Linking Mentoring and Job Search Behavior: A Moderated Mediation Model

Ruirui Lian; Wenjing Cai; Kun Chen; Hongru Shen; Xiaopei Gao; Binfeng Xu; Lin Jiang

doi:10.1177/21582440211067235

Linking Mentoring and Job Search Behavior: A Moderated Mediation Model

Ruirui Lian, Wenjing Cai^*, Kun Chen, Hongru Shen, Xiaopei Gao, Binfeng Xu, Lin Jiang

^*Corresponding author for this work

Management and Organisation

Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

The present research aims to explore the impact of mentoring relationship on college graduates’ job search behavior among Chinese undergraduate students by examining the mediator of job search intention and the moderator of job search self-efficacy. A two-wave survey study was conducted in China (N = 594). Our findings show a positive indirect relation between mentoring and college graduates’ job search behaviors through job search intention. The graduates’ job search self-efficacy positively moderated the indirect relationship such that when job search self-efficacy was higher, the influence of mentoring on behavior via job search intention was stronger. These findings extend the literature by clarifying how and when mentoring facilitates graduates’ job search behaviors and provide practical implications for facilitating a smooth school-to-work transition in China. As the first study that empirically clarifies why (through job search intention) and when (job search self-efficacy) mentoring function is positively related to job search behavior among Chinese undergraduate students, the present study contributes to the existing mentoring and job search literature. Future research is encouraged to extend the findings by integrating theory of planned behavior (TPB) with self-regulation theory toward deepening current understanding of how and when mentoring can contribute to a student’s success in job search behavior.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1-12
Number of pages	12
Journal	Sage Open
Volume	11
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440211067235
Publication status	Published - 1 Dec 2021

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This research was supported by Provincial quality project of Higher education in Anhui Province (NO. 2020jyxm0331/2020kfkc165/2020xsxxkc128); Academic Funding Project for Top-notch Academic Talents in Universities (NO. gxyq2020168); Anhui Jianzhu University Doctoral Fund (NO. 2019QDR02); Key Research Project of Humanities and Social Science of Anhui Province (NO. SK2019A0635/SK2020A0272/SK2020A0268); USTC Research Funds of the Double First-Class Initiative (NO. YD2160002010); the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NO. 72002211); Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (NO. WK2160000014).

Funding Information:
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This research was supported by Provincial quality project of Higher education in Anhui Province (NO. 2020jyxm0331/2020kfkc165/2020xsxxkc128); Academic Funding Project for Top-notch Academic Talents in Universities (NO. gxyq2020168); Anhui Jianzhu University Doctoral Fund (NO. 2019QDR02); Key Research Project of Humanities and Social Science of Anhui Province (NO. SK2019A0635/SK2020A0272/SK2020A0268); USTC Research Funds of the Double First-Class Initiative (NO. YD2160002010); the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NO. 72002211); Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (NO. WK2160000014).

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2021.

Keywords

college graduates
job search behavior
job search intention
job search self-efficacy
mentoring function

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1177/21582440211067235

Persistent URL (handle)

Copy link address

Cite this

@article{6ccb26ed1d2643dda953d54801eaf36a,

title = "Linking Mentoring and Job Search Behavior: A Moderated Mediation Model",

abstract = "The present research aims to explore the impact of mentoring relationship on college graduates{\textquoteright} job search behavior among Chinese undergraduate students by examining the mediator of job search intention and the moderator of job search self-efficacy. A two-wave survey study was conducted in China (N = 594). Our findings show a positive indirect relation between mentoring and college graduates{\textquoteright} job search behaviors through job search intention. The graduates{\textquoteright} job search self-efficacy positively moderated the indirect relationship such that when job search self-efficacy was higher, the influence of mentoring on behavior via job search intention was stronger. These findings extend the literature by clarifying how and when mentoring facilitates graduates{\textquoteright} job search behaviors and provide practical implications for facilitating a smooth school-to-work transition in China. As the first study that empirically clarifies why (through job search intention) and when (job search self-efficacy) mentoring function is positively related to job search behavior among Chinese undergraduate students, the present study contributes to the existing mentoring and job search literature. Future research is encouraged to extend the findings by integrating theory of planned behavior (TPB) with self-regulation theory toward deepening current understanding of how and when mentoring can contribute to a student{\textquoteright}s success in job search behavior.",

keywords = "college graduates, job search behavior, job search intention, job search self-efficacy, mentoring function",

author = "Ruirui Lian and Wenjing Cai and Kun Chen and Hongru Shen and Xiaopei Gao and Binfeng Xu and Lin Jiang",

note = "Funding Information: The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This research was supported by Provincial quality project of Higher education in Anhui Province (NO. 2020jyxm0331/2020kfkc165/2020xsxxkc128); Academic Funding Project for Top-notch Academic Talents in Universities (NO. gxyq2020168); Anhui Jianzhu University Doctoral Fund (NO. 2019QDR02); Key Research Project of Humanities and Social Science of Anhui Province (NO. SK2019A0635/SK2020A0272/SK2020A0268); USTC Research Funds of the Double First-Class Initiative (NO. YD2160002010); the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NO. 72002211); Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (NO. WK2160000014). Funding Information: The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This research was supported by Provincial quality project of Higher education in Anhui Province (NO. 2020jyxm0331/2020kfkc165/2020xsxxkc128); Academic Funding Project for Top-notch Academic Talents in Universities (NO. gxyq2020168); Anhui Jianzhu University Doctoral Fund (NO. 2019QDR02); Key Research Project of Humanities and Social Science of Anhui Province (NO. SK2019A0635/SK2020A0272/SK2020A0268); USTC Research Funds of the Double First-Class Initiative (NO. YD2160002010); the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NO. 72002211); Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (NO. WK2160000014). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2021.",

year = "2021",

month = dec,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1177/21582440211067235",

language = "English",

volume = "11",

pages = "1--12",

journal = "Sage Open",

issn = "2158-2440",

publisher = "SAGE Publications Inc.",

number = "4",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Linking Mentoring and Job Search Behavior

T2 - A Moderated Mediation Model

AU - Lian, Ruirui

AU - Cai, Wenjing

AU - Chen, Kun

AU - Shen, Hongru

AU - Gao, Xiaopei

AU - Xu, Binfeng

AU - Jiang, Lin

N1 - Funding Information: The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This research was supported by Provincial quality project of Higher education in Anhui Province (NO. 2020jyxm0331/2020kfkc165/2020xsxxkc128); Academic Funding Project for Top-notch Academic Talents in Universities (NO. gxyq2020168); Anhui Jianzhu University Doctoral Fund (NO. 2019QDR02); Key Research Project of Humanities and Social Science of Anhui Province (NO. SK2019A0635/SK2020A0272/SK2020A0268); USTC Research Funds of the Double First-Class Initiative (NO. YD2160002010); the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NO. 72002211); Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (NO. WK2160000014). Funding Information: The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This research was supported by Provincial quality project of Higher education in Anhui Province (NO. 2020jyxm0331/2020kfkc165/2020xsxxkc128); Academic Funding Project for Top-notch Academic Talents in Universities (NO. gxyq2020168); Anhui Jianzhu University Doctoral Fund (NO. 2019QDR02); Key Research Project of Humanities and Social Science of Anhui Province (NO. SK2019A0635/SK2020A0272/SK2020A0268); USTC Research Funds of the Double First-Class Initiative (NO. YD2160002010); the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NO. 72002211); Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (NO. WK2160000014). Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2021.

PY - 2021/12/1

Y1 - 2021/12/1

N2 - The present research aims to explore the impact of mentoring relationship on college graduates’ job search behavior among Chinese undergraduate students by examining the mediator of job search intention and the moderator of job search self-efficacy. A two-wave survey study was conducted in China (N = 594). Our findings show a positive indirect relation between mentoring and college graduates’ job search behaviors through job search intention. The graduates’ job search self-efficacy positively moderated the indirect relationship such that when job search self-efficacy was higher, the influence of mentoring on behavior via job search intention was stronger. These findings extend the literature by clarifying how and when mentoring facilitates graduates’ job search behaviors and provide practical implications for facilitating a smooth school-to-work transition in China. As the first study that empirically clarifies why (through job search intention) and when (job search self-efficacy) mentoring function is positively related to job search behavior among Chinese undergraduate students, the present study contributes to the existing mentoring and job search literature. Future research is encouraged to extend the findings by integrating theory of planned behavior (TPB) with self-regulation theory toward deepening current understanding of how and when mentoring can contribute to a student’s success in job search behavior.

AB - The present research aims to explore the impact of mentoring relationship on college graduates’ job search behavior among Chinese undergraduate students by examining the mediator of job search intention and the moderator of job search self-efficacy. A two-wave survey study was conducted in China (N = 594). Our findings show a positive indirect relation between mentoring and college graduates’ job search behaviors through job search intention. The graduates’ job search self-efficacy positively moderated the indirect relationship such that when job search self-efficacy was higher, the influence of mentoring on behavior via job search intention was stronger. These findings extend the literature by clarifying how and when mentoring facilitates graduates’ job search behaviors and provide practical implications for facilitating a smooth school-to-work transition in China. As the first study that empirically clarifies why (through job search intention) and when (job search self-efficacy) mentoring function is positively related to job search behavior among Chinese undergraduate students, the present study contributes to the existing mentoring and job search literature. Future research is encouraged to extend the findings by integrating theory of planned behavior (TPB) with self-regulation theory toward deepening current understanding of how and when mentoring can contribute to a student’s success in job search behavior.

KW - college graduates

KW - job search behavior

KW - job search intention

KW - job search self-efficacy

KW - mentoring function

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85121385051&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85121385051&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1177/21582440211067235

DO - 10.1177/21582440211067235

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85121385051

SN - 2158-2440

VL - 11

SP - 1

EP - 12

JO - Sage Open

JF - Sage Open

IS - 4

ER -

Linking Mentoring and Job Search Behavior: A Moderated Mediation Model

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Persistent URL (handle)

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this