Journal of Islamic Economics, Management, and Business (JIEMB)
Vol. 7 No. 2 (2025)

The influence of motivation and career opportunities on career choice: the mediating role of psychological capital

Purwanto (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
20 Oct 2025

Abstract

The rapid transformation brought by the industrial revolution 4.0 has created new challenges for the Indonesian workforce, particularly in aligning motivation, career opportunities, and psychological capital in career decision-making. This study aims to explain the causal relationship between motivation, career opportunities, psychological capital, and career choice among final-year students and recent graduates in Semarang City. Using a quantitative explanatory approach, data were collected from 142 respondents through purposive sampling and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results show that motivation and career opportunities significantly influence career choice both directly and indirectly through psychological capital as a mediating variable. Motivation and perceived opportunities positively affect psychological capital, which in turn strengthens individuals’ confidence, optimism, hope, and resilience in making career decisions. The model explains 61.1% of the variance in career choice, confirming that psychological capital functions as a key mediating mechanism linking internal motivation and external opportunities. These findings contribute to human resource management and positive psychology by highlighting the importance of integrating psychological development into career planning strategies, suggesting that educational institutions and policymakers should foster motivation and psychological capital to enhance workforce readiness and career sustainability.

Copyrights © 2025






Journal Info

Abbrev

JIEMB

Publisher

Subject

Economics, Econometrics & Finance

Description

Journal of Islamic Economics, Management, and Business is a scientific journal in the field of Islamic economics studies published twice a year by the program of Magister of Syariah Economics, Faculty of Islamic Economics and Business UIN Walisongo Semarang. The editors receive articles in the form ...