Building the employability chain: a time-lagged study on the role of career self-management and organizational career management for employability development

Purpose – This study investigates how career self-management and organizational career management influence self-perceived employability over time. Drawing on the Social Cognitive Career Theory-Career Self-Management model, it examines the mediating role of movement capital, comprising human, social and psychological resources. 

Design/methodology/approach – A time-lagged survey design with a 6-month interval was employed in a large Dutch public sector organization. 

Findings – Our study reveals that both career self-management and organizational career management are directly linked to self-perceived internal and external employability. Movement capital, which includes human, social, and psychological capital, partially mediates the relationship between both career self-management and organizational career management and self-perceived internal and external employability. Specifically, skills and knowledge mainly strengthen opportunities within the organization, whereas networks and resilience are especially important because they enhance both internal and external employability. By distinguishing movement capital's components, rather than treating it as a unified construct, this study provides a more nuanced understanding of how career resources contribute to employability development over time. 

Research limitations/implications – Based on a two-wave design and a homogeneous sample of civil servants, our study offers a foundation for future longitudinal and cross-sector research. Future studies could further examine how distinct components of movement capital interact across different contexts and career stages. 

Practical implications – For HR and career professionals, our findings underscore the importance of supportive work environments that foster employee career development, encouraging employees to recognize future job opportunities and prioritize the development of their movement capital. 

Social implications – This study highlights the crucial role of HR and career professionals in enhancing civil servants' employability by focusing on the development of movement capital. 

Originality/value – Our research offers new insights into the dynamic process of employability development by integrating both employee and organizational perspectives and by disentangling the distinct roles of human, social and psychological resources within movement capital. This nuanced approach provides new insights into how career self-management and organizational support jointly shape self-perceived internal and external employability over time.