Analyzing psychological factors of job search behavior among Nepalese university graduates: An empirical analysis

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Graduate unemployment poses a significant challenge in Nepal, necessitating a comprehensive examination of the psychological factors that influence job search behavior. This study examines the influence of motivation, self-efficacy, goal-setting, and self-regulation on job search behavior among college graduates, specifically those participating in career preparation courses. A systematic survey was conducted from January to March 2024, focusing on 387 job seekers and recent graduates in career preparation programs at universities in the Kathmandu Valley. The sample was chosen through stratified random sampling to guarantee representation of various academic disciplines. A quantitative methodology was utilized, employing regression analysis to evaluate the correlations between psychological factors and job search behavior. The findings demonstrate that goal-setting (β = 0.842, p = 0.000) and self-regulation (β = 0.842, p = 0.000) considerably improve job search behavior, underscoring the significance of emotional regulation and cognitive clarity in surmounting employment obstacles. Motivation significantly enhances job-seeking efforts (β = 0.341, p < 0.001), underscoring its importance in this context. Self-efficacy correlates negatively with job search behavior (β = –0.494, p < 0.001), indicating that excessive confidence may diminish persistence in job-seeking efforts. These findings highlight the necessity for specific policies and educational initiatives that improve goal-setting, self-regulation, and motivation while alleviating the negative impacts of overconfidence by promoting balanced self-efficacy and reasonable expectations. This study enhances the comprehension of psychological factors influencing employability, providing essential insights for creating inclusive, adaptive systems that foster innovation, entrepreneurship, and workforce preparedness via academic-industry collaboration.

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    • Figure 1. Conceptual framework
    • Figure 2. The study model
    • Table 1. The respondents’ general information
    • Table 2. Reliability assessment
    • Table 3. Validity insights
    • Table 4. Model fit indices with cut-off values
    • Table 5. Hypotheses testing
    • Conceptualization
      Binod Ghimire, Rewan Kumar Dahal, Dilli Raj Sharma, Dipendra Karki, Surendra Prasad Joshi
    • Data curation
      Binod Ghimire, Dilli Raj Sharma, Dipendra Karki, Surendra Prasad Joshi
    • Formal Analysis
      Binod Ghimire
    • Methodology
      Binod Ghimire, Rewan Kumar Dahal, Dipendra Karki
    • Project administration
      Binod Ghimire, Rewan Kumar Dahal
    • Software
      Binod Ghimire, Rewan Kumar Dahal, Dipendra Karki
    • Supervision
      Binod Ghimire, Rewan Kumar Dahal
    • Validation
      Binod Ghimire, Rewan Kumar Dahal, Dilli Raj Sharma, Dipendra Karki, Surendra Prasad Joshi
    • Writing – original draft
      Binod Ghimire, Rewan Kumar Dahal, Surendra Prasad Joshi
    • Writing – review & editing
      Binod Ghimire, Rewan Kumar Dahal, Dilli Raj Sharma, Dipendra Karki, Surendra Prasad Joshi
    • Funding acquisition
      Rewan Kumar Dahal
    • Investigation
      Dilli Raj Sharma
    • Resources
      Dilli Raj Sharma, Surendra Prasad Joshi