Dealing with Work-School Conflict: An analysis of coping strategies

M@n@gement Copies of this article can be made free of charge and without securing permission, for purposes of teaching, research, or library reserve. Consent to other kinds of copying, such as that for creating new works, or for resale, must be obtained from both the journal editor(s) and the author(s). M@n@gement is a double-blind refereed journal where articles are published in their original language as soon as they have been accepted. This article aims to shed light on the ways in which working students marry their work and school activities. On the basis of questionnaire responses gar-nered from 303 working French students, it shows that coping strategies implemented to deal with the stress which arises from the work-school conflict are generally effective, with the exceptions of self-accusation and cognitive repression. Furthermore, a negative relationship between work-school conflict, stress and turnover intention emerges. This study goes beyond mere one-dimensional illustrations which portray students as being under pressure or taking action to foster their own professional development, and instead suggests a combined response to role conflict which involves both confronting the conflict and managing emotions. INTRODUCTION Dealing with Work-School Conflict: An analysis of coping strategies Whilst role strain in the professional sphere (Kahn et al, 1964) and conflict at its interface with the private domain (Greenhaus & Beutell, 1985) have been the focus of a number of studies emerging from the and labour legislation for young employees continues to differ from one country to the next. Krahn (1991) observes that in the United States 54% of students aged 15 to 19 engage in paid work while they study, whereas in France only those aged 16 and over are permitted to work. Theoretical debate is still lacking, and is pursued neither by advocates of the resource-scarcity hypothesis (Tubre & Collins, 2000; Jackson & Schuler, 1985), who suggest that individuals have a finite amount of energy to expend, nor by those who, on the contrary, suggest that resources and knowledge are increase as the roles being performed impose ever greater demands (Marks, 1977; Sieber, 1974). In light of these constraints, the aim of this paper is to assess both the impact of WSC on stress and turnover intention and the strategies honed by French students in order to counter this situation. This study aligns itself with the resource-scarcity approach for two reasons. Firstly, the university system disregards the particular circumstances of working students: their …