Abstract:
This study investigates the impact of Psychological Capital (PsyCap) comprising
self-efficacy, hope, resilience, and optimism on the academic performance of
undergraduates in Management Faculties in Colombo District, Sri Lanka. Using a
quantitative research design, data were collected from 370 undergraduates through a
structured questionnaire. Correlation and multiple regression analyses were applied
to test the relationships between PsyCap dimensions and academic performance. The
findings reveal a significant positive association between overall PsyCap and
students’ academic performance, with regression analysis which showed that PsyCap
explained 77.6% of the variance in academic performance (R² = 0.776, p < 0.05).
Among the four dimensions, self-efficacy emerged as the strongest predictor (β₁ =
0.606, p < 0.01), while hope, resilience, and optimism also showed positive but
comparatively weaker effects. These results confirm that higher levels of
psychological resources enhance students’ ability to cope with academic stress,
maintain motivation, and achieve superior outcomes. The study contributes to the
literature by contextualising PsyCap in Sri Lankan higher education and offers
practical implications for university administrators. Specifically, interventions such
as resilience training, self-efficacy enhancement workshops, and counselling
programmes can strengthen students’ psychological capital, thereby fostering long term academic success and employability
