@article{article_1682932, title={BEYOND SKILLS: THE CRUCIAL ROLE OF SELF-ESTEEM AND LEARNING AGILITY IN SUSTAINING CAREER SUCCESS}, journal={Journal of Research in Business}, volume={10}, pages={531–550}, year={2025}, DOI={10.54452/jrb.1682932}, author={Kalyoncu, Tuba Nur and Yıldız, Müge Leyla}, keywords={Self-esteem, career adaptability skills, learning agility, industry 4.0.}, abstract={Today’s workplaces, characterized by rapid technological advancements and increasing complexity, require professionals to develop new skills and demonstrate higher levels of adaptability continuously. Successful career transitions, therefore, depend significantly on individuals’ capacity to abandon outdated practices and embrace new competencies. Particularly among those in leadership positions, the ability to learn swiftly from experience and maintain resilience amid uncertainty has become essential for sustainable career success. This study investigates the relationship between learning agility and career adaptability, specifically examining the mediating role of self-esteem. Results reveal a positive and significant relationship between learning agility and career adaptability. Among the dimensions of career adaptability, "confidence" exhibited the strongest correlation, while "concern" showed the weakest. Moreover, a moderate correlation was found between learning agility and self-esteem, particularly within the self-liking dimension. Structural equation modeling analyses indicated that self-esteem partially mediates the relationship between learning agility and career adaptability. From a managerial perspective, these findings highlight the necessity for organizations to integrate training programs aimed at enhancing psychological flexibility, self-esteem, and adaptive capabilities. Additionally, incorporating validated assessments of learning agility and self-esteem into performance appraisal systems can help organizations identify and nurture leadership potential more effectively. The study offers significant theoretical contributions to understanding the interplay between psychological factors and career adaptability in dynamic workplaces. Future research directions include exploring the influence of demographic factors, conducting cross-cultural comparative studies, and employing longitudinal approaches to strengthen the generalizability and applicability of the findings.}, number={2}, publisher={Marmara University}