Competitive Labor Market Research Articles

Bridging the Gap: Technical and Management Competencies of BSHM Graduates in the Philippine Context

The advancement of the hospitality industry demands competent, well-educated, and highly trained staff for success in a competitive labor market. This study aimed to determine the work readiness of Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management (BSHM) students by evaluating their technical and management skills and identifying factors affecting skill development. A mixed-method approach was used with 105 randomly selected BSHM-graduating students. Students’ self-assessed technical skills were measured using a survey questionnaire, while actual technical skills in housekeeping and food/beverage services were assessed via demonstration tests. Management skills were evaluated using a teacher-developed scale. An open-ended questionnaire gathered qualitative data on the factors affecting skill development from 30 participants. The results showed that the students assessed themselves as competent in housekeeping and food/beverage services. However, the actual assessment revealed competence in housekeeping, but only moderate competence in food/beverage services. Management skills, particularly in analyzing hotel reports and situational analysis, were found to be low. The factors affecting skill development included personal factors (lack of self-confidence, poor study focus), interpersonal factors, teachers’ expertise, internship experiences, laboratory exposure, and socioeconomic conditions. The findings suggest a need for continuous post-graduate training and development in specializations, implementation of comprehensive programs to enhance technical and essential skills, and addressing factors hindering skill development to better prepare graduates for industry demands. Recommendations include improving practical exposure, focused training in weaker areas, and enhancing teachers’ expertise through professional development.

A job ladder model of executive compensation

This paper examines the impact of managerial labor market competition on executive incentive contracts. I develop a dynamic contracting model that incorporates moral hazard, search frictions, and poaching offers. The model generates a job ladder along which executives can either use outside offers to renegotiate with the current firm or transition to outside firms. I show that poaching offers generate a new source of incentives, which explains a novel empirical finding whereby larger firms give executives a higher proportion of incentive compensation.

Higher education student engagement, leadership potential and self-perceived employability in the United Arab Emirates

ABSTRACT Higher education student engagement (HESE) is increasingly essential for developing employability and leadership potential. While several academic institutions worldwide have underscored the importance of fostering leadership skills, there remains an evident gap in the UAE’s understanding of the impact of student engagement on leadership potential and perceived employability. Thus, by adopting a quantitative research approach, this study validates the HESE scale and examines its associations with leadership potential (LP) and self-perceived employability (SPE) among undergraduate students in the UAE. The results reveal that increased student engagement significantly enhances LP and is positively associated with SPE. In addition, a higher level of HESE notably strengthens the relationship between LP and SPE. Universities in the UAE can leverage these findings to refine their activities to improve student engagement initiatives, which could bridge the current skills gap and boost student readiness for the competitive labour market. The research recommends integrating comprehensive student engagement strategies in higher education to develop essential leadership skills and confidence in employability among students, aligning academic preparation with market demands.

Unveiling the impact of school organizational justice on students’ professional commitment through academic stress mediation

Accurately understanding the critical elements influencing college students’ professional commitment is both an urgent practical requirement and a critical theoretical proposition in today’s intensely competitive job market. In order to provide new light on career development in the context of higher education, this study intends to investigate the complex interactions among college students between perceived organizational justice, academic stress, and professional commitment. Using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, regression analysis, and structural equation modeling, we carried out a thorough investigation of H University’s full-time undergraduate students in Central China in order to thoroughly examine our hypothesis. The results show that students’ professional commitment is much lower when they view organizational justice to be lacking, and that there is a partial mediating role for academic stress in this relationship. Interestingly, organizational justice has a positive correlation with professional commitment and a negative correlation with academic stress. These findings provide educators and policymakers with insightful information, indicating that, in an increasingly competitive labor market, professional commitment is largely dependent on students’ ability to manage their academic stress and develop a sense of organizational justice. This study adds a new understanding of career development in higher education settings by merging professional commitment research with organizational justice theory. It also has significant implications for educational practices and career support measures.

Learners’ Attitudes and Practices towards Learning Communication Skills: The Cases of Mbeya University of Science and Technology and Arusha Technical College

This study investigated learners' attitudes towards learning communication skills as a fundamental module among ordinary diploma students of science programmes. The study involved a sample of 112 students. A cross-sectional research design was employed. Data were collected through questionnaires and interviews. Quantitative data were analysed using SPSS version 20, while qualitative data were analysed thematically. The findings revealed that diploma students have positive attitudes towards learning communication skills. By comparison, female students were revealed to be more positive than male students. Moreover, first- and third-year students showed more positive attitudes than second-year students. It is recommended that students be emphasised about the importance of communication skills as future professional engineers and for the competitive labour market. To make training sessions more interesting and facilitate the smooth acquisition of the necessary skills, efforts must be made to strengthen communication skills training at colleges and universities.

Self-Presentational Communication in Context Digital Realities of Modern Society

Introduction. In the age of the digital economy and hyper-competition, self-presentation communication as a type of self-promotion, as the ability to present oneself to a communication partner, employer, business partner or target audience, is considered by experts as a key skill of the 21st century. It is also considered as one of the significant factors of competition both in the modern highly competitive labor market and in the consumer market, both global and local. The article discusses the theoretical foundations of self-presentational communication in its historical retrospective, traditions, innovations and development trends in the conditions of new realities.Methodology and sources. The methodology of philosophical, sociological and interdisciplinary approaches is used. The article uses the following sources: specialized literature from domestic and foreign authors, scientific research, publications and websites that allow one to explore the specifics of digital self-presentation, its new formats and current practices.Results and discussion. Digital society is a society whose distinctive feature is the electronic-digital method of receiving, storing and distributing information, as well as the electronic-digital mediation of social relations and communicative interaction. One of the ways of such interaction is digital self-presentation, which combines the traditions of this content and innovations caused by the development of new technologies.Conclusion. Self-presentational communication, like the entire communicative component of modern society, including the «human-AI» interface, is carried out in three spatial dimensions: real/offline/Physics, virtual/online/Digital, as well as in their interaction offline online/Phygital. In each dimension, self-presentational communication has its own specifics and could can be considered both as a separate phenomenon and in the process of continuity and development.

Employer branding and monopsony power in the labour market: a vignette experiment

Abstract Many firms engage in marketing efforts to improve their image as an employer (employer branding [EB]). This article re-conceptualises EB as an instrument used by firms to increase their monopsonistic power (Robinson, 1933), that is, the power of firms to set wages below the level that would be expected in a competitive labour market. To test this hypothesis, we perform a vignette experiment using original data collected via Amazon Mechanical Turk in which we randomly vary wage offers at employer-branded and not-branded firms. Our results indicate that employer-branded firms possess more monopsonistic power, particularly over male workers. We conclude by arguing that the wage-setting power of firms not only arises from illegal practices and clear aberrations of the economic system—as is the dominant discourse—but also from certain legal and widely accepted business practices.

Assessing Evidence-Based Disability Inclusion Policy and Practices to Promote Employment of People With Disabilities in the Workplace: Scale Development and Validation

There is a strong commitment in the United States and the European Union to better support people with disabilities in the competitive labor market, where disability inclusion is widely viewed as a social imperative and underscored in policies, such as the European Union’s Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2020–2030, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. However, there is a lack of readily available strategies and tools for rehabilitation counselors to collaborate effectively with businesses and organizations in assessing their progress toward these inclusion goals. To address this need, the Disability Inclusion Profiler (DIP23) was developed to assess disability inclusion policies and practices. This study aimed to examine the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the DIP23 in a sample of 466 human resources managers. Exploratory factor analysis indicated a two-factor measurement structure: (1) Executive Level and (2) Middle Management and Staff Level Disability Inclusion Policies. Both factors demonstrated strong internal consistency and correlated with employment rates of people with disabilities. The DIP23 is a psychometrically sound measure for rehabilitation counselors to help organizations assess their disability-inclusive climate and identify areas of strengths and areas needing improvement to increase disability representation in the workplace.

Firm gender labour supply elasticities and sources of separation: evidence from Chile

ABSTRACT We exploit a national administrative dataset to estimate labour supply elasticities at the firm level in Chile, distinguishing for the first time the source of separation (quits versus layoffs), which is crucial as only the former is consistent with employees’ responses to changes in wages. Our results suggest that labour supply elasticities increase by around 18% when all separations (i.e. without identifying its source) are used instead of voluntary separations (i.e. quits). Hence, it transpires that previous literature, which due to data constraints, did not identify the source of separations, presented results which were upward biased, thus overestimating labour market competitiveness. We also find that between firm differences in the gender-specific elasticities are more relevant than within firm differences when voluntary separations are used, a result that should be considered by governments in the design of their gender gap policy agenda.

Labour Market Arrangements and Competition Law in Australia: Time for Change?

AbstractAs part of an ongoing review of Australia's Competition and Consumer Act (CCA) by Treasury, consideration is being given to removing the exemption from that law for conduct related to the labour market. This article considers whether there is sufficient justification to do so and, if so, how such conduct should be assessed under the CCA. No‐poach agreements are cartel conduct and other restrictive agreements may substantially lessen competition in labour markets. Nevertheless, in some circumstances there are legitimate reasons for some of these arrangements. Some suggestions are made as to how restrictive labour arrangements could be addressed by competition law.

The Effect of Export Market Access on Labor Market Power: Firm-level Evidence from Vietnam

We examine the impact of an export market expansion created by the US-Vietnam Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) on labor market competition among Vietnamese manufacturing firms. We measure distortionary wedges between equilibrium marginal revenue products of labor (MRPL) and wages nonparametrically and find that the median firm pays workers 59% of their MRPL. The BTA permanently decreases labor market distortion in manufacturing by 3.4%, mainly for domestic private firms. The median distortion is 26% higher for women than men, and the decline in distortion for women drives the overall distortion reduction. We shed some light on the mechanisms for these results.

How can emotional intelligence organizations improve job performance of job candidates?

Background: Prospective workers need to have good work performance to be able to increase competitiveness and work productivity. Candidates who have the ability to monitor their emotions will find it easier to achieve good performance. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the effect of emotional intelligence organizations to work performance of prospective workers. Methods: Quantitative method was used in this study with ex post facto as the research design. The subjects of this study were 155 trainees at Semarang Job Training Center 1 class of 2023. In this study, the hypothesis was tested using a simple linear regression test. Finding: This study found the level of organizational emotional intelligence of trainees is in the low category, the level of job performance is in the low category, and emotional intelligence organizations has a positive influence on the job performance of trainees. This research found that trainees with high emotional intelligence at work have good performance, and vice versa. Conclusion: Further researchers can use other methods to obtain more comprehensive results and add or change other variables relevant to job performance. This reaserch suggest that career guidance services play a crucial role in enhancing job performance for job candidates. Novelty/Originality of this study: This study provides a new perspective on the importance of organizational emotional intelligence in improving the job performance of prospective workers. This study offers insights that can be directly applied in developing training programs at the Job Training Center, focusing on improving emotional intelligence to increase the competitiveness and productivity of prospective workers in a competitive labour market.

Goods market desirability of minimum wages

AbstractThis paper presents a general equilibrium model incorporating heterogeneous firms and a perfectly competitive labour market to explore the desirability of minimum wages. We demonstrate that a low minimum wage could enhance social welfare, assuming equal weighting for all individuals. This occurs because the introduction of minimum wages has the potential to mitigate the goods market distortions arising from imperfect competition, firm heterogeneity and free entry. Additionally, we illustrate that the optimal minimum wage is positively associated with the preference intensity for differentiated products relative to the numeraire and population size, while it negatively correlates with the degree of love for variety, entry cost, and upper bound of marginal labour requirements.

Public policy and labour market competition

Abstract Broad recent interest in the failure of competition in labour markets has led to several new public policy initiatives. This commentary reviews initiatives related to antitrust laws, as well as initiatives associated with the labour market effects of firm mergers and non-compete and non-solicitation agreements.

Phân tích ảnh hưởng của trí tuệ nhân tạo đối với quy trình tuyển dụng nhân sự trong doanh nghiệp tại Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become an indispensable tool in the human resource recruitment process of businesses in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). With its automation and data analysis capabilities, AI helps optimize the recruitment process, from resume screening to predicting candidate performance. This not only saves time and costs for businesses but also enhances the quality of selected candidates. Moreover, AI plays a crucial role in eliminating biases and hidden prejudices in the recruitment process, ensuring fairness and diversity. By creating engaging and convenient interactive experiences for candidates through technologies such as chatbots and human-machine interfaces, AI also helps enhance the company’s image and attract high-quality talent. For businesses in HCMC, using artificial intelligence in the recruitment process is not only a trend but also a key factor for success in today’s competitive labor market. Based on practical research, the article has proposed four implicit solutions to enhance the effectiveness of artificial intelligence in the recruitment process of businesses in HCMC, Vietnam.

The Current State of Research on the Development of Entrepreneurial Competence in Vocational Education

This research paper delves into the current state of outline of entrepreneurial competence development in vocational education. It analyzes the research problems of domestic and international researchers from 2016 to the present, drawing conclusions about the effectiveness of the economic component of content in vocational education and the level of development of entrepreneurial competence for changing students' economic behavior. The research identified a prevalence of theory over practice, highlighting the challenge of implementing entrepreneurial practices, internships, mobility programs, and grant project participation for educators and students. The study underscores the need for state support and assistance for future entrepreneurs, improvement of the quality and quantitative indicators of the effectiveness of students, and official registration of youth startups. The study offers recommendations for enhancing the pedagogical effectiveness of entrepreneurial competence development in the vocational education system: curriculum revision: review and update the content, means, and methods of instruction to incorporate interactive learning forms that foster entrepreneurial competence development; personnel education: training future teachers of vocational (technical and vocational education) who are capable of developing entrepreneurial competence; institutional collaboration: establish cooperation between state institutions (vocational education institutions and employment centers) to provide graduates of vocational educational institutions with non-reimbursable state financial assistance for entrepreneurial activities. The study emphasizes the crucial role of entrepreneurial competence development in preparing students for the dynamic and competitive labor market. By implementing the proposed recommendations, vocational education institutions can effectively equip students with the necessary skills, knowledge and attitudes to navigate the entrepreneurial activities and contribute to economic growth.

Procedure Matters: The Distinct Attitudinal Feedback Effects of Immigration Policy

AbstractNatives who dislike immigrants prefer restrictive immigration policies, but do those policies deepen or alleviate anti-immigrant attitudes? Existing theories have offered mixed predictions. Restrictions imposed on immigrants may harden intergroup boundaries and thus deepen hostilities. However, they may also soften attitudes by addressing the economic and identity concerns of natives. Using a conjoint experiment conducted in Hong Kong, I test the multidimensional effects of immigration policies on natives’ attitudes toward highly skilled immigrants. I find that restrictive measures consistently generate more positive attitudes. Strikingly, this effect cannot be fully accounted for by major theoretical explanations, including labor market competition, social identity, and welfare attitudes. Preexisting policy preferences do not condition the effect either. These findings point to the importance of attitudinal policy feedback beyond traditional accounts of immigration attitudes. In-depth qualitative interviews identify two novel causal mechanisms: moralizing and quality assurance effects.

Me in a Minute

Graduates require evidence of employability beyond marks and grades to differentiate themselves in the highly competitive labour market. Universities cannot guarantee employment, but they can engage students in learning and recognise achievement that is relevant to employment. Here, we share preliminary insights from interviews investigating student perceptions of an extra-curricular video strategy designed to develop and showcase graduate employability. The Me in a Minute video strategy provides students with support to film a one minute video pitch aimed at potential employers. Student perceptions of the strategy suggest that in addition to providing an individualised artefact that can be used to showcase achievement, the strategy engages students in reflection that helps them to better understand and articulate evidence of their achievements relevant to employment. Furthermore, students value the learning associated with pitching, more than the video itself.

Impact of Onboarding on Employee Retention in Case Of India

This study examines the impact of onboarding practices on employee retention in the context of India. Because of the intense competition in the Indian labor market and the challenges associated with retaining talent, effective onboarding techniques are essential for businesses seeking to lower their turnover rates. This research aims to shed light on the relationship between onboarding experiences and subsequent employee retention outcomes in Indian companies by conducting an extensive review of the relevant literature and analyzing empirical data. We'll look at key components including work satisfaction, social integration, training and development, and corporate culture to determine how they impact onboarding programs' long-term ability to retain employees. In order to offer a more thorough outlook, the unique cultural peculiarities and socioeconomic features that are typical in India will also It is predicted that the research's findings would further theoretically understanding and have implications for HRM and organizational leaders.

Examining the efficacy of inoculation and value‐affirmation interventions in improving precandidate reactions among prospective military recruits

AbstractThis study engaged 4848 first‐time, English‐speaking prospective Canadian Armed Forces applicants to evaluate pre‐application interventions' efficacy on the Practice Canadian Forces Aptitude Test (PCFAT). Using a five‐level between‐subjects design, participants were randomly assigned to one of the following intervention conditions: inoculation message, value‐affirmation message, a combination of both, placebo writing intervention, or a no‐intervention control group. The interventions were anchored in inoculation theory and value‐affirmation theory and aimed to reduce math anxiety and close the gender gap in test performance. Contrary to expectations, the interventions did not significantly reduce math anxiety or improve problem‐solving performance. Consistent with the literature, a negative relationship was found between levels of math anxiety and problem‐solving scores, and men outscored women in problem‐solving across all conditions. Despite these outcomes, the study lays a foundation for future research on enhancing pre‐applicant experiences in an increasingly competitive labor market. Implications and future directions are discussed.