Principal component analysis and multi-dimensional quantitative research on sustainable employability of Chinese liberal arts college students

Purpose–This study aimed to explore the internal structure of sustainable employability of liberal arts college students in China and develop a comprehensive scale to facilitate research on this topic and establish a theoretical framework for cultivating sustainable employability of liberal arts college students in China. Design/methodology/approach–Through theoretical derivation and open questionnaire and the Delphi method, the main dimensions of sustainable employability of liberal arts college students are explored. The components elments of each dimension are explored through a text analysis of 189 job advertisements. Through 392 questionnaires and statistical analysis techniques, a scale is developed for measuring the sustainable employability of liberal arts college students. Findings–This study found three dimensions characterizing the sustainable employability of liberal arts students in China: attribute characteristics, general ability of employment, and innovation-driven ability. Additionally, the attribute characteristics encompassed five attribute elements, the general employment ability included six, and the innovation-driven ability included four. This study also developed a 34-item scale for measuring the sustainable employability of liberal arts students that demonstrated good reliability and validity. Originality/value–This study was among the first to investigate the internal structure of sustainable employability of liberal arts students in China.