Analysis of the Employment Policymaking Structure for Graduates Using a Mixed-Methods Exploratory Approach: Explaining a Policy Model Based on Simultaneous Strengthening of Supply and Demand
Keywords:
Public Policymaking, Employment Development, Expansion of Job Opportunities, Higher Education Graduates, Thematic AnalysisAbstract
This study aimed to develop and validate a comprehensive policymaking model for employment development and expansion of job opportunities among higher education graduates in Iran by integrating labor market supply and demand dimensions within an institutional policy framework. An exploratory mixed-methods design was employed. In the qualitative phase, data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews with 18 policymakers, academic experts, and executive managers and analyzed using thematic analysis, resulting in three overarching themes, thirteen organizing themes, and fifty-six basic codes. In the quantitative phase, the conceptual model derived from qualitative findings was validated using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) based on questionnaire data collected from 258 policymakers, experts, and stakeholders involved in graduate employment processes. Convergent and discriminant validity as well as reliability indices confirmed the adequacy of the measurement model. Inferential results confirmed the overall fitness of the proposed model and the significance of structural relationships among its three core dimensions. Supply-side strengthening demonstrated a significant positive effect on employment development through improving job quality and sustainability. Demand-side reinforcement showed the strongest influence on expanding employment opportunities and labor market access. Supply–demand interface mechanisms played a critical mediating and moderating role by aligning educational outputs with labor market needs, indicating that sustainable employment outcomes emerge primarily when supply and demand policies operate simultaneously within coordinated institutional arrangements. The proposed model offers an integrated framework for redesigning graduate employment policies and demonstrates that effective employment governance requires institutional coordination between skill development, demand stimulation, and intermediary regulatory mechanisms; thus, successful policymaking depends on moving beyond single-dimension interventions toward a synchronized supply–demand governance approach.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Malek shokri (Author); Jafar Beikzad; Alireza Islambolchi, Rostam Gharehdaghi, Kambiz Hamidi (Author)
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