THE INFLUENCE OF WORK RELATIONSHIPS ON CAREER DEVELOPMENT: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF EMPLOYEE PARTICIPATION
Keywords:
Work Relationships, Employee Participation, Career Development, Mediating Variable, Machinery Manufacturing IndustryAbstract
This study aimed 1) to examine the influence of work relationships on employee participation and career development, and 2) to analyze the mediating role of employee participation in the relationship between work relationships and career development. Data were collected from 359 full-time employees in Thailand’s machinery manufacturing industry using a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed for data analysis.
The results showed that work relationships significantly and positively affected employee participation (β = 0.697, p < .001) and career development (β = 0.586, p < .001). Employee participation also had a significant positive effect on career development (β = 0.240, p < .001). Furthermore, employee participation partially mediated the relationship between work relationships and career development (β_indirect = 0.167, p < .001). The model explained 59.7% of the variance in career development and 48.6% in employee participation. These findings highlight the crucial causal mechanisms through which positive work relationships and active employee participation foster human capital enhancement and sustainable career development in modern industrial contexts.
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