Some Effects of Teenagers' Part-Time Employment: The Quantity and Quality of Work Make the Difference
- Julian Barling, Kimberley-Ann Rogers and E. Kevin Kelloway
- Journal of Organizational Behavior, Vol. 16, No. 2 (Mar., 1995), pp. 143-154
We investigated the associations of the quantity and quality of part-time employment with the school performance (amount of class cutting, homework, and average grades) and personal functioning (self-esteem and time use) of high-school students. Two hypotheses were tested: (a) working long hours would be associated with detrimental effects, but (b) the quality of employment would moderate these effects, such that employment quantity would be associated with detrimental effects only for low quality jobs. Data from 563 high school students (n = 233 in part-time employment) provided support for the hypotheses. Conceptual, practical and policy ramifications of these findings are considered.
Negative correlates of part-time employment during adolescence: Replication and elaboration.
- Steinberg, Laurence; Dornbusch, Sanford M.
- Developmental Psychology. Vol 27(2), Mar 1991, 304-313.
Examines the relation between part-time employment and adolescent development in a heterogeneous sample of approximately 4,000 15-18-yr-olds. Long work hours during the school year are associated with lower investment and performance in school, greater psychological and somatic distress, drug and alcohol use, delinquency, and autonomy from parents. Workers do not have any advantages over nonworkers in self-reliance, work orientation, or self-esteem. The negative correlates of school-year employment are closely linked to the number of hours worked each week and generally cut across ethnic, socioeconomic, and age groups; in no subsample are the correlates of extensive employment positive. The findings suggest that parents, educational practitioners, and policy makers should continue to monitor the number of weekly hours adolescents work during the school year. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved)
