Enhancing Career Opportunities in Management Studies: The Role of SWAYAM in Aligning Higher Education with Industry Requirements

Abstract

The study examines the role of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) integration and the SWAYAM MOOC learning platform in enhancing career opportunities among management students by aligning higher education with contemporary industry requirements. The research is grounded in the growing need for technologically enabled, industry-relevant, and ethically responsible management education in the era of digital transformation. The study particularly focuses on how Generative AI supports skill development and ethical decision-making, while SWAYAM contributes to structured, certification-oriented, and industry-aligned learning. The empirical investigation was conducted using a sample of 208 MBA students from Bangalore, a major educational and technological hub in India, making it an ideal location to study the impact of advanced digital learning tools in management education. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire measuring Generative AI integration, SWAYAM learning effectiveness, and Career Opportunities. The analysis was carried out using PLS-SEM to test the reliability, validity, and structural relationships among the constructs. The measurement model demonstrated strong reliability and validity, with Career Opportunities and Generative AI integration showing high internal consistency and adequate convergent validity. Although SWAYAM learning exhibited slightly lower convergent validity, its reliability remained within acceptable limits, confirming its suitability for further analysis. The structural model results revealed that both Generative AI integration and SWAYAM learning have a statistically significant and positive impact on Career Opportunities. Specifically, Generative AI showed a moderate yet significant influence (β = 0.201, p = 0.001), while SWAYAM learning exerted a strong and dominant effect (β = 0.630, p < 0.001) on enhancing employability, job readiness, and career advancement prospects. The findings indicate that SWAYAM plays a pivotal role in improving career outcomes through industry-relevant content, certification value, and flexible learning, while Generative AI acts as a complementary enabler that enhances personalized learning, analytical capabilities, and ethical decision-making competencies. Together, they form a powerful ecosystem that bridges the gap between higher education and industry expectations. This study contributes to the literature on technology-enabled management education by providing empirical evidence from Bangalore-based MBA students and offers practical implications for curriculum designers, academic institutions, and policymakers. It highlights the importance of integrating Generative AI and national digital learning platforms like SWAYAM to build a future-ready, ethically aware, and industry-aligned management workforce.