Enterprising human resource management education: A credentialism study of graduate pathways in South Africa

Orientation: Graduate employability remains a significant challenge in South Africa, particularly in Human Resource Management (HRM), where formal qualifications do not always translate into sustainable employment or career progression. This study explores how HRM graduates navigate increasingly diverse and non-linear career pathways within a labour market. Research purpose: The study investigates the relationship between HRM qualifications and graduate career trajectories through the lens of credentialism and examines credentials as signalling and stratifying mechanisms. Motivation for the study: Limited research has explored how South African HRM graduates experience the tension between formal qualifications and evolving labour market expectations. This study addresses this gap by applying credentialism to graduates’ career narratives. Research approach/design and method: A qualitative phenomenological case study was conducted by using written career narratives from 27 postgraduate HRM alumni at a university in Cape Town, recruited through snowball sampling. Data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis informed by credentialism theory. Main findings: Graduates followed predominantly non-linear career pathways across HRM, non-HRM and entrepreneurial roles. Career progression depended less on technical HR knowledge than on transferable capabilities, including adaptability, problem-solving and networking, highlighting a partial decoupling between qualifications and labour market outcomes. Practical/managerial implications: HRM curricula should extend beyond credential-focused models by developing transferable and enterprising capabilities while recognising diverse career pathways. Contribution/value-add: The study extends credentialism within professional HRM education by demonstrating how qualifications facilitate labour market entry and shape career mobility. It provides evidence to inform HRM curriculum renewal and graduate employability strategies in South Africa.