A Study on the Influencing Factors of Students’ Employability: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Purpose– This paper aims to explore the factors influencing students’ employability by using systematic literature review, making a clear and systematic classification of the influencing factors, proposing a theoretical model according to the analysis of the data, which is useful for future research on students’ employability and beneficial for all the stakeholders to make strategies to improve students’ employability, thus alleviating the current employment problem.

Design/methodology/approach– The systematic literature review (SLR) was used in this paper. By July 2024, a comprehensive review of relevant literature was conducted through domestic and international electronic databases, such as Science Direct (Elsevier), Scopus, Wiley Online Library, Emerald Insight, SAGE Journals and China CNKI.

Findings– More than 3285 studies were reviewed, from which 12 studies were found analyzing the issue of factors influencing students’ employability. The analysis explored the influencing factors from the three dimensions: influencing factors from the universities and colleges, influencing factors from the society and influencing factors from students themselves. And a theoretical model is proposed according to the analysis of the data.

Research limitations/implications– The main implication lies in providing a systematic classification of the influencing factors on students’ employability and proposing a theoretical model of it. Meanwhile, the results can be useful for conducting future research on students’ employability, and make a comparative analysis of the factors influencing students’ employability, which will be conductive to making a more comprehensive analysis on how to improve students’ employability and make useful strategies, thus solving the employment problem.

Originality/value– The SLR conducted is considered as novelty in the first attempt to present past studies comprehensively on the classification of factors influencing students’ employability and exploring the theoretical model of factors influencing students’ employability.