Psychological Antecedents of Trust in Work-based Education in Bangkok
Keywords:
Emotional Intelligence, Growth Mindset, Empathy, Trust, Work-based EducationAbstract
Trust is a critical determinant of successful collaboration and performance in multicultural Work-based Education (WBE) programs, yet limited research has examined its psychological antecedents in cross-cultural internship contexts. Drawing on Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), this study investigates how emotional intelligence (EQ), proactive personality, resilience, growth mindset, and empathy influence trust formation among interns in multicultural workplace environments. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 429 university students enrolled in WBE programs in Thailand, all of whom had completed at least three months of internship experience. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to examine direct effects and the influence of control variables, including gender, age, academic year, GPAX, internship duration, and internship days per week. EQ (β = 0.215, p < 0.001), Growth mindset (β = 0.216, p < 0.001), and Empathy (β = 0.339, p < 0.001) showed significant positive relationships with trust, supporting H1, H4, and H5. Proactive personality (β = 0.073, p = 0.064) and resilience (β = 0.056, p = 0.121) were not significant predictors, leading to the rejection of H2 and H3. Among control variables, only gender exhibited a small but significant effect on trust (β = -0.079, p = 0.049). The findings underscore the pivotal role of interpersonal and cognitive-emotional attributes, particularly empathy, EQ, and growth mindset, in fostering trust in multicultural WBE settings. These results refine SCT’s application to relational outcomes, demonstrating that attributes directly facilitating interpersonal connection are more influential for rapid trust formation than individual behavioral orientations or coping mechanisms, and offering practical implications for universities, organizations, and policymakers to design targeted interventions that strengthen trust-building competencies in future professionals.
References
Afifah, M., Ningrum, A. S. B., Wahyuni, S., & Syaifulloh, B. (2024). Self-efficacy, anxiety, and emotional intelligence: Do they contribute to speaking performance? Journal of Languages and Language Teaching, 12(2), 793-806.
Ahad, R., Mustafa, M. Z., Mohamad, S., Abdullah, N. H. S., & Nordin, M. N. (2021). Work attitude, organizational commitment and emotional intelligence of Malaysian vocational college teachers. Journal of Technical Education and Training, 13(1), 15-21. https://doi.org/10.30880/jtet.2021.13.01.002
Ahmad, S., Islam, T., Sohal, A. S., Wolfram Cox, J., & Kaleem, A. (2021). Managing bullying in the workplace: A model of servant leadership, employee resilience and proactive personality. Personnel Review, 50(7-8), 1613-1631. https://doi.org/10.1108/PR-06-2020-0470
Ahsan, M. J. (2025). Cultivating a culture of learning: The role of leadership in fostering lifelong development. The Learning Organization, 32(2), 282-306. https://doi.org/10.1108/TLO-03-2024-0099
Alomari, M. Q. M. (2023). The impact of technological transformation on the realm of modern business Management. Eximia, 12, 626-642. https://doi.org/10.47577/eximia.v12i1.410
Alsayed, A. (2022). Trust and communication satisfaction as mediators in the relationship between emotional intelligence and work-related outcomes: A conceptual framework. International Journal of Contemporary Management and Information Technology, 2(2), 1-14.
Alzoubi, H. M., & Aziz, R. (2021). Does emotional intelligence contribute to quality of strategic decisions? The mediating role of open innovation. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 7(2), 130. https://doi.org/10.3390/joitmc7020130
Atta, M. H. R., Hammad, H. A.-H., & Elzohairy, N. W. (2024). The role of empathy in the relationship between emotional support and caring behavior towards patients among intern nursing students. BMC Nursing, 23(1), 156-161.
Baba, M. M., Makhdoomi, U. M., & Siddiqi, M. A. (2021). Emotional intelligence and transformational leadership among academic leaders in institutions of higher learning. Global Business Review, 22(4), 1070-1096.
Bandura, A. (1978). The self system in reciprocal determinism. American psychologist, 33(4), 344-358. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.33.4.344
Bandura, A. (1982). Self-efficacy mechanism in human agency. American psychologist, 37(2), 122-147. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.37.2.122
Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundations of thought and action. Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1986(2328), 2. https://doi.org/10.2307/258004
Bandura, A. (1991). Social cognitive theory of self-regulation. Organizational behavior and human decision processes, 50(2), 248-287. https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90022-L
Bandura, A. (1999). Social cognitive theory of personality. Handbook of Personality, 2(1), 154-196.
Bandura, A., & Walters, R. H. (1977). Social learning theory (Vol. 1). Prentice Hall Englewood Cliffs. https://www.asecib.ase.ro/mps/Bandura_SocialLearningTheory.pdf
Bandura, A., & Wessels, S. (1997). Self-efficacy. Cambridge University Press. https://www.academia.edu/28274869/Albert_Bandura_Self_Efficacy_The_Exercise_of_Control_W_H_Freeman_and_Co_1997_pdf
Bateman, T. S., & Crant, J. M. (1993). The proactive component of organizational behavior: A measure and correlates. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 14(2), 103-118. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.4030140202
Bedir, D., Agduman, F., Bedir, F., & Erhan, S. E. (2023). The mediator role of communication skill in the relationship between empathy, team cohesion, and competition performance in curlers. Frontiers in psychology, 14, 1115402. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1115402
Benabed, A., Miksik, O., Baldissera, A., & Gruenbichler, R. (2022). Small and medium-sized enterprises’ status in the perspectives of internationalization, globalization and artificial intelligence. IBIMA Business Review, 2022, 1-15.
Billingsley, J., Lipsey, N. P., Burnette, J. L., & Pollack, J. M. (2023). Growth mindsets: Defining, assessing, and exploring effects on motivation for entrepreneurs and non- entrepreneurs. Current Psychology, 42(11), 8855-8873. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-02149-w
Bin Ibrahim, A. (2024). Trust in the workplace: A study of worker and department head dynamics. International Journal of Education Technology, 4(05), 7-12. https://www.academicpublishers.org/journals/index.php/ijet/article/view/1300/1925
Braganza, A., Chen, W., Canhoto, A., & Sap, S. (2021). Productive employment and decent work: The impact of AI adoption on psychological contracts, job engagement and employee trust. Journal of Business Research, 131, 485-494. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.08.018
Brown, S. D., Lent, R. W., Telander, K., & Tramayne, S. (2011). Social cognitive career theory, conscientiousness, and work performance: A meta-analytic path analysis. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 79(1), 81-90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2010.11.009
Chen, J. K., & Sriphon, T. (2022). Authentic leadership, trust, and social exchange relationships under the influence of leader behavior. Sustainability, 14(10), 5883.
Chong, S., Van Dyne, L., Kim, Y. J., & Oh, J. K. (2021). Drive and direction: Empathy with intended targets moderates the proactive personality–job performance relationship via work engagement. Applied psychology, 70(2), 575-605.
Cook, D. A., & Artino, A. R., Jr. (2016). Motivation to learn: An overview of contemporary theories. Medical education, 50(10), 997-1014. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.13074
Coronado-Maldonado, I., & Benítez-Márquez, M.-D. (2023). Emotional intelligence, leadership, and work teams: A hybrid literature review. Heliyon, 9(10). e20356.
Diab, A., & Green, E. (2024). Cultivating resilience and success: Support systems for novice teachers in diverse contexts. Education Sciences, 14(7), 711. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14070711
Dirks, K. T., & de Jong, B. (2022). Trust within the workplace: A review of two waves of research and a glimpse of the third. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 9(1), 247-276. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-012420-083025
Diugowanets, O., & Kurei, O. (2021). Business transformations trends in modern global economy. https://dspace.uzhnu.edu.ua/bitstreams/5c21d435-fbb0-4392-b6e0-061caf9d038a/download
Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Random House.
Fergusson, L. (2022). Learning by… Knowledge and skills acquisition through work-based learning and research. Journal of Work-Applied Management, 14(2), 184-199.
Finley, A. P. (2023). The career-ready graduate: What employers say about the difference College Makes. American Association of Colleges and Universities.
Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39-50.
Giannoccaro, I., & Iftikhar, A. (2022). Mitigating ripple effect in supply networks: The effect of trust and topology on resilience. International Journal of Production Research, 60(4), 1178-1195. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207543.2020.1853844
Gibson, S. K. (2004). Social learning (cognitive) theory and implications for human resource development. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 6(2), 193-210.
Görgens-Ekermans, G., & Roux, C. (2021). Revisiting the emotional intelligence and transformational leadership debate: (How) does emotional intelligence matter to effective leadership? SA Journal of Human Resource Management, 19, 1279.
Grobelny, J., Radke, P., & Paniotova-Maczka, D. (2021). Emotional intelligence and job performance: A meta-analysis. International Journal of Work Organisation and Emotion, 12(1), 1-47. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJWOE.2021.115620
Guidi, C., & Traversa, C. (2021). Empathy in patient care: From ‘Clinical Empathy’to ‘Empathic Concern’. Medicine, Health Care and Philosophy, 24, 573-585. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11019-021-10033-4
Hair, J. F., Risher, J. J., Sarstedt, M., & Ringle, C. M. (2019). When to use and how to report the results of PLS-SEM. European business review, 31(1), 2-24.
Hao, S., & Han, P. (2022). The moderating roles of trust and felt trust on the relationship between proactive personality and voice behaviour. Management Decision, 60(8), 2224-2237.
Henseler, J., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2015). A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modeling. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 43, 115-135. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-014-0403-8
Irwin, A., Perkins, J., Hillari, L. L., & Wischerath, D. (2022). Is the future of internships online? An examination of stakeholder attitudes towards online internships. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, 12(4), 629-644. https://doi.org/10.1108/HESWBL-05-2021-0102
Islam, K. F., Awal, A., Mazumder, H., Munni, U. R., Majumder, K., Afroz, K., Tabassum, M. N., & Hossain, M. M. (2023). Social cognitive theory-based health promotion in primary care practice: A scoping review. Heliyon, 9(4), e14889. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e14889
Kattiyapornpong, U., & Almeida, S. (2022). An examination of comparative perspectives on international internships. Education+Training, 64(1), 41-55.
Lee, C. -C., Yeh, W. -C., Yu, Z., & Lin, X. -C. (2023). The relationships between leader emotional intelligence, transformational leadership, and transactional leadership and job performance: A mediator model of trust. Heliyon, 9(8). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18007
Lee, S. H., & Lim, S. E. (2023). Enhancing teamwork in the hospitality industry: The importance of empathy. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 114, 103557. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2023.103557
Lent, R. W., Brown, S. D., & Hackett, G. (1994). Toward a unifying social cognitive theory of career and academic interest, choice, and performance. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 45(1), 79-122. https://doi.org/10.1006/jvbe.1994.1027
Li, L. (2024). Reskilling and upskilling the future-ready workforce for industry 4.0 and beyond. Information Systems Frontiers, 26(5), 1697-1712.
Lin, S.-H., & Chen, M.-Y. (2022). Feeling capable or being flexible? Personality, cognition, and behavior: A moderated mediation of trust-in-supervisor internship. Current Psychology, 41(8), 5088-5097. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-020-00994-9
Lin, Y. L., & Wang, W. T. (2023). Analysis of the social interaction of perceived problem‐based learning performance in internship courses. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 39(1), 194-209.
Liu, J., Zeng, M., Wang, D., Zhang, Y., Shang, B., & Ma, X. (2022). Applying social cognitive theory in predicting physical activity among Chinese adolescents: A cross-sectional study with multigroup structural equation model. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 695241.
Lyu, J., & Ratasuk, A. (2024). Determinants of customer trust in rural e-commerce in Zhengzhou, China: A case study of Taobao Villages. Panyapiwat Journal, 16(2), 105-124.
Macnamara, B. N., & Burgoyne, A. P. (2023). Do growth mindset interventions impact students’ academic achievement? A systematic review and meta-analysis with recommendations for best practices. Psychological bulletin, 149(3-4), 133. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000352
Manner-Beldeon, F., Carvache-Franco, M., & Carvache-Franco, W. (2024). Community resilience and its influence on sustainable tourism development. Tourism and Hospitality Management, 30(2), 163-176. https://doi.org/10.20867/thm.30.2.2
Mishra, P., & Dev, A. (2024). Personality Enhancement-A Professional Perspective. Academic Guru Publishing House.
Mitsea, E., Drigas, A., & Mantas, P. (2021). Soft skills & metacognition as inclusion amplifiers in the 21st century. International Journal of Online & Biomedical Engineering, 17(4), 121-132. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijoe.v17i04.20567
Naing, N. L., & Ratasuk, A. (2024). Assessing the impact of SERVQUAL sub-dimensions on patients’ revisit intentions: A study of private hospitals in Yangon, Myanmar. in the 1st International Conference on Aviation, Tourism, and Service Business 2024 (pp. 78-95), Bangkok, Thailand.
Nair, B., Otaki, F., Nair, A. F., & Ho, S. B. (2023). Medical students’ perception of resilience and of an innovative curriculum-based resilience skills building course: A participant-focused qualitative analysis. PLOS ONE, 18(3), e0280417. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0280417
Nakhostin-Khayyat, M., Borjali, M., Zeinali, M., Fardi, D., & Montazeri, A. (2024). The relationship between self-regulation, cognitive flexibility, and resilience among students: A structural equation modeling. BMC Psychology, 12(1), 337. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-01843-1
Nalipay, M. J. N., King, R. B., Mordeno, I. G., Chai, C. -S., & Jong, M. S. -Y. (2021). Teachers with a growth mindset are motivated and engaged: The relationships among mindsets, motivation, and engagement in teaching. Social Psychology of Education, 24, 1663-1684.
Naruetharadhol, P., Srisathan, W. A., Gebsombut, N., Wongthahan, P., & Ketkaew, C. (2022). Industry 4.0 for Thai SMEs: Implementing open innovation as innovation capability management. International Journal of Technology, 13(1), 48-57. https://doi.org/10.14716/ijtech.v13i1.4746
Nembhard, I. M., David, G., Ezzeddine, I., Betts, D., & Radin, J. (2023). A systematic review of research on empathy in health care. Health Services Research, 58(2), 250-263. https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-6773.14016
Nyhan, R. C., & Marlowe Jr, H. A. (1997). Development and psychometric properties of the organizational trust inventory. Evaluation Review, 21(5), 614-635. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0193841X9702100505
Pantaruk, S., Khuadthong, B., Imjai, N., & Aujirapongpan, S. (2025). Fostering future-ready professionals: The impact of soft skills and internships on hospitality employability in Thailand. Social Sciences & Humanities Open, 11, 101371. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2025.101371
Panyapiwat Institute of Management. (2025). Work-based Education (WBE) Model. https://www.pim.ac.th/work-based-education
Podsakoff, P. M., Podsakoff, N. P., Williams, L. J., Huang, C., & Yang, J. (2024). Common method bias: It’s bad, it’s complex, it’s widespread, and it’s not easy to fix. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 11(1), 17-61. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-110721-040030
Prasse, E. (2021). The trust-based classroom: An analysis of current trends in social and emotional learning and the development of a new trust-based approach to art education. https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2021.192
Quílez-Robres, A., Usán, P., Lozano-Blasco, R., & Salavera, C. (2023). Emotional intelligence and academic performance: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Thinking Skills and creativity, 49, 101355.
Raimondi, G., Balsamo, M., Ebisch, S. J., Continisio, M., Lester, D., Saggino, A., & Innamorati, M. (2023). Measuring empathy: A Meta-Analytic Factor Analysis with Structural Equation Models (MASEM) of the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 45(4), 952-963. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-023-10098-w
Ratasuk, A. (2022). The role of cultural intelligence in the trust and turnover of frontline hotel employees in Thailand. Sciences, 22(2), 348-358.
Ratasuk, A. (2023a). Roles of emotional intelligence in promoting the innovative work behavior of restaurant employees. Thammasat Review, 26(2), 44-73.
Ratasuk, A. (2023b). The roles of local employment and environmental sustainability on business performance: The mediating role of brand Image in the modern trade business in rural areas in Thailand. NIDA Development Journal, 63(2), 34-63.
Ratasuk, A. (2024). The structural equation model development of how mindfulness promotes employee creativity in the restaurant business. Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences Studies, 24(2), 326-340.
Ratasuk, A., & Charoensukmongkol, P. (2019). The role of team trust and team conflict on innovative performance of multicultural teams in the restaurant. Thammasat Review, 22(2), 1-18. https://sc01.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/tureview/article/view/205119
Ratasuk, A., Lin Naing, N., & tantaworranart, p. (2025). Enhancing patient trust in Yangon’s private hospitals: Impact of service quality using SERVQUAL model on brand Image. University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce Journal Humanities and Social Sciences, 45(2), 1-14. https://so06.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/utccjournalhs/article/view/278544
Raza, B., St-Onge, S., & Ali, M. (2023). Frontline employees’ performance in the financial services industry: The significance of trust, empathy and consumer orientation. International Journal of Bank Marketing, 41(3), 527-549.
Razai, M. S., Kooner, P., & Majeed, A. (2023). Strategies and interventions to improve healthcare professionals’ well-being and reduce burnout. Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 14, 21501319231178641. https://doi.org/10.1177/21501319231178641
Richardson, D., Kinnear, B., Hauer, K. E., Turner, T. L., Warm, E. J., Hall, A. K., Ross, S., Thoma, B., Van Melle, E., & Collaborators, I. (2021). Growth mindset in competency- based medical education. Medical Teacher, 43(7), 751-757.
Rogers, B. A., Christian, J. S., Jennings, R. E., & Lanaj, K. (2023). The growth mindset at work: Will employees help others to develop themselves? Academy of Management Discoveries, 9(1), 67-92. https://doi.org/10.5465/amd.2021.0144
Rotatori, D., Lee, E. J., & Sleeva, S. (2021). The evolution of the workforce during the fourth industrial revolution. Human Resource Development International, 24(1), 92-103. https://doi.org/10.1080/13678868.2020.1767453
Rutman, J. (2023). Exploring the role of internships in personal and professional development. http://hdl.handle.net/10464/17544
Schilke, O., Reimann, M., & Cook, K. S. (2021). Trust in social relations. Annual Review of Sociology, 47(1), 239-259. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-soc-082120-082850
Schilling, H., & Kauffeld, S. (2024). Building empathy and trust in online environments. In The Digital and AI Coaches’ Handbook (pp. 154-165). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003383741
Scott, T., & Guan, W. (2023). Challenges facing Thai Higher Education Institutions financial stability and perceived institutional education quality. Power and Education, 15(3), 326-340. https://doi.org/10.1177/17577438221140014
Seibert, S. E., Kraimer, M. L., & Crant, J. M. (2001). What do proactive people do? A longitudinal model linking proactive personality and career success. Personnel Psychology, 54(4), 845-874. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2001.tb00234.x
Shkurat, M. Y., & Uzbek, G. R. (2024). Dynamics and modern transformational trends in business processes of multinational companies. Aktual’ni Problemy Ekonomiky= Actual Problems in Economics, 1(271), 22-32. https://doi.org/10.32752/1993-6788-2024-1-271-22-32
Tan, N., Shien, C., Ong, C., & Billett, S. (2023). Promoting student readiness for work-life through internships: Challenges and support. Australian Journal of Adult Learning, 63(3), 343-367. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1409388.pdf
Wang, C., Cavanagh, A. J., Bauer, M., Reeves, P. M., Gill, J. C., Chen, X., Hanauer, D. I., & Graham, M. J. (2021). A framework of college student buy-in to evidence-based teaching practices in STEM: The roles of trust and growth mindset. CBE—Life Sciences Education, 20(4), ar54.
Weerasombat, T., Pumipatyothin, P., & Napathorn, C. (2022). Understanding employability in changing labor market contexts: The case of an emerging market economy of Thailand. Sustainability, 14(16), 10436.
Weisz, E., & Cikara, M. (2021). Strategic regulation of empathy. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 25(3), 213-227.
Wong, C. -S., & Law, K. S. (2002). Wong and Law’s emotional intelligence scale. The Leadership Quarterly, 13(3), 243-274.
World Economic Forum. (2025). The future of jobs report 2025. World Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-future-of-jobs-report-2025/digest
Wu, Q., Jin, Z., & Wang, P. (2022). The relationship between the physician-patient relationship, physician empathy, and patient trust. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 37(6), 1388-1393. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-021-07008-9
Yang, X., & Ratasuk, A. (2024). Determinants of Gen Z customers’loyalty in the restaurant business in Dongguan City, China: A case study of Haidilao Hotpot restaurant. Panyapiwat Journal, 16(3), 29-44. https://so05.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/pimjournal/article/view/272310
Yeh, Y. -C., Ting, Y.-S., & Chiang, J.-L. (2023). Influences of growth mindset, fixed mindset, grit, and self-determination on self-efficacy in game-based creativity learning. Educational Technology & Society, 26(1), 62-78. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48707967
Yue, Z., Qin, Y., Li, Y., Wang, J., Nicholas, S., Maitland, E., & Liu, C. (2022). Empathy and burnout in medical staff: Mediating role of job satisfaction and job commitment. BMC Public Health, 22(1), 1033. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-13405-4
Zarrinabadi, N., Rezazadeh, M., Karimi, M., & Lou, N. M. (2022). Why do growth mindsets make you feel better about learning and your selves? The mediating role of adaptability. Innovation in Language Learning and Teaching, 16(3), 249-264. https://doi.org/10.1080/17501229.2021.1962888
Zhang, Z., Fang, H., Luan, Y., Chen, Q., & Peng, J. (2022). A meta-analysis of proactive personality and career success: The mediating effects of task performance and organizational citizenship behavior. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 979412. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.979412
Zhu, Q., & Ratasuk, A. (2024). Impacts of key opinion consumers on customer purchase intention: A study of social commerce platforms in China. Journal of ASEAN PLUS Studies, 5(2), 55-74.
Zivkovic, S. (2022). Empathy in leadership: how it enhances effectiveness. Economic and Social Development: Book of Proceedings, 454-467.
