What Makes Elder Care Students Employable? The Interplay of Family Influence and Occupational Identity

What Makes Elder Care Students Employable? 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The Interplay of Family Influence and Occupational Identity Xian Zhao, Tongfeng Xu This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8100775/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Purpose- As global aging intensifies, enhancing employability—the ability to secure and sustain employment—is critical for elderly care management students, who often struggle to meet industry demands. Given the family environment's lasting influence on career development, understanding its role is key to addressing these challenges. This study examines how family environment affects elderly care students' employability, with occupational identity as a mediator. Methods- A total of 571 students studying elderly care management in the higher education completed an online questionnaire in Hubei province of China. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 27.0 and AMOS 24.0 in five stages: (1) descriptive analysis, (2) reliability and validity analysis, (3) Discriminant validity analysis, (4) assessment of model fit (5) mediating effect test. Results- The findings indicated that family environment had a positive direct relationship with employability of the higher education students majoring in elderly care management. Specially, financial support had the strongest direct effect on employability (p < 0.001), followed by values and beliefs (p < 0.001), informational support (p < 0.001), and family expectations (p = 0.001). Conclusions- This study theoretically expanded existing research by using an SEM model to analyze the relationships among family environment, occupational identity, and employability of Chinese higher education students majoring in elderly care management. It also provided practical suggestions for policymakers to enhance student employability from a family environment perspective amid aging trends. Employability elderly care higher education family expectations financial support informational support values and beliefs occupational identity Figures Figure 1 1. Introduction The global trend of population ageing is becoming more pronounced. Population ageing has profound impact on society and the economy. In the field of elderly care industry, employability is particularly crucial as the industry has evolved from providing basic daily care to offering more comprehensive and specialized services (Zou et al., 2024). In a context of rising demand for care and the shift of care from hospital to community settings, care demand is outstripping the supply of long-term care workers, and workforce shortages will worsen without urgent action (Bach, 2022). This is mainly due to the weak employability of students majoring in elderly care management and their inability to adapt to the diversified development of the needs of the elderly care industry (Liang et al., 2023). Employability goes beyond technical skills, encompassing soft skills like communication, teamwork, and adaptability (Harten et al., 2022). The family environment, encompassing expectations, financial and informational support, as well as values and beliefs, significantly influences students' career related ability (Tasković & Pedović, 2024). Family expectations can either motivate or pressure students, influencing their occupational identity (Gao, 2023). Financial and informational support are equally crucial, helping students navigate academic and career challenges (Li et al., 2021), while family values and beliefs shape long-term career decisions (Dumedah et al., 2023). This study examines how family expectations, financial and informational support, values and beliefs, and occupational identity influence employability among elderly care management students. While financial and informational support and occupational identity have been well-studied, the roles of family expectations and values and beliefs remain underexplored, highlighting key research gaps. Occupational identity, as a mediator, is critical in linking family environment to employability (Koçak et al., 2021). Theoretically, this study bridges family environment research and career development, offering a deeper understanding of employability in elderly care management. Practically, it provides actionable insights for improving educational programs and family support systems, encouraging more professionals to join the industry. As aging populations emerge as a global priority, particularly in China where demographic changes are challenging traditional care systems, this study combines ecological systems theory and identity control theory to provide new insights into the relationship between family environment, occupational identity, and employability. Ecological systems theory (EST) implies the dynamic interactions between individuals and their environments, which are organised into nested levels [10]. It highlights that human development is shaped by the dynamic interplay of various environmental systems, with the family environment and personal social behavior playing crucial roles. Identity control theory (ICT) suggests that an individual's identity is shaped by roles and social norms within the social environment, such as family, workplace, and other social structures. Based on Ecological Systems Theory and Identity Control Theory, this study aim to verify the relationships between family expectations, financial support, informational support, values and beliefs, and employability of higher education students majoring in elderly care management, both directly and indirectly through the mediating role of occupational identity. 2. Literature review and hypothesis development Family environment Past studies analyzing family influence on individual behavior through four major areas: Family expectations, financial support, informational support, values and beliefs (Vautero et al., 2020). For students majoring in elderly care management, the family environment, as a key component of their social ecological system, plays a crucial role in shaping their individual behavior. For proximal processes, meaningful family interactions, like parent-child conversations, and social connections, such as family relationships, are critical for emotional growth and social skill development [11]. So in the context of global aging tendency (Macrosystem), family environment (Mesosystem) can be the direct influence factors on individual behavior (Microsystem). Therefore, family expectations, financial support, informational support, values and beliefs from the family environment of elderly care majored students will influence their personal behavior. Employability Existing research shows that employability is a form of positive adaptive behaviour, which includes behavioural traits such as adaptability and proactivity. The employability of students majoring in elderly care management is reflected in their personal behaviour and coping abilities in areas such as medication management, emotional care for the elderly, and communication and collaboration in elderly care daily work. Sawitri and Ratnaningsih (2020) suggest that family influence enhances university students' employability by shaping their career-related behaviors, with family expectations playing a crucial role in career planning and exploration. Johnson and Ridgeway (2023) emphasizes that Young people who receive financial assistance from their families are more likely to maintain financial stability and have greater flexibility in choosing career paths that suit them. In contrast, the absence of such support can result in prolonged unemployment or dependence on informal work, ultimately impeding employability. In this context, ecological systems theory provides a theoretical foundation for the relationship between the independent variables (family expectations, financial support, informational support, and family values and beliefs) and the dependent variable (employability) in the empirical model of this study. Therefore, the hypotheses are presented as follows: H1 : Family expectations will positively influence the employability of higher education students majoring in elderly care management. H2 : Financial support will positively influence the employability of higher education students majoring in elderly care management. H3 : Informational support will positively influence the employability of higher education students majoring in elderly care management. H4 : Values and beliefs will positively influence the employability of higher education students majoring in elderly care management. Family environment, occupational identity and employability Identity control theory suggests that an individual's identity is shaped by roles and social norms within the social environment, such as family, workplace, and other social structures. Individuals confirm these identities through ongoing behavioral adjustments and interactions (Burke & Stets, 2022). Occupational identity refers to the aspect of an individual's identity that centers on their professional or career role (Walder et al., 2022). The output of occupational identity is usually related to career behaviors such as employability (Tomlinson & Jackson, 2021). A related study by Zhang et al. (2023) examines the direct relationship between family environment and occupational identity, which contributes to personal career development. Drawing on identity control theory, Chen et al. (2020) provide evidence that family expectations shape adolescents' self-identity, which, in turn, extends to their occupational identity and influences their career paths. A recent study by Woodman et al. (2024) highlights that financial contributions from family help alleviate economic hardship, thereby supporting identity formation and career development. This financial security allows students to focus on career-relevant goals, fostering a stronger occupational identity and positioning them for success in the job market. Li and Zhong (2022) suggest that access to accurate and relevant career information enables students to make informed decisions, pursue internships, and participate in professional development activities aligned with their career goals. Zalimiene et al. (2024) demonstrated that students from families emphasizing caregiving, compassion, and social responsibility tend to develop a more robust occupational identity, viewing elderly care not merely as a job but as a calling. For students majoring in elderly care, family environment foster their occupational identity, and students will cultivate their career behaviour according to this kind of occupational identity. According to identity control theory, students' sense of professional identity in the elderly care industry drives them to enhance their employability in this field. Moll-Jongerius et al. (2023) examines how the formation of professional identity influences medical students' perceptions and behaviors toward caring for older adults. They highlighted that building relationships with older individuals and reflecting on their expectations significantly impacts students' professional identity development, shaping their adaptability and alignment with occupational roles. Therefore, the hypotheses are presented as follows: H5 : Occupational identity will positively influence the employability of higher education students majoring in elderly care management. H6 : Family expectations will positively influence the occupational identity of higher education students majoring in elderly care management. H6a : Occupational identity will mediate the relationship between family expectations and employability of higher education students majoring in elderly care management. H7 : Financial support will positively influence the occupational identity of higher education students majoring in elderly care management. H7a : Occupational identity will mediate the relationship between financial support and employability of higher education students majoring in elderly care management. H8 : Informational support will positively influence the occupational identity of higher education students majoring in elderly care management. H8a : Occupational identity will mediate the relationship between informational support and employability of higher education students majoring in elderly care management. H9 : Values and beliefs will positively influence the occupational identity of higher education students majoring in elderly care management. H9a : Occupational identity will mediate the relationship between values and beliefs and employability of higher education students majoring in elderly care management. EST-ICT framework Figure 1 presents an overview of the research model. 3. Methods 3.1 Procedure and sample This study adopted a quantitative approach with a cross- sectional design. The primary sample of this study comes from Hubei Province, which is located in the mid-region of China. For this study, participants were selected from 10 higher education institution across the province. First, this study used purposive sampling to identify the appropriate target universities and graduation year of the student for this study. After identifying the target universities and graduation year of the student, this study will employ quota sampling to proportionally select students graduating or graduated (2024–2025) in elderly care management from each university. We employed family influence scale in the questionnaires to collect data from the participants. A professional questionnaire website ( https://www.wjx.cn ) was used to create an online questionnaire. With the assistance of elderly care management teachers at each university, they help to send the questionnaire link to the students through email, WeChat, or QQ. A total of 600 questionnaires were distributed to students graduating or graduated (2024–2025) in elderly care management from 10 representative university in Hubei Province. All adapted measurement items in this study were evaluated using a 7-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 for strongly disagree to 7 for strongly agree. The questionnaire was translated into Chinese following the guidelines of using the back-translation method (Brislin, 1986). A pilot study involving 30 respondents was conducted, and the reliability of each measure used in this study was found to be satisfactory. The variables in the model are measured in conjunction with the structural equation model proposed in this study. To ensure the reliability and validity of the variables, the scales used in the study refer to the measurement questions commonly and widely used in international-related literature studies. As shown in Table 1: Table 1 Variable Measurement Scales Variables Items Source Family expectations 1. My family expects me to select a career that has a certain status. 2. My family expects me to make career decisions so that I do not shame them. 3. My family is only willing to support me financially if I choose a career of which they approve. 4. My family expects that my choice of occupation will reflect their wishes. 5. My family expects people from our culture to choose elderly care related careers. 6. My family’s career expectations for me are based on my gender. Fouad et al. (2010) Financial support 1. My family expects me to contribute financially to my career education and training. 2. Because my family supports me financially, I can focus on my career development. 3. My family has not been able to financially support my career decisions. 4. If I wanted to get additional education after high education, my family would provide financial support. 5. If I were to experience a difficult career situation, my family would support me financially. Fouad et al. (2010) Informational support 1. My family shared information with me about how to obtain a job in the elderly care area. 2. My family discussed career issues with me at an early age. 3. My family showed me how to be successful in choosing a career in the elderly care area. 4. My family showed me what was important in choosing a career in the elderly care area. 5. Watching my family work gave me confidence in my career. 6. My family provided guidance on which careers would be best for me. 7. My family has given me information about obtaining education/training. 8. My family supported me asking career-related questions. Fouad et al. (2010) Values and beliefs 1. My family expects that I will consider my religion/spirituality when making career decisions. 2. My family explained how our values and beliefs pertain to my career choices. 3. My family expects my career to match our family’s values and beliefs (refers to the set of behavioural norms, moral standards, and belief systems collectively recognised and followed by family members, such as respect for elders, honesty and integrity, and social responsibility). Fouad et al. (2010) Occupational identity 1. When referring to my profession, I usually say “we” rather than “they”. 2. I consider my success as the success of healthcare workers. 3. I care very much about other people's views on my career in the elderly care area. 4. The praise my profession from people,which is the praise they give on me. 5. If there are some criticisms of my career from the media, I will feel ashamed and embarrassed. 6. My job is important. /I believe in the importance of my job. 7. I am confident in my ability at work. 8. My job will exercise effects on elder's conditions. 9. My job is meaningful. 10. I have the necessary qualifications and skills for my job. 11. I understand the responsibilities and requirements of the work. 12. Healthcare work suits me. 13. I know my role. Li et al. (2020) Employability 1. I believe I could easily obtain a comparable job with another employer in the elderly care industry. 2. I believe I could easily obtain another job that is in line with my level of education and experience in the elderly care industry. 3. I believe I could easily obtain another job that would give me a high level of satisfaction in the elderly care industry. Chughtai (2019) 3.2 Data analysis Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 27.0 for descriptive statistics and AMOS 24.0 for structural equation modeling, with the hypothesized model tested in five stages: (1) descriptive analysis, (2) reliability and validity analysis to evaluate the measurement model, (3) Pearson correlation and discriminant validity analysis, (4) assessment of model fit, hypothesis testing, and path analysis, (5) mediating effect test of occupational identity. 4. Results 4.1 Descriptive Analysis After removing invalid questionnaires, a total of 571 valid questionnaires were received. In terms of gender, 53.42% of the respondents are male (305 individuals), while 46.58% are female (266 individuals). Regarding the year of graduation, 50.96% of the respondents are expected to graduate in 2024 (291 individuals), and 49.04% in 2025 (280 individuals). The GPA distribution shows that none of the respondents fall in the 0–1 range. Only 1.40% (8 individuals) have a GPA between 1–2, while 18.91% (108 individuals) have a GPA between 2–3. The majority, 79.68% (455 individuals), have a GPA between 3–4. 4.2 Reliability and Validity Analysis To authenticate psychometric properties of the study’s constructs, a separate set of criteria were used for reflective and formative measures in Table 2. All values of Cronbach’s alpha and composite reliability are satisfactory (DeVellis & Thorpe, 2021). All the outer loadings are well above the threshold of 0.70. The values of average variance extracted (AVE) of all constructs are greater than 0.50, confirming adequate convergent validity. Table 2 Confirmatory Factor Analysis (N = 571) Variables Items Factor loading Cronbach's alpha AVE Mean Family expectations FE1 0.668*** 0.87 0.528 4.016 FE2 0.774*** FE3 0.740*** FE4 0.752*** FE5 0.726*** FE6 0.696*** Financial support FS1 0.789*** 0.883 0.601 4.055 FS2 0.775*** FS3 0.769*** FS4 0.767*** FS5 0.776*** Informational support IS1 0.765*** 0.922 0.595 4.064 IS2 0.754*** IS3 0.796*** IS4 0.773*** IS5 0.773*** IS6 0.777*** IS7 0.752*** IS8 0.779*** Values & beliefs VB1 0.855*** 0.881 0.713 4.381 VB2 0.859*** VB3 0.818*** Occupational identity OI1 0.749*** 0.942 0.555 4.080 OI2 0.759*** OI3 0.744*** OI4 0.732*** OI5 0.739*** OI6 0.729*** OI7 0.762*** OI8 0.721*** OI9 0.721*** OI10 0.771*** OI11 0.755*** OI12 0.743*** OI13 0.758*** Employability EMP1 0.825*** 0.890 0.729 4.028 EMP2 0.881*** EMP3 0.854*** Notes: * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p ≦ 0.001. In order to test the significance of the inner model paths and outer loadings for all model tests, we performed the bootstrapping procedure with the option of no sign and 5,000 sub-samples(Hassan et al., 2021). Source: The authors made it according to the questionnaires The Kaiser Meyer Olkin (KMO) value is 0.931, which is bigger than 0.6, and Bartlett’s test of sphericity shows the Sig is 0.000, which is smaller than 0.001, indicating that the questionnaire is of a good validity and is suitable for factor analysis. 4.3 Pearson Correlation and Discriminant Validity Analysis On the basis of Pearson correlation analysis indicates the existence of a significant correlation among the variable, and the results of the AVE square root value is greater than the criteria for evaluating the validity of the difference (Fornell & Larcker, 1981). As shown in Table 3, For family expectations, the square root of its AVE is 0.727, which is greater than the maximum absolute value of the inter-factor correlation (0.266). For financial support, the square root of its AVE is 0.775, which exceeds the maximum absolute value of the inter-factor correlation (0.288). For informational support, the square root of its AVE is 0.771, which is greater than the maximum absolute value of the inter-factor correlation (0.276). For values and beliefs, the square root of its AVE is 0.844, which exceeds the maximum absolute value of the inter-factor correlation (0.304). For career identity, the square root of its AVE is 0.745, which is greater than the maximum absolute value of the inter-factor correlation (0.314). For employability, the square root of its AVE is 0.854, which exceeds the maximum absolute value of the inter-factor correlation (0.314). Therefore, the above results indicate that any two variables exhibit good discriminant validity. Table 3 Pearson Correlation and Discriminant Validity Analysis Variable SD FE FS IS VB OI EMP FE 1.168 0.727 FS 1.027 0.099* 0.775 IS 1.055 0.167** 0.215** 0.771 VB 1.439 0.168** 0.200** 0.255** 0.844 OI 1.264 0.266** 0.229** 0.233** 0.257** 0.745 EMP 1.305 0.242** 0.288** 0.276** 0.304** 0.314** 0.854 Note: Bolded fonts represent AVE square root values, while non-bold fonts indicate correlation coefficients between pairs of variables. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (two-tailed) (**), and at the 0.05 level (two-tailed) (*). FE = family expectations; FS = financial support; IS = informational support; VB = values & beliefs; OI = occupational identity; EMP = employability. 4.4 Model fit, hypothesis testing and path analysis The fitting indicators of the structural equation model are presented in Table 4, which showed that CMIN/DF = 1.439, RMSEA = 0.028, SRMR = 0.0798, GFI = 0.919, AGFI = 0.908, NFI = 0.927, IFI = 0.977, TLI = 0.975, CFI = 0.976, which indicated that the fitness of the measurement model was acceptable. Table 5 show the results of structural model testing. Table 4 The Fitting Indicators of the Structural Equation Model Fit index Standard Value Fitting situation CMIN —— 944.141 —— DF —— 656 —— CMIN/DF < 3 1.439 Good RMSEA < 0.08 0.028 Good SRMR 0.9 0.919 Good AGFI > 0.9 0.908 Good NFI > 0.9 0.927 Good IFI > 0.9 0.977 Good TLI > 0.9 0.975 Good CFI > 0.9 0.976 Good Table 5 Results of Structural Model Testing Hypothesis Model Path β-value S.E. C.R. P- value Test results H1 FE→EMP 0.15 0.052 3.273 = 0.001*** Supported H2 FS→EMP 0.205 0.055 4.556 < 0.001*** Supported H3 IS→EMP 0.16 0.048 3.691 < 0.001*** Supported H4 VB→EMP 0.193 0.04 4.286 < 0.001*** Supported H5 OI→EMP 0.172 0.049 3.689 < 0.001*** Supported H6 FE→OI 0.23 0.05 5.039 < 0.001*** Supported H7 FS→OI 0.167 0.051 3.774 < 0.001*** Supported H8 IS→OI 0.138 0.045 3.214 = 0.001*** Supported H9 VB→OI 0.186 0.038 4.195 < 0.001*** Supported Note: *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01,***P ≤ 0.001. FE = family expectations; FS = financial support; IS = informational support; VB = values & beliefs; OI = occupational identity; EMP = employability. Table 6 Bootstrap Analysis of Mediating Effect Significance Test Hypothesis Model Path Indirect effect coefficient P-value Boot LLCI (95%) Boot ULCI (95%) Test results H6a FE→OI→EMP 0.045 = 0.001*** 0.017 0.079 Supported H7a FS→OI→EMP 0.035 < 0.01** 0.011 0.065 Supported H8a IS→OI→EMP 0.026 < 0.01** 0.007 0.051 Supported H9a VB→OI→EMP 0.029 < 0.01** 0.01 0.052 Supported Note. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01,***P ≤ 0.001. FE = family expectations; FS = financial support; IS = informational support; VB = values & beliefs; OI = occupational identity; EMP = employability. 4.5 Mediating Effect Test of Occupational Identity In the AMOS, this study chose the Bootstrap technique, used 5000 subsamples, and numbered each path, including (a1-a4)*b and c’(c1’-c4’). It examined the mediating role of occupational identity in the influence of family expectations, financial support, informational support, values & beliefs on employability. Table 6 presents the results of the mediating effect test for occupational identity. 5. Discussions This study examined the influence mechanism of family environment and employability from the perspective of occupational identity. The findings indicated that family environment had a positive direct relationship with employability of the higher education students majoring in elderly care management. Specially, the quantitative research results, which showed that financial support had the strongest direct effect on employability (FS→EMP, β = 0.205, p < 0.001), followed by values and beliefs (VB→EMP, β = 0.193, p < 0.001), informational support (IS→EMP, β = 0.16, p < 0.001), and family expectations (FE→EMP, β = 0.15, p = 0.001). (1) Family expectations significantly and positively influences the employability of higher education students majoring in elderly care management. This finding are in line with Gao (2023) and Lun (2022). However, Li et al. (2021) hold different view that the influence of family environment on employability is limited and not significant (P < 0.05), especially for students from single-parent families, because family environment such as parents’ career expectation is a relatively stable external variable for them, and its impact on employability will gradually decline with the pass of time, with the increase of people’s social experience, their employability will eventually get rid of the constraints of family environment and continue to develop. This inconsistent view may due to different industry. As time goes on, elderly care industry is destined to become more relevant to students and their parents, resulting in a growing impact. (2) Financial support significantly and positively influences the employability of higher education students majoring in elderly care management, consistent with the findings of Kir et al. (2021). Additionally, Moneva and Jumag (2020) demonstrated that satisfaction with financial support was positively associated with students’ determination and consistency in learning, which are critical components of employability. While Pivoriutė (2024) examined the relationship between family financial support and employment outcomes, her findings revealed that parental financial support was significantly and negatively correlated with employment status (r=-0.358, ***p < 0 .001). This difference may stem from sample variation. Pivoriutė’s study, focused on young adults during COVID-19, found a negative correlation—financial support likely reduced job-seeking urgency, as 61.49% lived with parents. In contrast, this study surveyed 1,362 elderly care students in Hubei, China, who have clearer job goals and career paths, making parental support a driver of employability. (3) Informational support significantly and positively influences the employability of higher education students majoring in elderly care management. This finding are in line with Fu et al. (2024) and Chidebe et al. (2023). Similarly, Yun et al. (2024) demonstrated that informational support positively affect students' job-seeking efficacy and reduce employment anxiety, crucial factors for employability. (4) Values and beliefs significantly and positively influences the employability of higher education students majoring in elderly care management, consistent with Chen and Shao (2022) studies. Won and Jang (2020) also highlighted that fostering positive attitudes toward the elderly, minimizing prejudice, and enhancing empathy significantly contribute to encouraging students to consider careers in elderly care. (5) Occupational identity significantly and positively influences the employability of higher education students majoring in elderly care management, which is consistent with the findings of Zhang et al. (2023). Similarly, Ho et al. (2023) found that the progressive formation of identity can enhance students’ employability. Šotolová (2022) indicated that Practical training requires flexible, creative, and adaptable social workers in whom an anchored professional identity can help manage the high job requirements and lead to increased resilience in coping with the demands of practice. This study also highlights that elderly care management students' occupational identity has a mediating effect between the independent variables (family expectations, financial support, informational support, values & beliefs) and the dependent variable (employability). This is in agreement with previous research. Elliott et al. (2023) found that family expectations regarding a profession can strengthen an individual's identity of their chosen career, leading them to perceive the work as valuable and aligned with their personal goals, thereby enhancing their job performance. Donald et al. (2024) pointed out that an individual’s access to (or lack of) material resources, and the associated money that can be generated directly or indirectly from these resources, can enhance one’s self-perceived employability. Shikata et al. (2021) highlighted that access to relevant information and resources improves individuals’ occupational identity, which can be applied to higher education students pursuing elderly care management to enhance their employability through improved self-perception and work readiness. Liang et al. (2023) indicated that family spiritual and emotional support and encouragement can enhance an individual's psychological identity, increase their competency to handle more complex tasks, and lead to superior work performance when facing the same work content. 5.1 Research implications Theoretical implications This study substantiates and extends ecological systems theory by emphasizing the critical role of the family microsystem in employability development and vocational decision-making. Additionally, it provides strong empirical support for the core principles of identity control theory and expands its application to the field of elderly care management, demonstrating how family environmental factors and occupational identity mediate employability outcomes. Practical implications This study provides practical insights for university administrators, teachers, parents, students, and employers in elderly care management. First, it identifies family expectations, financial and informational support, values, beliefs, and occupational identity as factors influencing students' employability. Administrators can use these findings to design targeted initiatives, such as career seminars and parent-involved workshops, to improve educational and career outcomes. Second, teachers can support students' occupational identity through mentorship, career discussions, and industry engagement, helping them build confidence and motivation. Third, parents can contribute by offering financial stability and fostering open discussions about the societal importance of elderly care, aiding students in their career preparation. Fourth, students can use these insights to develop key employability skills, such as emotional intelligence, problem-solving, and practical abilities, enabling them to make more informed career decisions. Finally, employers in elderly care institutions may benefit indirectly, as graduates with well-developed employability skills will require less training, easing their transition into the workforce and helping address challenges posed by global aging trends. 5.2 Study limitations and future research This study has some limitations. First, the key family environmental factors affecting employability were identified through research in elderly care management. While useful for students in this field, they may not apply to other areas. Second, although the study included diverse universities, all participants were from Hubei, where elderly care programs are available. Results might differ if students from other regions were included. This study offers suggestions for future research. First, the empirical model is specific to elderly care. Future studies could conduct long-term follow-ups to assess trends and the model's relevance in the elderly care job market. Second, this research examines family environmental factors affecting employability using family influence scales and stakeholder interviews. While past studies link certain variables to employability, few focus on elderly care students. Researchers recommend further quantitative studies to explore these relationships in elderly care management, helping to address gaps in this field. 6. Declarations Ethical approval statement Ethical approval for this research was obtained from the Research Ethics Committee, Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University (Certificate No. R.64/2025) on March 10, 2025, with validity until March 10, 2026. All procedures involving human participants were conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and national research committees and with the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments. Consent to participate Declarations Written electronic informed consent was obtained from all participants (and/or their legal guardians, where applicable) in Hubei Province, China, between March and April 2025, prior to their participation in the study. The consent process clearly explained the purpose of the research, confirmed voluntary participation, and ensured anonymity. Consent for publication Not applicable. Availability of data and material The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. Competing interests The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. Funding Not applicable Author Contributions XZ conceived the research, collected the data, performed the data analysis and interpretation, wrote and revised the manuscript. 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Satisfaction with Financial Support and Students’ Determination in Learning. Asia Pacific Journal of Academic Research in Social Sciences , 5 (1), 49-56. Pivoriutė. (2024). “How do I find myself, become successful, financially independent and experience the joys of youth?” Experiences of quarter-life crisis among Lithuanian students [Doctoral dissertation, Vilniaus universitetas]. https://epublications.vu.lt/object/elaba%3A195471406/ Sawitri, & Ratnaningsih. (2020). Paths from Proactive Personality and Family Influence to Employability. 8 (3), 587-600. Shikata, Notoh, Shinohara, Yabuwaki, Ishii, Yamada, & Taylor. (2021). An examination of the psychometric properties of the occupational identity questionnaire for community-living elderly who require care. Hong Kong Journal of Occupational Therapy , 34 (1), 30-38. https://doi.org/10.1177/1569186121997936 Šotolová. (2022). Do the Internships of Social Work Students Contribute to Their Professional Identity? E-Pedagogium , 21 , 23-43. https://doi.org/10.5507/epd.2022.001 Tasković, & Pedović. (2024). Adaptation and validation of the Family Influence Scale on the sample of Serbian students. Psiholoska istrazivanja , 27 (1), 81-107. https://doi.org/10.5937/psistra27-44740 Tomlinson, & Jackson. (2021). Professional identity formation in contemporary higher education students. Studies in Higher Education , 46 (4), 885-900. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2019.1659763 Vautero, Taveira, Silva, & Fouad. (2020). Family Influence on Academic and Life Satisfaction: A Social Cognitive Perspective. Journal of Career Development , 48 (6), 817-830. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894845320902270 Walder, Bissett, Molineux, & Whiteford. (2022). Understanding professional identity in occupational therapy: A scoping review. Scandinavian journal of occupational therapy , 29 (3), 175-197. https://doi.org/10.1080/11038128.2021.1974548 Won, & Jang. (2020). Factors influencing elderly care willingness of nursing students. International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology , 8 (4), 306-317. https://doi.org/10.17703/IJACT.2020.8.4.306 Woodman, Maire, & Cook. (2024). Who is receiving financial transfers from family during young adulthood in Australia? Journal of Sociology , 60 (2), 399-418. https://doi.org/10.1177/14407833231210956 Yun, Beehr, & Do. (2024). Too much information! When job resources become job demands, producing a curvilinear relationship between informational social support and creativity. Psychology & Health , 1-23. https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2024.2413362 Zalimiene, Krutuliene, Neverauskiene, Gruzevskis, & Juneviciene. (2024). What shapes the pathway of becoming an elderly care worker? Young Workers’ perspective. Social Policy Issues , 66 (3), 1-22. Zhang, Liu, Mao, & Xiao. (2023). How is occupational identity affected by the family environment of publicly funded students in local normal colleges? A moderated mediation model. Frontiers in Psychology , 14 , Article 934133. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.934133 Zhang, Yang Liu, Zhi, & Bei. (2023). How is occupational identity affected by the family environment of publicly funded students in local normal colleges? A moderated mediation model. Frontiers in Psychology , 14 , Article 934133. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.934133 Zou, Tang, Wang, Geng, Deng, Yu, An, Wei, Tong, & Rong. (2024). Service specification for senior care workers with traditional Chinese medicine specialty. Science of Traditional Chinese Medicine , 2 (4), 327-331. https://doi.org/10.1097/st9.0000000000000049 Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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The Interplay of Family Influence and Occupational Identity\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","fulltext":[{"header":"1. Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe global trend of population ageing is becoming more pronounced. Population ageing has profound impact on society and the economy. In the field of elderly care industry, employability is particularly crucial as the industry has evolved from providing basic daily care to offering more comprehensive and specialized services (Zou et al., 2024). In a context of rising demand for care and the shift of care from hospital to community settings, care demand is outstripping the supply of long-term care workers, and workforce shortages will worsen without urgent action (Bach, 2022). This is mainly due to the weak employability of students majoring in elderly care management and their inability to adapt to the diversified development of the needs of the elderly care industry (Liang et al., 2023).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEmployability goes beyond technical skills, encompassing soft skills like communication, teamwork, and adaptability (Harten et al., 2022). The family environment, encompassing expectations, financial and informational support, as well as values and beliefs, significantly influences students\u0026apos; career related ability (Tasković\u0026nbsp;\u0026amp; Pedović, 2024).\u0026nbsp;Family expectations can either motivate or pressure students, influencing their occupational identity\u0026nbsp;(Gao, 2023). Financial and informational support are equally crucial, helping students navigate academic and career challenges\u0026nbsp;(Li et al., 2021), while family values and beliefs shape long-term career decisions\u0026nbsp;(Dumedah et al., 2023).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis study examines how family expectations, financial and informational support, values and beliefs, and occupational identity influence employability among elderly care management students. While financial and informational support and occupational identity have been well-studied, the roles of family expectations and values and beliefs remain underexplored, highlighting key research gaps. Occupational identity, as a mediator, is critical in linking family environment to employability (Ko\u0026ccedil;ak et al., 2021).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTheoretically, this study bridges family environment research and career development, offering a deeper understanding of employability in elderly care management. Practically, it provides actionable insights for improving educational programs and family support systems, encouraging more professionals to join the industry. As aging populations emerge as a global priority, particularly in China where demographic changes are challenging traditional care systems, this study combines ecological systems theory and identity control theory to provide new insights into the relationship between family environment, occupational identity, and employability.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEcological systems theory (EST) implies the dynamic interactions between individuals and their environments, which are organised into nested levels [10]. It highlights that human development is shaped by the dynamic interplay of various environmental systems, with the family environment and personal social behavior playing crucial roles. Identity control theory (ICT) suggests that an individual\u0026apos;s identity is shaped by roles and social norms within the social environment, such as family, workplace, and other social structures. Based on Ecological Systems Theory and Identity Control Theory, this study aim to verify the relationships between family expectations, financial support, informational support, values and beliefs, and employability of higher education students majoring in elderly care management, both directly and indirectly through the mediating role of occupational identity.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"2. Literature review and hypothesis development","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFamily environment\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePast studies analyzing family influence on individual behavior through four major areas: Family expectations, financial support, informational support, values and beliefs (Vautero et al., 2020). For students majoring in elderly care management, the family environment, as a key component of their social ecological system, plays a crucial role in shaping their individual behavior. For proximal processes, meaningful family interactions, like parent-child conversations, and social connections, such as family relationships, are critical for emotional growth and social skill development [11]. So in the context of global aging tendency (Macrosystem), family environment (Mesosystem) can be the direct influence factors on individual behavior (Microsystem). Therefore, family expectations, financial support, informational support, values and beliefs from the family environment of elderly care majored students will influence their personal behavior.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eEmployability\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eExisting research shows that employability is a form of positive adaptive behaviour, which includes behavioural traits such as adaptability and proactivity. The employability of students majoring in elderly care management is reflected in their personal behaviour and coping abilities in areas such as medication management, emotional care for the elderly, and communication and collaboration in elderly care daily work. Sawitri and Ratnaningsih (2020) suggest that family influence enhances university students' employability by shaping their career-related behaviors, with family expectations playing a crucial role in career planning and exploration. Johnson and Ridgeway (2023) emphasizes that Young people who receive financial assistance from their families are more likely to maintain financial stability and have greater flexibility in choosing career paths that suit them. In contrast, the absence of such support can result in prolonged unemployment or dependence on informal work, ultimately impeding employability. In this context, ecological systems theory provides a theoretical foundation for the relationship between the independent variables (family expectations, financial support, informational support, and family values and beliefs) and the dependent variable (employability) in the empirical model of this study. Therefore, the hypotheses are presented as follows:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eH1\u003c/b\u003e: Family expectations will positively influence the employability of higher education students majoring in elderly care management.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eH2\u003c/b\u003e: Financial support will positively influence the employability of higher education students majoring in elderly care management.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eH3\u003c/b\u003e: Informational support will positively influence the employability of higher education students majoring in elderly care management.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eH4\u003c/b\u003e: Values and beliefs will positively influence the employability of higher education students majoring in elderly care management.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFamily environment, occupational identity and employability\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIdentity control theory suggests that an individual's identity is shaped by roles and social norms within the social environment, such as family, workplace, and other social structures. Individuals confirm these identities through ongoing behavioral adjustments and interactions (Burke \u0026amp; Stets, 2022). Occupational identity refers to the aspect of an individual's identity that centers on their professional or career role (Walder et al., 2022). The output of occupational identity is usually related to career behaviors such as employability (Tomlinson \u0026amp; Jackson, 2021).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA related study by Zhang et al. (2023) examines the direct relationship between family environment and occupational identity, which contributes to personal career development. Drawing on identity control theory, Chen et al. (2020) provide evidence that family expectations shape adolescents' self-identity, which, in turn, extends to their occupational identity and influences their career paths. A recent study by Woodman et al. (2024) highlights that financial contributions from family help alleviate economic hardship, thereby supporting identity formation and career development. This financial security allows students to focus on career-relevant goals, fostering a stronger occupational identity and positioning them for success in the job market. Li and Zhong (2022) suggest that access to accurate and relevant career information enables students to make informed decisions, pursue internships, and participate in professional development activities aligned with their career goals. Zalimiene et al. (2024) demonstrated that students from families emphasizing caregiving, compassion, and social responsibility tend to develop a more robust occupational identity, viewing elderly care not merely as a job but as a calling. For students majoring in elderly care, family environment foster their occupational identity, and students will cultivate their career behaviour according to this kind of occupational identity. According to identity control theory, students' sense of professional identity in the elderly care industry drives them to enhance their employability in this field. Moll-Jongerius et al. (2023) examines how the formation of professional identity influences medical students' perceptions and behaviors toward caring for older adults. They highlighted that building relationships with older individuals and reflecting on their expectations significantly impacts students' professional identity development, shaping their adaptability and alignment with occupational roles. Therefore, the hypotheses are presented as follows:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eH5\u003c/b\u003e: Occupational identity will positively influence the employability of higher education students majoring in elderly care management.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eH6\u003c/b\u003e: Family expectations will positively influence the occupational identity of higher education students majoring in elderly care management.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eH6a\u003c/b\u003e: Occupational identity will mediate the relationship between family expectations and employability of higher education students majoring in elderly care management.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eH7\u003c/b\u003e: Financial support will positively influence the occupational identity of higher education students majoring in elderly care management.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eH7a\u003c/b\u003e: Occupational identity will mediate the relationship between financial support and employability of higher education students majoring in elderly care management.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eH8\u003c/b\u003e: Informational support will positively influence the occupational identity of higher education students majoring in elderly care management.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eH8a\u003c/b\u003e: Occupational identity will mediate the relationship between informational support and employability of higher education students majoring in elderly care management.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eH9\u003c/b\u003e: Values and beliefs will positively influence the occupational identity of higher education students majoring in elderly care management.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eH9a\u003c/b\u003e: Occupational identity will mediate the relationship between values and beliefs and employability of higher education students majoring in elderly care management.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eEST-ICT framework\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFigure 1 presents an overview of the research model.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"3. Methods","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e3.1 Procedure and sample\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis study adopted a quantitative approach with a cross- sectional design. The primary sample of this study comes from Hubei Province, which is located in the mid-region of China. For this study, participants were selected from 10 higher education institution across the province. First, this study used purposive sampling to identify the appropriate target universities and graduation year of the student for this study. After identifying the target universities and graduation year of the student, this study will employ quota sampling to proportionally select students graduating or graduated (2024\u0026ndash;2025) in elderly care management from each university.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWe employed family influence scale in the questionnaires to collect data from the participants. A professional questionnaire website (\u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://www.wjx.cn\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://www.wjx.cn\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e) was used to create an online questionnaire. With the assistance of elderly care management teachers at each university, they help to send the questionnaire link to the students through email, WeChat, or QQ. A total of 600 questionnaires were distributed to students graduating or graduated (2024\u0026ndash;2025) in elderly care management from 10 representative university in Hubei Province.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAll adapted measurement items in this study were evaluated using a 7-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 for strongly disagree to 7 for strongly agree. The questionnaire was translated into Chinese following the guidelines of using the back-translation method (Brislin, 1986). A pilot study involving 30 respondents was conducted, and the reliability of each measure used in this study was found to be satisfactory. The variables in the model are measured in conjunction with the structural equation model proposed in this study. To ensure the reliability and validity of the variables, the scales used in the study refer to the measurement questions commonly and widely used in international-related literature studies. As shown in Table\u0026nbsp;1:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVariable Measurement Scales\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"3\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVariables\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eItems\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSource\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFamily expectations\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1. My family expects me to select a career that has a certain status.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e2. My family expects me to make career decisions so that I do not shame them.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e3. My family is only willing to support me financially if I choose a career of which they approve.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e4. My family expects that my choice of occupation will reflect their wishes.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e5. My family expects people from our culture to choose elderly care related careers.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e6. My family\u0026rsquo;s career expectations for me are based on my gender.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFouad et al. (2010)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFinancial support\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1. My family expects me to contribute financially to my career education and training.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e2. Because my family supports me financially, I can focus on my career development.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e3. My family has not been able to financially support my career decisions.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e4. If I wanted to get additional education after high education, my family would provide financial support.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e5. If I were to experience a difficult career situation, my family would support me financially.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFouad et al. (2010)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eInformational\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003esupport\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1. My family shared information with me about how to obtain a job in the elderly care area.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e2. My family discussed career issues with me at an early age.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e3. My family showed me how to be successful in choosing a career in the elderly care area.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e4. My family showed me what was important in choosing a career in the elderly care area.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e5. Watching my family work gave me confidence in my career.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e6. My family provided guidance on which careers would be best for me.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e7. My family has given me information about obtaining education/training.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e8. My family supported me asking career-related questions.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFouad et al. (2010)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eValues and beliefs\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1. My family expects that I will consider my religion/spirituality when making career decisions.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e2. My family explained how our values and beliefs pertain to my career choices.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e3. My family expects my career to match our family\u0026rsquo;s values and beliefs (refers to the set of behavioural norms, moral standards, and belief systems collectively recognised and followed by family members, such as respect for elders, honesty and integrity, and social responsibility).\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFouad et al. (2010)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOccupational identity\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1. When referring to my profession, I usually say \u0026ldquo;we\u0026rdquo; rather than \u0026ldquo;they\u0026rdquo;.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e2. I consider my success as the success of healthcare workers.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e3. I care very much about other people's views on my career in the elderly care area.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e4. The praise my profession from people,which is the praise they give on me.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e5. If there are some criticisms of my career from the media, I will feel ashamed and embarrassed.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e6. My job is important. /I believe in the importance of my job.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e7. I am confident in my ability at work.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e8. My job will exercise effects on elder's conditions.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e9. My job is meaningful.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e10. I have the necessary qualifications and skills for my job.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e11. I understand the responsibilities and requirements of the work.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e12. Healthcare work suits me.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e13. I know my role.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLi et al. (2020)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEmployability\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1. I believe I could easily obtain a comparable job with another employer in the elderly care industry.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e2. I believe I could easily obtain another job that is in line with my level of education and experience in the elderly care industry.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e3. I believe I could easily obtain another job that would give me a high level of satisfaction in the elderly care industry.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eChughtai (2019)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec4\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e3.2 Data analysis\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eData analysis was conducted using SPSS 27.0 for descriptive statistics and AMOS 24.0 for structural equation modeling, with the hypothesized model tested in five stages: (1) descriptive analysis, (2) reliability and validity analysis to evaluate the measurement model, (3) Pearson correlation and discriminant validity analysis, (4) assessment of model fit, hypothesis testing, and path analysis, (5) mediating effect test of occupational identity.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"4. Results","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec6\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e4.1 Descriptive Analysis\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eAfter removing invalid questionnaires, a total of 571 valid questionnaires were received. In terms of gender, 53.42% of the respondents are male (305 individuals), while 46.58% are female (266 individuals). Regarding the year of graduation, 50.96% of the respondents are expected to graduate in 2024 (291 individuals), and 49.04% in 2025 (280 individuals). The GPA distribution shows that none of the respondents fall in the 0\u0026ndash;1 range. Only 1.40% (8 individuals) have a GPA between 1\u0026ndash;2, while 18.91% (108 individuals) have a GPA between 2\u0026ndash;3. The majority, 79.68% (455 individuals), have a GPA between 3\u0026ndash;4.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec7\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e4.2 Reliability and Validity Analysis\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eTo authenticate psychometric properties of the study\u0026rsquo;s constructs, a separate set of criteria were used for reflective and formative measures in Table\u0026nbsp;2. All values of Cronbach\u0026rsquo;s alpha and composite reliability are satisfactory (DeVellis \u0026amp; Thorpe, 2021). All the outer loadings are well above the threshold of 0.70. The values of average variance extracted (AVE) of all constructs are greater than 0.50, confirming adequate convergent validity.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eConfirmatory Factor Analysis (N\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;571)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"6\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVariables\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eItems\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFactor loading\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCronbach's alpha\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAVE\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMean\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"5\" rowspan=\"6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFamily expectations\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFE1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.668***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\" morerows=\"5\" rowspan=\"6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.87\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"5\" rowspan=\"6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.528\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\" morerows=\"5\" rowspan=\"6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.016\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFE2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.774***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFE3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.740***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFE4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.752***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFE5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.726***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFE6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.696***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"4\" rowspan=\"5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFinancial support\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFS1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.789***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\" morerows=\"4\" rowspan=\"5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.883\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"4\" rowspan=\"5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.601\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\" morerows=\"4\" rowspan=\"5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.055\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFS2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.775***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFS3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.769***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFS4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.767***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFS5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.776***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"7\" rowspan=\"8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eInformational support\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIS1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.765***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\" morerows=\"7\" rowspan=\"8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.922\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"7\" rowspan=\"8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.595\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\" morerows=\"7\" rowspan=\"8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.064\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIS2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.754***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIS3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.796***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIS4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.773***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIS5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.773***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIS6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.777***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIS7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.752***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIS8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.779***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eValues \u0026amp; beliefs\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVB1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.855***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.881\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.713\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.381\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVB2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.859***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVB3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.818***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"12\" rowspan=\"13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOccupational identity\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOI1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.749***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\" morerows=\"12\" rowspan=\"13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.942\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"12\" rowspan=\"13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.555\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\" morerows=\"12\" rowspan=\"13\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.080\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOI2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.759***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOI3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.744***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOI4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.732***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOI5\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.739***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOI6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.729***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOI7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.762***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOI8\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.721***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOI9\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.721***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOI10\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.771***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOI11\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.755***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOI12\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.743***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOI13\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.758***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEmployability\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEMP1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.825***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.890\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.729\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.028\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEMP2\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.881***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEMP3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.854***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003ctfoot\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"6\"\u003eNotes: * p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05, ** p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01, *** p\u0026thinsp;≦\u0026thinsp;0.001. In order to test the significance of the inner model paths and outer loadings for all model tests, we performed the bootstrapping procedure with the option of no sign and 5,000 sub-samples(Hassan et al., 2021).\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tfoot\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSource: The authors made it according to the questionnaires\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Kaiser Meyer Olkin (KMO) value is 0.931, which is bigger than 0.6, and Bartlett\u0026rsquo;s test of sphericity shows the Sig is 0.000, which is smaller than 0.001, indicating that the questionnaire is of a good validity and is suitable for factor analysis.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e4.3 Pearson Correlation and Discriminant Validity Analysis\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn the basis of Pearson correlation analysis indicates the existence of a significant correlation among the variable, and the results of the AVE square root value is greater than the criteria for evaluating the validity of the difference (Fornell \u0026amp; Larcker, 1981).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs shown in Table\u0026nbsp;3, For family expectations, the square root of its AVE is 0.727, which is greater than the maximum absolute value of the inter-factor correlation (0.266). For financial support, the square root of its AVE is 0.775, which exceeds the maximum absolute value of the inter-factor correlation (0.288). For informational support, the square root of its AVE is 0.771, which is greater than the maximum absolute value of the inter-factor correlation (0.276). For values and beliefs, the square root of its AVE is 0.844, which exceeds the maximum absolute value of the inter-factor correlation (0.304). For career identity, the square root of its AVE is 0.745, which is greater than the maximum absolute value of the inter-factor correlation (0.314). For employability, the square root of its AVE is 0.854, which exceeds the maximum absolute value of the inter-factor correlation (0.314). Therefore, the above results indicate that any two variables exhibit good discriminant validity.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePearson Correlation and Discriminant Validity Analysis\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"8\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVariable\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSD\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFE\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIS\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVB\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOI\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEMP\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFE\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.168\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.727\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFS\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.027\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.099*\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.775\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eIS\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.055\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.167**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.215**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.771\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eVB\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.439\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.168**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.200**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.255**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.844\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eOI\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.264\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.266**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.229**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.233**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.257**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.745\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eEMP\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.305\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.242**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.288**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.276**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.304**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.314**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.854\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003ctfoot\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"8\"\u003eNote: Bolded fonts represent AVE square root values, while non-bold fonts indicate correlation coefficients between pairs of variables. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (two-tailed) (**), and at the 0.05 level (two-tailed) (*). FE\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;family expectations; FS\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;financial support; IS\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;informational support; VB\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;values \u0026amp; beliefs; OI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;occupational identity; EMP\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;employability.\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tfoot\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec9\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e4.4 Model fit, hypothesis testing and path analysis\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe fitting indicators of the structural equation model are presented in Table\u0026nbsp;4, which showed that CMIN/DF\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;1.439, RMSEA\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.028, SRMR\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.0798, GFI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.919, AGFI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.908, NFI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.927, IFI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.977, TLI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.975, CFI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.976, which indicated that the fitness of the measurement model was acceptable. Table\u0026nbsp;5 show the results of structural model testing.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab4\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 4\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe Fitting Indicators of the Structural Equation Model\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFit index\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eStandard\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eValue\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFitting situation\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCMIN\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e944.141\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eDF\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e656\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026mdash;\u0026mdash;\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCMIN/DF\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.439\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGood\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eRMSEA\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.08\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.028\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGood\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSRMR\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.08\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.0798\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGood\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eGFI\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;0.9\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.919\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGood\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAGFI\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;0.9\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.908\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGood\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eNFI\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;0.9\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.927\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGood\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eIFI\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;0.9\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.977\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGood\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eTLI\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;0.9\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.975\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGood\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCFI\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;\u0026thinsp;0.9\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.976\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGood\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab5\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 5\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eResults of Structural Model Testing\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHypothesis\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eModel Path\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eβ-value\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eS.E.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eC.R.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eP- value\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTest results\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eH1\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFE\u0026rarr;EMP\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.15\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.052\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.273\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e=\u0026thinsp;0.001***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSupported\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eH2\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFS\u0026rarr;EMP\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.205\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.055\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.556\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSupported\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eH3\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIS\u0026rarr;EMP\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.16\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.048\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.691\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSupported\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eH4\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVB\u0026rarr;EMP\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.193\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.04\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.286\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSupported\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eH5\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOI\u0026rarr;EMP\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.172\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.049\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.689\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSupported\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eH6\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFE\u0026rarr;OI\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.23\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.05\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.039\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSupported\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eH7\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFS\u0026rarr;OI\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.167\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.051\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.774\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSupported\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eH8\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIS\u0026rarr;OI\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.138\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.045\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.214\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e=\u0026thinsp;0.001***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSupported\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eH9\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVB\u0026rarr;OI\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.186\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.038\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.195\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSupported\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003ctfoot\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"7\"\u003eNote: *P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05, **P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01,***P\u0026thinsp;\u0026le;\u0026thinsp;0.001. FE\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;family expectations; FS\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;financial support; IS\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;informational support; VB\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;values \u0026amp; beliefs; OI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;occupational identity; EMP\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;employability.\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tfoot\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab6\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 6\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eBootstrap Analysis of Mediating Effect Significance Test\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHypothesis\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eModel Path\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIndirect effect coefficient\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eP-value\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eBoot LLCI\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e(95%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eBoot ULCI\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e(95%)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTest results\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eH6a\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFE\u0026rarr;OI\u0026rarr;EMP\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.045\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e=\u0026thinsp;0.001***\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.017\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.079\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSupported\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eH7a\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFS\u0026rarr;OI\u0026rarr;EMP\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.035\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.011\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.065\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSupported\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eH8a\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIS\u0026rarr;OI\u0026rarr;EMP\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.026\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.007\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.051\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSupported\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eH9a\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVB\u0026rarr;OI\u0026rarr;EMP\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.029\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01**\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.01\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.052\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSupported\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003ctfoot\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"7\"\u003eNote. *P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05, **P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01,***P\u0026thinsp;\u0026le;\u0026thinsp;0.001. FE\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;family expectations; FS\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;financial support; IS\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;informational support; VB\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;values \u0026amp; beliefs; OI\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;occupational identity; EMP\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;employability.\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tfoot\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec10\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e4.5 Mediating Effect Test of Occupational Identity\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the AMOS, this study chose the Bootstrap technique, used 5000 subsamples, and numbered each path, including (a1-a4)*b and c\u0026rsquo;(c1\u0026rsquo;-c4\u0026rsquo;). It examined the mediating role of occupational identity in the influence of family expectations, financial support, informational support, values \u0026amp; beliefs on employability. Table\u0026nbsp;6 presents the results of the mediating effect test for occupational identity.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"5. Discussions","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study examined the influence mechanism of family environment and employability from the perspective of occupational identity. The findings indicated that family environment had a positive direct relationship with employability of the higher education students majoring in elderly care management. Specially, the quantitative research results, which showed that financial support had the strongest direct effect on employability (FS\u0026rarr;EMP, β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.205, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001), followed by values and beliefs (VB\u0026rarr;EMP, β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.193, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001), informational support (IS\u0026rarr;EMP, β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.16, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001), and family expectations (FE\u0026rarr;EMP, β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.15, p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.001). \u003cb\u003e(1)\u003c/b\u003e Family expectations significantly and positively influences the employability of higher education students majoring in elderly care management. This finding are in line with Gao (2023) and Lun (2022). However, Li et al. (2021) hold different view that the influence of family environment on employability is limited and not significant (P\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05), especially for students from single-parent families, because family environment such as parents\u0026rsquo; career expectation is a relatively stable external variable for them, and its impact on employability will gradually decline with the pass of time, with the increase of people\u0026rsquo;s social experience, their employability will eventually get rid of the constraints of family environment and continue to develop. This inconsistent view may due to different industry. As time goes on, elderly care industry is destined to become more relevant to students and their parents, resulting in a growing impact. \u003cb\u003e(2)\u003c/b\u003e Financial support significantly and positively influences the employability of higher education students majoring in elderly care management, consistent with the findings of Kir et al. (2021). Additionally, Moneva and Jumag (2020) demonstrated that satisfaction with financial support was positively associated with students\u0026rsquo; determination and consistency in learning, which are critical components of employability. While Pivoriutė (2024) examined the relationship between family financial support and employment outcomes, her findings revealed that parental financial support was significantly and negatively correlated with employment status (r=-0.358, ***p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0 .001). This difference may stem from sample variation. Pivoriutė\u0026rsquo;s study, focused on young adults during COVID-19, found a negative correlation\u0026mdash;financial support likely reduced job-seeking urgency, as 61.49% lived with parents. In contrast, this study surveyed 1,362 elderly care students in Hubei, China, who have clearer job goals and career paths, making parental support a driver of employability. \u003cb\u003e(3)\u003c/b\u003e Informational support significantly and positively influences the employability of higher education students majoring in elderly care management. This finding are in line with Fu et al. (2024) and Chidebe et al. (2023). Similarly, Yun et al. (2024) demonstrated that informational support positively affect students' job-seeking efficacy and reduce employment anxiety, crucial factors for employability. \u003cb\u003e(4)\u003c/b\u003e Values and beliefs significantly and positively influences the employability of higher education students majoring in elderly care management, consistent with Chen and Shao (2022) studies. Won and Jang (2020) also highlighted that fostering positive attitudes toward the elderly, minimizing prejudice, and enhancing empathy significantly contribute to encouraging students to consider careers in elderly care. \u003cb\u003e(5)\u003c/b\u003e Occupational identity significantly and positively influences the employability of higher education students majoring in elderly care management, which is consistent with the findings of Zhang et al. (2023). Similarly, Ho et al. (2023) found that the progressive formation of identity can enhance students\u0026rsquo; employability. Šotolov\u0026aacute; (2022) indicated that Practical training requires flexible, creative, and adaptable social workers in whom an anchored professional identity can help manage the high job requirements and lead to increased resilience in coping with the demands of practice.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis study also highlights that elderly care management students' occupational identity has a mediating effect between the independent variables (family expectations, financial support, informational support, values \u0026amp; beliefs) and the dependent variable (employability). This is in agreement with previous research. Elliott et al. (2023) found that family expectations regarding a profession can strengthen an individual's identity of their chosen career, leading them to perceive the work as valuable and aligned with their personal goals, thereby enhancing their job performance. Donald et al. (2024) pointed out that an individual\u0026rsquo;s access to (or lack of) material resources, and the associated money that can be generated directly or indirectly from these resources, can enhance one\u0026rsquo;s self-perceived employability. Shikata et al. (2021) highlighted that access to relevant information and resources improves individuals\u0026rsquo; occupational identity, which can be applied to higher education students pursuing elderly care management to enhance their employability through improved self-perception and work readiness. Liang et al. (2023) indicated that family spiritual and emotional support and encouragement can enhance an individual's psychological identity, increase their competency to handle more complex tasks, and lead to superior work performance when facing the same work content.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec12\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e5.1 Research implications\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eTheoretical implications\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis study substantiates and extends ecological systems theory by emphasizing the critical role of the family microsystem in employability development and vocational decision-making. Additionally, it provides strong empirical support for the core principles of identity control theory and expands its application to the field of elderly care management, demonstrating how family environmental factors and occupational identity mediate employability outcomes.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePractical implications\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis study provides practical insights for university administrators, teachers, parents, students, and employers in elderly care management. First, it identifies family expectations, financial and informational support, values, beliefs, and occupational identity as factors influencing students' employability. Administrators can use these findings to design targeted initiatives, such as career seminars and parent-involved workshops, to improve educational and career outcomes. Second, teachers can support students' occupational identity through mentorship, career discussions, and industry engagement, helping them build confidence and motivation. Third, parents can contribute by offering financial stability and fostering open discussions about the societal importance of elderly care, aiding students in their career preparation. Fourth, students can use these insights to develop key employability skills, such as emotional intelligence, problem-solving, and practical abilities, enabling them to make more informed career decisions. Finally, employers in elderly care institutions may benefit indirectly, as graduates with well-developed employability skills will require less training, easing their transition into the workforce and helping address challenges posed by global aging trends.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec13\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003e5.2 Study limitations and future research\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis study has some limitations. First, the key family environmental factors affecting employability were identified through research in elderly care management. While useful for students in this field, they may not apply to other areas. Second, although the study included diverse universities, all participants were from Hubei, where elderly care programs are available. Results might differ if students from other regions were included.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis study offers suggestions for future research. First, the empirical model is specific to elderly care. Future studies could conduct long-term follow-ups to assess trends and the model's relevance in the elderly care job market. Second, this research examines family environmental factors affecting employability using family influence scales and stakeholder interviews. While past studies link certain variables to employability, few focus on elderly care students. Researchers recommend further quantitative studies to explore these relationships in elderly care management, helping to address gaps in this field.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"6. Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthical approval statement\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEthical approval for this research was obtained from the Research Ethics Committee, Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University (Certificate No. R.64/2025) on March 10, 2025, with validity until March 10, 2026. All procedures involving human participants were conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and national research committees and with the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent to participate\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDeclarations\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWritten electronic informed consent was obtained from all participants (and/or their legal guardians, where applicable) in Hubei Province, China, between March and April 2025, prior to their participation in the study. The consent process clearly explained the purpose of the research, confirmed voluntary participation, and ensured anonymity.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent for publication\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot applicable.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAvailability of data and material\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompeting interests\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot applicable\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor Contributions\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eXZ conceived the research, collected the data, performed the data analysis and interpretation, wrote and revised the manuscript. TX helped revise the manuscript and extensively edited its language. All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBach. (2022). Book Review: Who Cares? Attracting and Retaining Care Workers for the Elderly. \u003cem\u003eTransfer: European Review of Labour and Research\u003c/em\u003e,\u003cem\u003e 28\u003c/em\u003e, 147 - 149. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBrislin. (1986). The wording and translation of research instruments. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBurke, \u0026amp; Stets. (2022). \u003cem\u003eIdentity theory: Revised and expanded\u003c/em\u003e. Oxford University Press. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChen, \u0026amp; Shao. (Year). Analysis of willingness and influencing factors of nursing undergraduates to engage in elderly service management. 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Service specification for senior care workers with traditional Chinese medicine specialty. \u003cem\u003eScience of Traditional Chinese Medicine\u003c/em\u003e,\u003cem\u003e 2\u003c/em\u003e(4), 327-331. https://doi.org/10.1097/st9.0000000000000049 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"Rattanakosin International College of Creative Entrepreneurship, Rajamangala University of Technology Rattanakosin","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Employability, elderly care, higher education, family expectations, financial support, informational support, values and beliefs, occupational identity","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8100775/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8100775/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePurpose-\u003c/b\u003eAs global aging intensifies, enhancing employability\u0026mdash;the ability to secure and sustain employment\u0026mdash;is critical for elderly care management students, who often struggle to meet industry demands. Given the family environment's lasting influence on career development, understanding its role is key to addressing these challenges. This study examines how family environment affects elderly care students' employability, with occupational identity as a mediator.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMethods-\u003c/b\u003eA total of 571 students studying elderly care management in the higher education completed an online questionnaire in Hubei province of China. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 27.0 and AMOS 24.0 in five stages: (1) descriptive analysis, (2) reliability and validity analysis, (3) Discriminant validity analysis, (4) assessment of model fit (5) mediating effect test.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eResults-\u003c/b\u003eThe findings indicated that family environment had a positive direct relationship with employability of the higher education students majoring in elderly care management. Specially, financial support had the strongest direct effect on employability (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001), followed by values and beliefs (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001), informational support (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001), and family expectations (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.001).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eConclusions-\u003c/b\u003eThis study theoretically expanded existing research by using an SEM model to analyze the relationships among family environment, occupational identity, and employability of Chinese higher education students majoring in elderly care management. It also provided practical suggestions for policymakers to enhance student employability from a family environment perspective amid aging trends.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"What Makes Elder Care Students Employable? The Interplay of Family Influence and Occupational Identity","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-11-14 04:19:50","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8100775/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"6033adeb-f397-4712-9ccf-99c84e1e5154","owner":[],"postedDate":"November 14th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-11-14T04:19:50+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-11-14 04:19:50","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8100775","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8100775","identity":"rs-8100775","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}