Social Support and Well-Being: The Survival Kit for the Work Jungle

This study aimed to investigate the effect of perceived social support on perceived employability and whether this relationship is mediated by well-being. Another objective is to study the moderating effect of perceived self-efficacy on the relationship between well-being and perceived employability...

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Main Authors: Mariana Oliveira, Ana Palma-Moreira, Manuel Au-Yong-Oliveira
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Social Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/14/5/317
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author Mariana Oliveira
Ana Palma-Moreira
Manuel Au-Yong-Oliveira
author_facet Mariana Oliveira
Ana Palma-Moreira
Manuel Au-Yong-Oliveira
author_sort Mariana Oliveira
collection DOAJ
description This study aimed to investigate the effect of perceived social support on perceived employability and whether this relationship is mediated by well-being. Another objective is to study the moderating effect of perceived self-efficacy on the relationship between well-being and perceived employability. The sample comprises 316 participants, all studying at universities in Portugal. The results show that social support is positively and significantly associated with perceived employability and well-being. Well-being has a positive and significant association with perceived employability. As for the mediating effect, well-being was found to have a total mediating effect on the relationship between social support and perceived employability. Perceived self-efficacy has a positive and significant association with perceived employability. Contrary to expectations, perceived self-efficacy does not moderate the relationship between well-being and perceived employability. These results allow us to conclude that social support and well-being are the survival kits for the jungle of work. As for the practical implications, it is recommended that universities take care of the social support given to students, increasing their well-being so that their perceived employability is high.
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spelling doaj-art-975f320f686a4fef9de48b3c0b8627832025-08-20T02:33:58ZengMDPI AGSocial Sciences2076-07602025-05-0114531710.3390/socsci14050317Social Support and Well-Being: The Survival Kit for the Work JungleMariana Oliveira0Ana Palma-Moreira1Manuel Au-Yong-Oliveira2Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Europeia, Quinta do Bom Nome, Estr. da Correia 53, 1500-210 Lisboa, PortugalFaculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Europeia, Quinta do Bom Nome, Estr. da Correia 53, 1500-210 Lisboa, PortugalInstitute for Systems and Computer Engineering, Technology and Science (INESC TEC), 4200-465 Porto, PortugalThis study aimed to investigate the effect of perceived social support on perceived employability and whether this relationship is mediated by well-being. Another objective is to study the moderating effect of perceived self-efficacy on the relationship between well-being and perceived employability. The sample comprises 316 participants, all studying at universities in Portugal. The results show that social support is positively and significantly associated with perceived employability and well-being. Well-being has a positive and significant association with perceived employability. As for the mediating effect, well-being was found to have a total mediating effect on the relationship between social support and perceived employability. Perceived self-efficacy has a positive and significant association with perceived employability. Contrary to expectations, perceived self-efficacy does not moderate the relationship between well-being and perceived employability. These results allow us to conclude that social support and well-being are the survival kits for the jungle of work. As for the practical implications, it is recommended that universities take care of the social support given to students, increasing their well-being so that their perceived employability is high.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/14/5/317social supportwell-beingperceived employabilityperceived self-efficacyuniversity studentsquantitative study
spellingShingle Mariana Oliveira
Ana Palma-Moreira
Manuel Au-Yong-Oliveira
Social Support and Well-Being: The Survival Kit for the Work Jungle
Social Sciences
social support
well-being
perceived employability
perceived self-efficacy
university students
quantitative study
title Social Support and Well-Being: The Survival Kit for the Work Jungle
title_full Social Support and Well-Being: The Survival Kit for the Work Jungle
title_fullStr Social Support and Well-Being: The Survival Kit for the Work Jungle
title_full_unstemmed Social Support and Well-Being: The Survival Kit for the Work Jungle
title_short Social Support and Well-Being: The Survival Kit for the Work Jungle
title_sort social support and well being the survival kit for the work jungle
topic social support
well-being
perceived employability
perceived self-efficacy
university students
quantitative study
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/14/5/317
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