaired rather than content-related capacities. Physical health problems do not affect the self-perceived psychological capacities.In conclusion, focusing on specific soft skills in training and work adjustment could be fruitful in addition (or as an alternative) to training of profession-specific expertise.
Highlights
Zusammenfassung Dieser Artikel aus der Zeitschrift Gruppe Interaktion Organisation (GIO) berichtet über Studienergebnisse zur Frage der psychischen (Arbeits)Fähigkeiten bei akademisch qualifizierten Berufseinsteigern mit und ohne Gesundheitsproblemen
Procrastination behavior is present in young professionals with mental health problems and young professionals with physical health problems
Sick leave is similar in young professionals with mental or physical health problems, but those who suffer from both are significantly longer on sick leave than all others
Summary
Zusammenfassung Dieser Artikel aus der Zeitschrift Gruppe Interaktion Organisation (GIO) berichtet über Studienergebnisse zur Frage der psychischen (Arbeits)Fähigkeiten bei akademisch qualifizierten Berufseinsteigern mit und ohne (psychischen) Gesundheitsproblemen. Die Frage ist, wie Fähigkeitsprofile bei jungen Berufseinsteigern ausgeprägt sind, ob körperliche oder psychische Erkrankungen mit Defiziten in Fähigkeiten eingehergehen, und welche Fähigkeitsdimensionen ggf. Studierende mit psychischen Gesundheitsproblemen hatten stärkere Prüfungsängste und geringere Selbstwirksamkeit im Vergleich zu Studierenden mit körperlichen Gesundheitsproblemen oder Gesunden. Das Fähigkeitsniveau stand vielmehr in Zusammenhang mit der Art des Gesundheitsproblems: Studierende mit psychischen Gesundheitsproblemen hatten Einschränkungen in sozialen Fähigkeiten, jedoch kaum in Kompetenz- und inhaltsbezogenen Fähigkeiten. Our modern world of work requires a considerable proportion of psychological capacities, tendentially becoming constantly more important These are for example demands for flexibility, contacts with others and group integration, decision making and judgements, endurance and proactivity (Linden et al 2010, 2015; Parker and Bindl 2017; West et al 2009). The problem is that they usually do not make the entry into and success within the labor market easier (Varekamp et al 2006; Small et al 2016)
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