Date of Completion

Spring 5-8-2011

Thesis Advisor(s)

Janet Barnes-Farrell

Honors Major

Psychology

Disciplines

Psychology | Social Psychology

Abstract

This study investigated how the location of employment, on or off-campus, may affect student experiences of negative and positive spillover from the work role to the academic role. It was hypothesized that work-to-school conflict (WSC) would be positively associated with the number of hours devoted to the employment role. Beyond that, it was hypothesized that both WSC and work-to-school enrichment (WSE) would be greater for students who are employed in off-campus jobs as opposed to students who work in on-campus positions. In addition, it was hypothesized that negative and positive spillover from work roles to school roles will contribute to students' attitudes toward their jobs. Specifically, it was hypothesized that there will be a significant negative association between job satisfaction and WSC and a significant positive association between job satisfaction and WSE. Employed students recruited from undergraduate students at a public university in the northeastern United States were invited to take an online survey regarding various aspects of the work-school interface. A sample of 79 eligible participants reported their perceptions and attitudes toward taking on work roles while enrolled in classes. As hypothesized, work hours were positively correlated with WSC, and students who worked off-campus reported higher levels of WSC than those who worked on-campus. Furthermore, job satisfaction was negatively correlated with WSC and positively correlated with WSE. Locus of employment was unrelated to experiences of WSE. These findings have implications for the design of jobs aimed at student workers and effective counseling for students who need to balance their academic responsibilities with part-time or full-time employment

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