The Effect of Openness to Experience on Students' Readiness for School-To-Work Transition.

This study investigates how three constructs of openness to experience—openness to learning in a new environment, openness to supervisor feedback, and openness to diversity—affect undergraduate students' readiness for school-to-work transition (STWT) within the context of work placement learning (WPL) in Nigerian firms. Drawing on the social cognitive career theory–model of career self-management (SCCT-CSM), the research examines the mediating role of self-efficacy in these relationships. Analysis of 543 student responses using structural equation modeling revealed that openness to learning in a new environment and openness to diversity positively influence both self-efficacy and readiness for STWT, with self-efficacy mediating these effects; however, openness to supervisor feedback, while directly related to readiness, did not significantly affect self-efficacy nor mediate readiness. The findings highlight the importance of fostering these openness constructs and self-efficacy in WPL programs to enhance students' preparedness for entering the labor market, offering implications for higher education institutions and industry partners in emerging economies.