Does Gender Moderate the Effect of Soft Skills Development on Perceived Work Readiness?

Jarullah Ghinaa Permata, Rini Kuswati

Abstract


The transition from university to the professional workforce demands that graduates possess strong soft skills to improve their readiness for employment. This study investigates the effects of several dimensions of soft skills development, namely communication skill, problem-solving skill, teamwork skill, time management skill, and adaptability skill, on perceived work readiness, while also examining the moderating role of gender. A quantitative research design was adopted using a survey of 210 final-year university students. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire based on a five-point Likert scale and analyzed using IBM SPSS, including validity and reliability tests, classical assumption tests, multiple linear regression analysis, and Moderated Regression Analysis (MRA). The findings reveal that problem-solving skill, teamwork skill, and time management skill significantly and positively influence perceived work readiness. In contrast, communication skill and adaptability skill do not exhibit significant effects. The moderation analysis further demonstrates that gender does not significantly moderate the relationships between the dimensions of soft skills development and perceived work readiness. These results emphasize the importance of enhancing students' problem-solving, teamwork, and time management competencies as key factors in strengthening their preparedness for successful entry into the labor market.


Keywords


Adaptability Skill; Communication Skill; Gender; Perceived Work Readiness; Soft Skills.

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References


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DOI: https://doi.org/10.17509/ijdb.v6i1.104491

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