Work-Study Conflict in University Life

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Table of Contents

Previous Research
Research Objectives and Background
Theoretical Framework and Hypotheses
Population and Sample
Data Collection
Reference List

Previous Research

Foley, S. & Hang-Yue, N., 2005. The effects of work stressors, perceived organisational support, and gender on work-family conflict in Hong Kong. Asia Pacific Journal of Management: Bangkok.

“This survey demonstrates the immediate and moderate outcomes of perceived organisational support and gender on the interdependence between work stressors and family conflict for a sample population of Hong Kong Chinese workers” (237).

The survey discovered that perceived organisational support is inversely proportional to both family-to-work conflict (FWC) and work to family conflict (WFC), and that work stressors are directly proportional to FWC and WFC. Furthermore, the direct correlation between role overload and WFC was observed to be lesser when perceived organisational support was high, showing that the perceived organisational support can off-set the negative effects of the role over load.

Moreau, M. P. & Leathwood C., 2010. Balancing paid work and studies: working (-class) students in higher education. Queensland University of Technology: Brisbane.

This article studies undergraduate students in a post-1992 university timeline to discover undergraduate students’ accounts of working and the same time studying during session-time and the ways they use to cover up time consumed in work. It is suggested that most of the students doing part-time jobs is because students are expected to cater for their school bills since the state is not responsible.

Gayle, V. & Lowe J., 2010. Exploring the work/life/study balance: the experience of higher education students in a Scottish further education college. Queenland University of Technology: Brisbane.

This article focuses on the angles of work/life/study balance and its impact on student performance in the curricular studies. The survey was conducted on a case study of higher education students, studying on full and part-time basis, in a Scottish higher learning institution. The study suggested that more than half of the students were able to manage a study/work/life balance, although the other half was stressed due to conflicting priority.

Research Objectives and Background

The main objective of the research is to examine work and study conflict issues on whether it affects students’ burnout and participation in university life. Nowadays, the cost of education has escalated to an extent that students are compelled to combine work and studies at the same time. Curtis and Williams (2002) quotes that “.. this is the routinisation of students combining paid work and study, suggesting that this is now the norm in the United Kingdom.”

Other surveys show that term- time work can provide positive social and educational benefits to the students (Watts and Pickering, 2000). Vickers et al (2003) observes that, for college students who work for 20-30 hours every week, the odds of dropping out of school are almost 150% more than for students who do not engage in paid work during term-time. For others who work for more than 31 hours every week, the number was between 200 and 205 %.

This research objectives include: to observe the extent to which students of property and construction are devastated from burnout; to establish a model of the work-study connection, describing the relationship between time commitment to paid work and studies, work-study satisfaction and burnout; and to ascertain the model of study-work relationship in a sample of undergraduate students engaged in an undergraduate property and construction programme.

The conflict between one’s work responsibility and other life responsibilities is a vital factor of the correlation between work and non-working life. According a research conducted by Cotton et al 2002, it shows that there is a inter role conflict is a stressor that is usually perceived with negative effects for a person’s satisfaction and well-being. University students experience a problem in trying to juggle work and study and as a result are vulnerable to stress.

The exploratory survey shows that on average all students who engage in term-time paid work spend long hours in work than in the university. The negative relationship between time commitment in the two variables shows that students commit time at work at the expense of the time committed in university life.

From the students interviewed, majority said that they had difficulties in combining both. Also some of the students are expelled or suspended out of university and thus reduce their time spend in university. Working undergraduate students are emotionally exhausted and contemptuous of their studies and hove low levels of efficacy. This is a main point because burnout is usually connected to health problems and turnover.

Student’s experience at work-study interface is ever unbalanced with students showing more resilience for the time demands of paid-work than students of university level. In addition, these results demonstrates that the current irregularity between students’ participation and contentment in the campus life and paid work could be adapted by programmes meant to clarify the interface between perceptions and practice and make sure that students’ experience of paid work enhances their learning.

The research question should highlight the theories and previous research surveys that explain the correlations to be investigated. Thus our research question will be: Does the conflict between paid work and study influence the students’ performance and satisfaction with university life?

Theoretical Framework and Hypotheses

In the first article, by Foley and Hang-Yue, it is suggested that perceived organisational support is inversely proportional to both family-to-work conflict and work-to-family conflict, and that work stressors are directly proportional to family-to-work conflicts and work-to-family conflict.

While according to Moreau and Leathwood observes that most of the students doing part-time jobs is because students are expected to cater for their school bills since the state is not responsible. Gayle & Lowe (2010) research suggested that more than half of the students were able to manage a study/work/life balance, although the other half had stressed due to conflicting priority.

The three articles show different impacts of work to study on different individuals. Whereas some students are compelled to engage in term-time work, some are looking for money for other needs and experience. It cannot be concluded that work completely negative impacts study time, since some students are able to balance both and perform well in school and work too.

In coming up with theoretical framework, some important elements are to be considered, these include: defining all the relevant variables; discussing the relationship between the variables; determining the relationship of the relations; and discussing why the relationships are hypothesised. The hypothesis is a testable statement that should be based on previous research design. In this case the hypothesis will be stated as:

Work and study conflicts impact on the student’s performance and satisfaction of university life.

The direction of the relationship between the work-study conflict and students’ performance and satisfaction takes a negative course.

Null hypothesis: Work and study conflicts do no influence the students’ performance and satisfaction of university life.

H₀:μ₁ = μ₂

Where: H_{0 =}the null hypothesis

μ₁ = the mean of students’ population having work and study conflicts

μ₂ = the mean of students’ population dissatisfied with university life

The true null hypothesis is represented as: H₀:μ₁ < μ₂

Alternative hypothesis: work and study conflicts do influence the students’ performance and satisfaction of university life.

H₁:μ₁ = μ₂

Where: H₁= the alternative hypothesis

μ₁= the mean of students’ population having work and study conflicts

μ₂= the mean of students’ population satisfied with university life and perform well.

The true alternative hypothesis is H₁:μ₁ > μ₂

Population and Sample

The population consisted of university going undergraduate students from the university, who were engaged in term-time work. The data was collected from a sample of 500 respondents that was selected randomly from the population. These respondents were interviewed on voluntary basis in the university premises. The target place for the respondents was on social gatherings, libraries, the researcher also got permission from the school admistration to conduct the research during class hours, especially to part time students.

The respondents can also be reached at their various places of work, by communicating to the certain organisation’s Human Resource to be allowed to interview the respondents at their convenience. Also the internet users can provide useful information, through social networking sites like MySpace, the questionnaires were posted to various people and forwards to friends.

The research used simple random probability sampling. The reasons for using this method were: it was easier to apply and explain the results than other probability sampling techniques; and unlike non-probability techniques, it gives a reasonable generalisation of the population and unbiased estimates of the population. However, this method can be prone to sampling error as a result of the randomness of the picked sample can lead to a sample which is not reflective of the whole population in general.

Data Collection

The independent variables are those that potentially result to changes in the values of another variable, that is, DV. The value of the independent variable is independent of other variables, although the researcher can manipulate the values. Dependent variables are those variables that were anticipated to observe change.

The values of the dependent variables are dependent on other variables. Thus, by the definition, the values of the dependent variable is dependent on the independent variables, thus the researcher can manipulate the DV values by controlling the IV according to his or her expected results. However, the researcher cannot manipulate the DV values directly, but only through the IV.

Data was collected through both structured and also unstructured interviews. The interviewer administered questionnaires. “The formula to be used in measuring the relationship between the independent variable and the dependent variable will depend on the number of variables involved, measurement limits applied, and nature of the relations” (Vickers 2003).

The variables will be measured by evaluating the observed relation by comparing it to the “maximum expected relation” between the particular variables. The observed relations are evaluated by differentiating the values of the variables, and ascertain the extent of the overall observed differentiation is attributed to cases when that differentiation is found in both the variables under consideration.

Reference List

Curtis, S. & Williams, J., 2002. The reluctant workforce: undergraduates’ part-time employment. Education and Training: New York.

Cotton, S. J., Dollard, M. F. & Jonge, J., 2002. Stress and student job design: Satisfaction, well-being and performance in university students. International Journal of Stress Management: Boston.

Gayle, V. & Lowe J., 2010. Exploring the work/life/study balance: the experience of higher education students in a Scottish further education college. Queenland University of Technology: Brisbane.

Foley, S. & Hang-Yue, N., 2005. The effects of work stressors, perceived organisational support, and gender on work-family conflict in Hong Kong. Asia Pacific Journal of Management: Bangkok.

Moreau, M. P. & Leathwood C., 2010. Balancing paid work and studies: working (-class) students in higher education. Queensland University of Technology: Brisbane.

Watts, C. & Pickering A., 2000. Pay as you learn: student employment and academic progress. Education and Training: New York.

Vickers, N., Lamb, S. & Hinkley, J., 2003. Student workers in high school and beyond: the effects of part-time employment on participation in education, training and work. Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth Research Report: Melbourne.

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