To trust or not to trust ICT? Empirical model of relation between career readiness, trust, and distrust

In this study, the authors focus on two issues: the influence of technology trust and distrust on career readiness and the identification of these trust and distrust factors determined by the respondent’s gender. To achieve this goal, the authors collected data using the survey method. The study was conducted among 871 Polish university students aged 18 to 25. Structural equation modeling was used to show potential causal dependencies between variables. The study provides valuable insight into research on trust and distrust in technology. Three groups of factors influencing career readiness were identified: catalysts (ICT trust, human-ICT competition), inhibitors (digital illiteracy, harmful ICT) and neutrals (ICT scepticism, digital anxiety). Variables in the career inhibitor category are not significant for the male respondents. The model used in the study indicates higher readiness among women in the dedication dimension, lower readiness in the engagement dimension, and no gender difference in the sacrifice dimension. The differential role of gender is confirmed in the context of career readiness. Limitations for this type of research are related to the difficulty of reaching the appropriate research sample, and thus its representativeness. In this case, thanks to a large research sample, it was possible to capture the relationships that allow for a better understanding of Generation Z.