Paper Title
Construct Validity of Career Adaptability in The Hotel Industry in Thailand

Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this study is to investigate the construct validity of career adaptability within the hotel industry in Thailand. Design/methodology/approach – The research sample comprised 252 Generation Z employees working in operational roles in the hotel industry in Bangkok. A questionnaire based on the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale–Short Form (CAAS-SF) was used for data collection. The questionnaire utilized a five-point Likert scale, and the resulting Cronbach’s α coefficient ranged from 0.80 to 0.82, indicating good reliability. Structural validity of the measurement model was assessed using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). Findings – The goodness-of-fit indices for the first-order model were as follows: χ² = 80.43, df = 45, χ²/df = 1.79, p = 0.00, CFI = 0.95, RMSEA = 0.06, and RMR = 0.03. These indices suggest that the model provided a good fit to the empirical data, confirming that career adaptability is measured by four components: Concern, Control, Curiosity, and Confidence. The goodness-of-fit indices for the second-order model were as follows: χ² = 88.06, df = 45, χ²/df = 1.96, p = 0.00, CFI = 0.94, RMSEA = 0.06, and RMR = 0.03, indicating an adequate fit to the data. This second-order model further revealed that career adaptability is composed of four components, with factor loadings ranging from 0.76 to 0.97. The components, in descending order of factor loadings, are Confidence, Control, Curiosity, and Concern. All constructs demonstrated statistical significance at the 0.00 level, confirming that each is a significant component of career adaptability. Research limitations/implications – Given that the sample consisted solely of employees from the hotel industry in Thailand, the results should be interpreted with caution. Future studies may seek to expand the sample to include other industries for broader applicability. Practitioners and managers can use the findings of this study to assess and enhance the career adaptability of employees. Originality/value – The main contribution of this research is to demonstrate the applicability of the Career Adapt-Abilities Scale–Short Form (CAAS-SF) within the hotel industry context in Thailand, thereby extending its use in a non-Western, industry-specific setting. Keywords - Career adaptability, Validity scales, Hotel industry