The Relationship between Graduates’ Perceived Employability Attributes and Employability Gap in Egypt: The Moderating Roles of Core Self-Evaluation and University Branding

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between university students’ perceived employability attributes and perceived employability gap in Egypt; and to investigate the moderating effect of students’ core self-evaluation and university branding on such a relation. A quota sample of 558 senior graduating business students was drawn from 6 public and private universities in Cairo. The students responded to three questionnaires that assess employability attributes, employability gap, CSE and university branding. The results indicated that there is a significant negative relation between perceived employability attributes and perceived employability gap. Moreover, core self-evaluation seems to be a moderating variable in such a relationship; while university branding is not. The study contributed to the literature by introducing a new conceptual model of employability and some important policy making recommendations and implications for higher education to bridge the employability gap on the local as well as the international level.