Digital Social Capital and Government Interns' Career Success in Surabaya: Mediating Role of Knowledge Sharing

Abstract

Objective – This study considers the effect of digital social capital on interns' career success, with knowledge sharing as a mediating variable, within the context of the Government-sponsored internship program in Surabaya, Indonesia. Addressing a gap in which knowledge sharing is often treated as an outcome rather than a mechanism, this study is among the first to model digital social capital, knowledge sharing, and career success as an integrated mediation pathway among interns in a large-scale, government-coordinated internship setting in an emerging economy. Design/Methodology/Approach – A quantitative approach was employed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), with data collected from 174 undergraduate interns via a structured five-point Likert scale questionnaire. Findings – The findings reveal that digital social capital positively and significantly affects knowledge sharing (H1 supported), knowledge sharing positively and significantly determines career success (H2 supported), and digital social capital directly and positively affects career success (H3 supported). Furthermore, knowledge sharing was confirmed as an important partial mediator between digital social capital and career success (H4 supported). Implications – These results underscore the strategic role of fostering digital social capital within government-sponsored internship programs and suggest that program designers, universities, and partner state-owned enterprises should integrate structured knowledge-sharing mechanisms to maximize interns' career development outcomes.