Bridging the Competency–Performance Gap in E-Commerce: A Social Cognitive Perspective on Vocational Talent Development

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

As the global digital economy expands, the demand for a workforce capable of navigating cross-border e-commerce (CBEC) has surged worldwide. However, existing educational frameworks often fail to effectively translate student competencies into actual workplace performance. Integrating Social Cognitive Theory with the Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Other characteristics (KSAO) framework, this study examines how specific competencies influence CBEC performance among Chinese vocational college students. A cross-sectional survey of 419 participants was analyzed using covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM). The results indicate that task-oriented dimensions, specifically English skills, cultural knowledge, and workplace aptitude, significantly enhance both motivation and subsequent performance. Motivation functions as a crucial mediator, transforming latent potential into active capability. Conversely, cultural sensitivity failed to demonstrate a significant impact, challenging traditional assumptions about intercultural traits. These findings reveal an instrumentality bias in digital trade contexts, where tangible, actionable competencies are more effective than abstract attitudinal traits in activating self-efficacy. This study contributes to the interdisciplinary literature by validating a Competence-Activation-Performance mechanism, suggesting that vocational educators globally should prioritize operational skills over generalized sensitivity to foster student success in the digitally mediated marketplace.