Study-Work Conflict and the Risk of Burnout Research Paper

This technical note is based on a statistical analysis of selected data derived from a 75-item self-administered work-study and study-work conflict survey questionnaire. A total of 218 RMIT University Property Construction and Project Management students accomplished the study instrument validly and completely enough to be included in the instant database.

Among the first of the core, findings is that being married or a single parent does not seem to raise the odds of work-study conflict though this conclusion may have been weakened by the fact that more than 95% of the sample were single and even those already ‘burdened’ by housekeeping chores may still be in the throes of the honeymoon years. Second, delight at learning much more as one advance at university ought to moderate work-study conflict but the evidence is too weak to support this hypothesis. Thirdly, the available data do not permit one to predict student burnout (or at least the feeling of being emotionally drained) on the basis of three selected IVs: hours worked per week, whimsical priority-setting and success at hurdling academic problems. On the other hand, maturing to a hardnosed sense of priorities is evidently associated with facing up to academic challenges better.

Empirical evidence supports the distinct possibility of work-study and study-work conflicts, especially since nearly all the survey participants needed to work. To that extent, more extensive analysis of the entire database needs doing. Suggestions are also made to remedy methodological, validity and sampling flaws.