Mechanisms of employability development for applied talents in the artificial intelligence era

Rapid AI integration is transforming global labor markets while widening the digital skills gap. Despite existing efforts, research remains limited by ambiguous AI-driven dimensions, a lack of systematic exploration into factor hierarchies, and methodological constraints that leave deep-seated causal mechanisms underexplored. Integrating the COTE (Customer-Organization-Technology-Environment) value co-creation framework with TOE and UTAUT models, this study employs a multi-stage mixed-methods design centered on a pivotal cross-border e-commerce enterprise. Utilizing a tripartite research design comprising Grounded Theory (n = 15), DEMATEL (n = 6), and Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM), we develop a holistic Macro-Micro framework to identify and deconstruct 15 critical factors influencing the employability of applied talents. The findings reveal a multi-layered Environment-Organization-Competency (E-O-C) transmission path where corporate culture acts as the foundational driver, triggering a recursive feedback loop among workplace mindset, communication, and career development, which ultimately facilitates the top-level outcome of AI technology acceptance. This systematic framework provides actionable guidance for stakeholders to optimize talent cultivation models in the era of AI.