Chinese University Graduates Research Articles

Impact of human capital and social capital on employability of Chinese college students under COVID-19 epidemic-Joint moderating effects of perception reduction of employment opportunities and future career clarity.

This research constructed a relationship model between human capital, social capital, and the employability of college students. With two moderating variables introduced, the perception reduction of employment opportunities under the COVID-19 epidemic and future career clarity, this research studied the direct impact of human capital and social capital on the employability of college students and boundary conditions. Research data from 810 employed Chinese college graduates shows that both human capital and social capital have a positive and significant impact on the employability; the perception reduction of employment opportunities under the COVID-19 epidemic negatively regulates the relationship between human capital and the employability of college students; the future career clarity positively regulates the relationship between human capital and the employability of college students; the perception reduction of employment opportunities under COVID-19 epidemic and the future career clarity jointly regulate the relationship between human capital, social capital and the employability of college students. These conclusions enrich the relevant theoretical and practical research on the employability of college students under the COVID-19 epidemic.

Analysis and Exploration on the Integration of Mental Health Education into College Physical Education Practice.

In order to understand the mental health status of contemporary college students, the research team of “College Students' psychological quality training” conducted mental health examination on nearly 6000 Chinese college students from 23 colleges and universities across the country. The results showed that about 16.51% of Chinese college graduates had serious mental health problems. The results of several recent studies on the mental health status of college graduates across the country show that the accuracy rate of mental behavior examination among college graduates across the country is about 16%, and the rate of people with unsound psychology or in a state of mental sub-health is higher, and there has been a psychological poverty group among college students. A large number of educational facts and scientific research have confirmed that sports are one of the most effective ways to promote students' physical and mental development, and it can be said that there is a very close relationship between college sports and the physical and mental health of college graduates. In order to promote the organic combination of college mental health education and college physical education, the research results will be based on in-depth investigation and understanding of the current situation of college students' psychological development under the new situation, and a systematic study of the relationship between college graduates' physical, sports, mental health knowledge, and psychological level. This paper establishes a theoretical model for the organic combination of mental health education and physical education in colleges and universities, and provides specific countermeasures for integrating psychological teaching into college physical education courses, providing a theoretical basis and reference for developing college physical education courses and improving psychological teaching.

Discussion on the Employment of College Students: A Case Study of Universities in Shandong Province, China

Employment is the foundation of people's livelihood, and youth employment is the top priority in employment. It is another graduation season for college students. After graduation, college students choose between "employment" and "continue further study". The employment of college students has always been a hot issue of social concern. In 2022, Chinese college graduates broke through the 10 million mark for the first time, setting a new record high. According to the current employment situation of college students, taking college students in Shandong, China as an example, this paper analyzes the main problems in the graduation planning and employment of college students, and puts forward countermeasures to improve the employment rate of college students from different levels. In order to alleviate the employment anxiety of college students, carry out employment guidance in colleges and universities, and establish the correct employment concept of college students. Career selection provides help and reference.

Reasons for college major-job mismatch and labor market outcomes: Evidence from China

Almost a quarter of recent college graduates in China are working in jobs that are not related to their college major—mismatched—due to various reasons. In this study, combining administrative records with survey data on a large sample of college graduates from the class of 2019 in a central province of China, we provide, to the best of our knowledge, the first evidence on the effects of different types of mismatches on a variety of labor market outcomes among recent Chinese college graduates. To address the endogeneity problem associated with mismatch, we use a variety of proxies for individual ability and resources, employ the propensity score matching strategy, and use the bounding analysis to examine the extent to which our estimates are sensitive to unobserved influences. Results show that workers who are mismatched due to personal interests (interest-mismatched) have better labor market outcomes than other types of mismatched workers, as well as matched workers, in terms of higher probabilities of getting promoted and receiving on-the-job training. Of all mismatched workers, skill-mismatched workers (mismatched due to a lack of skills) and demand-mismatched workers (mismatched due to jobs in related fields being unavailable) are associated with lower probabilities of job satisfaction, promotion, and job stability. Results from identification strategies reveal some evidence of selection on observed variables and some evidence of sample selection, but our findings remain consistent and most estimates are robust to a potentially relatively large influence of unobserved heterogeneity. Further analysis demonstrates some gender differences in the estimated effects of different types of mismatches on labor market outcomes.

Role of perceived events in university graduates' job search self-efficacy and success

This study aims to enrich job search literature by examining the unique role of perceived job search events in predicting job search self-efficacy (JSSE) and two job search outcomes (i.e., perceived job search progress, the number of job offers) during the school-to-work transition. Two hundred and fourteen Chinese university graduates were asked to describe two representative job search events (one positive and one negative) and rate them on multiple dimensions (i.e., frequency, novelty, disruptiveness, criticality, and controllability). Content analysis reveals five categories of positive events (i.e., good preparation, social support, positive feedback, fair treatment, good luck) and five categories of negative events (i.e., inadequate preparation, fierce competition, negative feedback, unfair treatment, bad luck). Results from a two-wave study show that after individual differences in self-regulation strengths (i.e., proactive personality, approach-avoidance traits, core self-evaluation, career adaptability), baseline levels of JSSE and job search success are controlled (measured at Time 1), event content and dimensions account for 13% of the variance in JSSE at Time 2, which partially mediates the effects of criticality and novelty of positive events on perceived progress and number of job offers at Time 2. Additionally, negative events controllability and positive events frequency are directly related to perceived progress and number of offers, respectively, which JSSE cannot explain. This study advances the current understanding of the conceptualization and effects of job search events.

An Investigation and Research on the Employment Value Orientation of College Students

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the employment situation of Chinese college graduates has become increasingly severe, exacerbating the environmental problems. Stability makes it more difficult for companies to survive. According to the main viewpoint of the ability school of the enterprise ability theory, ability is the key skill and tacit knowledge possessed by the enterprise, and it is a kind of intellectual capital owned by the enterprise, which determines the scale and boundary of the enterprise. How to retain these talents that determine the size and boundary of an enterprise is the foundation of an enterprise. University students from prestigious universities are the freshest blood in our country's future talent pool. How to attract and retain this fresh blood is an important issue that enterprises need to think about. This article comprehensively uses scientific survey methods such as the compilation scale method and the interview method. Through the analysis of literature, individual interviews, corporate interviews, and model construction, it investigates and studies the influencing factors of college students’ employment value orientation from a qualitative and quantitative perspective, multi-level and multi-perspective. The study found that both before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, the employment value orientation of college students was most affected by the external remuneration dimension, and was not significantly affected by the work-family harmonious balance dimension; and the significant difference before and after the COVID-19 pandemic was the internal satisfaction dimension. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, this is an important factor to consider when college students are employed, but this factor has no significant effect after the epidemic.

Insights from a Survey into Chinese University Graduates’ Perceptions Toward University-Level English Courses

Needs analysis guides course and curriculum design. In addition to mandatory courses, it is necessary for intensive language schools and institutes. Recent university graduates in China are increasingly enrolling in language training at public and private language schools to hone their communication abilities. On the other hand, English courses as the workplace prerequisites for Chinese university graduates have been scientifically researched and found to be exceedingly rare. The research's fundamental premise serves that there is a substantial link between the demands of Chinese recent graduates and university English course design. The aim of this research is to assess the goals, needs, and perceived utility of university English courses among recent on-the-job Chinese graduates over an eight-month period. After evaluating the questionnaire and interview replies, it was concluded that these Chinese young graduates in China had similar learning demands, with listening and speaking skills taking primacy. Additionally, various characteristics were discovered that show why an English course designed for future workplace purposes is advantageous to university students. The results are examined in terms of their pedagogical importance for curriculum creation and classroom practice in English courses at the university.
  

A Study on the Regression Analysis between Employment Stress and Career Decision-making Anxiety of Chinese Normal University Graduates

목적 코로나19 사태로 일반 졸업생들이 겪는 취업 스트레스(Stress)와 직업 선택에 대한 불안이 더 큰 영향을 미칠 것으로 보인다. 중국 사범대학 졸업생의 직업 선택에 영향을 미치는 주요 요인을 찾기 위해 사범대학 졸업생의 취업 스트레스와 직업 선택 불안에 대한 상관관계 및 회귀분석을 탐구한다. 방법 본 연구는 정량적인 분석 방법을 채택하고 있다. 중국의 사범대학 졸업예정 대학생 410명을 대상으로 취업 스트레스와 직업 선택의 불안에 대한 설문조사를 실시하였다. 본 논문에서는 SPSS 23.0 통계 분석 소프트웨어를 사용하여 독립 표본 t-검정, 일원 분산 분석, Pearson 상관분석과 회귀분석에 대하여 데이터를 분석하였다. 결과 사범대학 졸업생의 취업 스트레스와 직업 선택의 불안은 전체적으로 중간 수준에 있다. 성별, 전공, 진원지(place of origin), 학생 간부, 취업 여부(employment status), 학업 성적 등 인구학적 변수에 현저한 차이가 있었다. 취업 스트레스는 직업 선택의 불안과 현저한 상관관계 및 회귀분석가 있다. 회귀분석 결과 사범대학 졸업생의 취업 스트레스는 직업 선택의 불안에 대해 예측 효과가 있었다. 결론 상관관계 및 회귀분석 결과 사범대학 졸업생의 취업 스트레스는 직업 선택의 불안과 밀접한 관련이 있음을 알 수 있었다. 사회와 학교는 마땅히 적당한 조치를 취해 사범대학 졸업생의 스트레스를 줄여야 한다. 졸업생들도 스트레스(Stress)를 동기(motivation)로 바꾸고 직업 선택의 불안을 완화하는 자기 조절을 학습해야 한다.

Inequality in the Initial Wage of College Graduates at the College-Level Perspective

College graduates, as a labor force with high human capital accumulation, have the problem of initial wage inequality, which is worth paying attention to. Based on the collated micro-survey data form “Employment and Entrepreneurship Development Report of Chinese College Graduates”, which contains 339 samples from vocational colleges, 453 from common colleges, and 360 from key colleges, this study empirically analyzed the inequality of college graduates’ initial wages at the college level. We found that the initial wage income level of college graduates is significantly influenced by the college level. The higher the level is, the higher the initial wage. The initial wage of graduates from key colleges is the highest, and the income inequality between them and vocational college graduates is the most significant. Moreover, there are structural differences in the wage premium effect of the college level on college graduates with a change in wage level. In addition, the study found that there is an obvious gender wage difference among college graduates, and political status, academic ranking, and student cadre experience as well as the nature of the workplace all contributed to the formation of wage premiums to a certain extent.

The formative nature of graduation travel

Graduation travel, or a trip taken after completion of undergraduate studies, is a niche phenomenon. Given the dearth of research on graduation travel, this study is first to investigate the stage-specific identity formation when a sense of self is initially established. Underpinned by the dual-cycle theory, the study considered two dimensions of identity consolidation - exploration in-depth and identification with commitment. Based on the survey with 393 Chinese university graduates, five benefits sought emerged: Social Fulfillment, Self-efficacy Improvement, Escape/Relaxation, Interest Pursuit, and Self-esteem Enhancement. Social Fulfillment and Self-Esteem had a positive effect on Exploration in-Depth, while Self-esteem Enhancement and Self-efficacy Improvement positively influenced Identification with Commitment. Tourism industry over-delivers on Escape/Relaxation and under-delivers on other benefits.

Air pollution and brain drain: Evidence from college graduates in China

This paper provides one of the few evidence about migration responses among talents to air pollution. Specifically, we investigate the impact of PM2.5 concentration on job location decisions of Chinese college graduates at the beginning of their professional careers. The results indicate that a 10-unit increase in PM2.5 concentration raises college graduates' probability to leave their current city by 10% point. We also find larger impacts on graduates from elite colleges and less polluted hometowns. Our empirical results are consistent with a simple model in which the location choice of college graduates depends on their wage payment and air pollution. Our findings supplement existent literature in documenting important ways in which air pollution may associate with the loss of highly-educated talents.

Profiles of Calling and Their Relation to University-to-Work Transition Outcomes

In this study, we adopted a person-centered approach using latent profile analysis to explore whether profiles of calling based on the internal and external sources of a calling are identified and how these profiles relate to successful university-to-work transition outcomes (i.e., higher career satisfaction, higher person-job fit, and lower turnover intentions). We assessed a sample of 684 Chinese university graduates 1 week before and 6 months after graduation and found five profiles of calling: strongly undeveloped calling, moderately undeveloped calling, transcendent calling, highly transcendent calling, and modern calling. We found that a calling that was driven by internal and external sources (i.e., transcendent calling) or predominantly by internal sources (i.e., modern calling) was related to more successful university-to-work transition outcomes. Our findings contribute to the literature on calling by showing that the sources of calling are important to conceptualize different types of calling and differentiate the role of different callings.

An Empirical Research on the Employment of Chinese University and College New Graduates Under the Impact of COVID-19

An Empirical Research on the Employment of Chinese University and College New Graduates Under the Impact of COVID-19

The Application and Research of Heat Transfer Experiment Course Based on Computer Hybrid Learning Method

In heat transfer experimental course, there are very common that some students only record experimental data and copy others’ experimental reports. They do not need to preview before the class, and they do not need to think during the experiment. However, as an important practical subject in experimental teaching, heat transfer experiment course will seriously affect the output quality of Chinese college graduates. This paper firstly analyzes the existing problems in the heat transfer experimental course based on computer hybrid learning method. Then, this paper puts forward the teaching mode reforming of heat transfer experiment course based on computer hybrid learning method. Finally, this paper puts forward the computer teaching mode suitable for colleges and universities at the present stage, which is combining with teaching, experiment and examination.

Zero-Sum Construal of Workplace Success Promotes Initial Work Role Behavior by Activating Prevention Focus: Evidence From Chinese College and University Graduates.

Given that the population of Chinese college and university graduates has become larger and larger year by year since 1999, the problem of individual graduate’s employment and workplace adaptability has captured widespread social concern and interest from both scholars and practitioners. Initial work role behavior is essential to an individual graduate’s successful adaptation to the workplace and sustainable career development as a new employee. Based on social cognition theory, sense-making theory, and regulatory focus theory, we argue that the individual graduate’s zero-sum construal of workplace success is a key factor influencing his or her initial workplace adaptability, which not only directly augments initial work role behavior but also elicits the new employee’s inclination toward prevention focus, which in turn enhances initial work role behavior in the context of China’s present steady economic development. Moreover, the individual graduate’s average pay level moderates the mediating effect of prevention focus, such that the higher the average pay level is, the stronger the positive effect of zero-sum construal on initial work role behavior via prevention focus becomes. Two-stage survey data from 258 Chinese university graduates who have already entered organizations as full-time employees and their direct supervisors provided evidence consistent with our hypothesized first-stage moderated mediation model. Implications, limitations, and future research suggestions are also discussed.

Composition effect matters: Decomposing the gender pay gap in Chinese university graduates

The purpose of this article is to decompose the composition effect and wage structure effect of the gender starting pay gap in Chinese university graduates at every quantile. The article aims to determine if the pay gap at every quantile is a result of gender characteristics difference, or the differences in returns to those characteristics. A 2007 Chinese university survey of new graduates employment and capacity conducted by an education research company MyCOS institute is used. This article exploits a counterfactual decomposition analysis using quantile regression to decompose the gender pay gap into one component that is based on differences in characteristics and one component that is based on differences in coefficients across the log wage distribution. We find that the majority of the gender pay differential is attributed to the gender difference in the endowment of human capital and the composition effect explains 30–60% of the pay difference at each quantile of the log wage distribution. It means that female graduates have almost the same rewards to characteristics as their male counterparts, especially at the bottom of the log wage distribution. We also find that female graduates have lower mean work capacity than male graduates and work capacity is positively related with wage. This article provides policy implications on how to reduce the gender pay gap after higher education reform in a transition economy.

Research on the Problems Existing in the Employment of College Students in the New Era and the Employment Guidance Strategy of Counselors

This paper analyzes the employment situation of Chinese colleges and universities and finds the problems existing in the employment of Chinese college graduates. Through a problem-oriented approach, the counselor’s employment guidance strategy is proposed to provide a basis for improving the employment quality of college graduates.

Analysis of Employment Trends for Chinese College Graduates from 2003 to 2017

This article utilizes data from eight surveys of national samples of college graduates conducted by the Institute of Economics of Education at Peking University in 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017 to conduct a trend analysis on employment status and job-seeking status among graduates, summarizing 12 overarching employment characteristics and changing trends for graduates since the expansion of admissions at institutions of higher education in China, and proposing corresponding policy recommendations.

The interplay of proactive personality and internship quality in Chinese university graduates' job search success: The role of career adaptability

Based on the job characteristics model and career construction theory, this study examined the role of internship quality in the employment success of Chinese university students. A four-wave survey study was conducted in a sample of university graduates (N = 207) and the results showed that after the effects of baseline career adaptability (Time 1) were controlled, internship quality (Time 2) and proactive personality (Time 2) positively were both associated with subsequent career adaptability (Time 3), which was further related to indicators of employment success (number of job offers, starting salary, and job search efficiency) at Time 4. In addition, internship quality was also found to be a significant moderator of the relationship between proactive personality and career adaptability as well as employment success, such that when internship quality was lower, the indirect effect of proactive personality on job search success through career adaptability was stronger. The corresponding moderated mediation model was also supported by the results. These findings carry implications for future studies on school-to-work transition and organizational recruitment practices.

Encouraging “Grassroots Employment” for Chinese University Graduates: Promotion of “Socialist Citizenship” under Incentive Schemes

Why are Chinese university graduates, who in the past avoided socio-economically backward rural areas, willing to start their careers in such areas today? This research argues that the Chinese authorities have promoted “grassroots employment” for university graduates through preferential policies together with the values of “socialist citizenship”. However, the preferential policies actually reflect a different value of “instrumental utilitarianism” which resonates well with the dominant youth culture. This article examines the promotional strategies of four “grassroots employment” programmes in order to determine whether the popularity of the four programmes is due to the success of “socialist citizenship” or to the preferential policies. The benefits, difficulties and prospects of achieving the objectives of these “grassroots employment” programmes are briefly evaluated. The main conclusions are that the authorities have used “socialist citizenship” as a camouflage and that the preferential policies have accentuated youths’ enthusiasm to join the programmes.