Aim: The transition from education to the labor market and facing the challenge of unemployment requires graduates to rely on personal resources and entrepreneurial approaches. In this regard, psychological capitals such as job adaptability and self-efficacy, through the promotion of perceived employability, provide the necessary basis for the formation of entrepreneurial intentions. This study aimed to investigate the effects of career adaptability and self-efficacy on entrepreneurial intentions, focusing on the mediating role of perceived employability.
Methods: This applied, descriptive-correlational study was conducted using a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach. The statistical population comprised all final-year students and graduates of Urmia University, from which a sample was selected via proportional stratified sampling. Data were collected using standard questionnaires and analyzed through descriptive statistics and SEM.
Results: The findings revealed that career adaptability and perceived employability had a positive and significant effect on entrepreneurial intentions; however, the direct effect of self-efficacy on entrepreneurial intentions was not significant. Nevertheless, perceived employability played a significant mediating role in the relationships between self-efficacy and career adaptability with entrepreneurial intentions.
Conclusion: Based on the findings, enhancing entrepreneurial intentions relies on strengthening career adaptability and self-efficacy through the pathway of increased perceived employability. Therefore, it is recommended that higher education institutions design skill-based interventions, identify talents, and provide specialized training to foster these psychological resources, thereby institutionalizing entrepreneurial motivation and intentions among students.