Employability of fresh engineering graduates in India: a fresh look applying expectation confirmation theory.

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine whether satisfaction of employers with skill competencies of fresh engineering graduates (EGs) in India is impacted by their expectations and perceptions. Applying Expectation Confirmation Theory (ECT), the authors have also proposed and tested whether such effects on employers’ satisfaction are mediated by (dis)confirmation. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected through a survey of employers’ representatives using a structured questionnaire. The proposed mediation model has been tested on a sample of 284 with Confirmatory Factor Analysis by applying structural equation modelling in AMOS. Findings – The structural model has been constructed with six latent constructs in accordance with extant literature. Excluding some observed variables, the structural model was found to have a good model fit. The measurement model is in accordance with ECT. Three of the four independent variables (two related to employers’ expectations and one to employers’ perception) exert significant influence on employers’ satisfaction, with (dis)confirmation as a mediator. Practical implications – Industry–academia partnerships need to be an integral feature of any curriculum to bridge the gap between course curricula on one hand and employers’ expectations and perceptions on the other. Originality/value – Past research on employability of EGs has mostly explored a direct association between employers’ perception and satisfaction. The authors study contributes to literature by examining the role of employers’ expectations in addition to their perception as precursors of their satisfaction, using the framework of ECT. Outcomes reported are of relevance to multiple stakeholders in technical education.