Date of Award

2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Graham, Steven

Area of Concentration

Psychology

Abstract

Student employees are a unique and understudied population in the field of industrial-organizational psychology. The present study investigated job-related factors of student employees to determine if the Investment Model applies to a student-employee job context. The present study also aimed to determine if organizational attachment (anxious and avoidant) predicts job commitment amongst student employees, and investigated how key demographic variables (gender, time spent at job, time spent at the college, etc.) relate to job commitment, satisfaction, and organizational attachment. Student employees at New College of Florida (N = 49) responded to an online survey that measured Investment Model variables (investments, rewards, costs, satisfaction, quality of alternatives, commitment, and intent to turnover), organizational attachment (anxious and avoidant), and key demographic variables. Participants also had the opportunity to provide any additional information regarding factors affecting their job commitment through an open-ended question. Results were overall consistent with the Investment Model, providing evidence that the Investment Model can be applied to a student-employee context. Additionally, avoidant attachment was negatively associated with job commitment. Regarding demographic variables, students who had entered New College during the 2023/2024 academic year on average reported lower levels of job commitment than those who had been at New College for longer. Student employees who identified as non-binary were on average, less satisfied with their jobs than their male and female counterparts. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

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