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Soft Skills as Durable-Adaptive Capital: Industry Insights for Career Construction across the Lifespan

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Title: Soft Skills as Durable-Adaptive Capital: Industry Insights for Career Construction across the Lifespan
Language: English
Authors: Natalí Basilico (ORCID 0000-0003-4082-0727), Paula Pedro-Aznar (ORCID 0009-0003-5225-8337), Mitchell Peters (ORCID 0000-0002-9186-9240)
Source: Higher Education, Skills and Work-based Learning. 2026 16(8):33-49.
Availability: Emerald Publishing Limited. Howard House, Wagon Lane, Bingley, West Yorkshire, BD16 1WA, UK. Tel: +44-1274-777700; Fax: +44-1274-785201; e-mail: emerald@emeraldinsight.com; Web site: http://www.emerald.com/insight
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 17
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Soft Skills, Job Skills, Career Development, Career Guidance, Lifelong Learning, Industry, Foreign Countries, Vocational Adjustment, Capital (Sociology), Employer Attitudes, Employment Potential
Geographic Terms: Spain
DOI: 10.1108/HESWBL-12-2025-0577
ISSN: 2042-3896
Abstract: Purpose: This study analyses the increasing demand for soft skills from an integrated perspective, aiming to explain their function as durable-adaptive capital and enhance evidence-based career guidance and lifelong learning strategies, thereby supporting work adjustment and career construction across the lifespan. Design/methodology/approach: Employing a qualitative research design, the methodology triangulated industry perspectives with economic perspectives and vocational psychological framework, grounded in career construction theory regarding adaptive capital. We conducted 42 semi-structured interviews with key industry representatives across dynamic sectors (Information Technology, Commerce and Marketing, and Administration and Management) in Catalonia, Spain, using a thematic analysis approach. Findings: Our findings suggest that--(1) intrapersonal self-management skills are chiefly valued for mitigating adaptive capital depreciation in contexts of accelerated technological change, thereby sustaining organisational competitiveness and (2) interpersonal skills reduce the effort and friction of coordination and improve the efficiency of task handoffs in interdependent work settings. Key attributes include how hard they are perceived to be to acquire and how effectively they serve as credible signals of successful adaptation. As such, soft skills can function as critical mechanisms of durable-adaptive capital in response to shifting labour market demands. Originality/value: This research introduces a novel, integrated framework that explicitly links economic perspectives with vocational psychosocial adaptation strategies. By expanding the conventional concept of adaptive capital to durable-adaptive capital, this study offers both a conceptual contribution and qualitative, industry-based insights with practical implications for education, lifelong learning and workforce development.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1506686
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: Soft Skills as Durable-Adaptive Capital: Industry Insights for Career Construction across the Lifespan
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  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Natalí+Basilico%22">Natalí Basilico</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4082-0727">0000-0003-4082-0727</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Paula+Pedro-Aznar%22">Paula Pedro-Aznar</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0009-0003-5225-8337">0009-0003-5225-8337</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Mitchell+Peters%22">Mitchell Peters</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9186-9240">0000-0002-9186-9240</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Higher+Education%2C+Skills+and+Work-based+Learning%22"><i>Higher Education, Skills and Work-based Learning</i></searchLink>. 2026 16(8):33-49.
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  Label: Availability
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  Data: Emerald Publishing Limited. Howard House, Wagon Lane, Bingley, West Yorkshire, BD16 1WA, UK. Tel: +44-1274-777700; Fax: +44-1274-785201; e-mail: emerald@emeraldinsight.com; Web site: http://www.emerald.com/insight
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  Data: Y
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  Data: 17
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Soft+Skills%22">Soft Skills</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Job+Skills%22">Job Skills</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Career+Development%22">Career Development</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Career+Guidance%22">Career Guidance</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Lifelong+Learning%22">Lifelong Learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Industry%22">Industry</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Vocational+Adjustment%22">Vocational Adjustment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Capital+%28Sociology%29%22">Capital (Sociology)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Employer+Attitudes%22">Employer Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Employment+Potential%22">Employment Potential</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Spain%22">Spain</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1108/HESWBL-12-2025-0577
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 2042-3896
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Purpose: This study analyses the increasing demand for soft skills from an integrated perspective, aiming to explain their function as durable-adaptive capital and enhance evidence-based career guidance and lifelong learning strategies, thereby supporting work adjustment and career construction across the lifespan. Design/methodology/approach: Employing a qualitative research design, the methodology triangulated industry perspectives with economic perspectives and vocational psychological framework, grounded in career construction theory regarding adaptive capital. We conducted 42 semi-structured interviews with key industry representatives across dynamic sectors (Information Technology, Commerce and Marketing, and Administration and Management) in Catalonia, Spain, using a thematic analysis approach. Findings: Our findings suggest that--(1) intrapersonal self-management skills are chiefly valued for mitigating adaptive capital depreciation in contexts of accelerated technological change, thereby sustaining organisational competitiveness and (2) interpersonal skills reduce the effort and friction of coordination and improve the efficiency of task handoffs in interdependent work settings. Key attributes include how hard they are perceived to be to acquire and how effectively they serve as credible signals of successful adaptation. As such, soft skills can function as critical mechanisms of durable-adaptive capital in response to shifting labour market demands. Originality/value: This research introduces a novel, integrated framework that explicitly links economic perspectives with vocational psychosocial adaptation strategies. By expanding the conventional concept of adaptive capital to durable-adaptive capital, this study offers both a conceptual contribution and qualitative, industry-based insights with practical implications for education, lifelong learning and workforce development.
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: EJ1506686
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1506686
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      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1108/HESWBL-12-2025-0577
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      – Text: English
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        PageCount: 17
        StartPage: 33
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Soft Skills
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Job Skills
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Career Development
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Career Guidance
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      – SubjectFull: Lifelong Learning
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      – SubjectFull: Industry
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      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
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      – SubjectFull: Vocational Adjustment
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Capital (Sociology)
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      – SubjectFull: Employer Attitudes
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      – SubjectFull: Employment Potential
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      – SubjectFull: Spain
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    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Soft Skills as Durable-Adaptive Capital: Industry Insights for Career Construction across the Lifespan
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            NameFull: Natalí Basilico
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            NameFull: Paula Pedro-Aznar
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            NameFull: Mitchell Peters
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