Work values, perceived employability and rural employment intention among Chinese college students: the mediating effect of protean career orientation

The rural employment of college students is necessary to address the lack of rural talent and realize rural revitalization. However, there are challenges related to intention, action, rootedness, and integration in college graduates' rural employment. This study hypothesized that college students' perceived employability and work values positively predicts their rural employment intention, and that protean career orientation plays a mediating role in this predictive relationship. A total of 2,303 Chinese students (females = 60.7%) from three different types of colleges and universities (double first-class universities = 23.2%, ordinary undergraduate universities = 35.9%, higher vocational colleges = 40.9%) participated in a survey using the Work Values, Perceived Employability, Protean Career Orientation and Rural Employment Intention Scales. Descriptive and demographic differences results showed that students' rural employment intention was at a general level, and that those who were not the only child, from higher vocational colleges, were born in rural areas, and had low parental education had relatively higher rural employment intention. Path analysis results showed that students' altruistic work values and perceived employability significantly predicted their rural employment intention, and protean career orientation was a significant mediating variable in this relationship. These findings have implications for innovation in college employment work.