Student Job Satisfaction and Leader-Member Exchange: Relationships with Employers

Authors

Carson C. Lopez, Fort Hays State UniversityFollow
Whitney Whitaker, Fort Hays State UniversityFollow

DOI

10.58809/UYLM6737

Abstract

Over 70% of undergraduate students hold part-time jobs while in college. Certain aspects are positively and/or negatively impacted by employment in college, such as a student’s academic performance, relationships, and self-worth. As such, research examining factors that might positively influence work-related outcomes (and subsequent collegiate experiences) for student workers is warranted. The current work utilized the Leader-Member Exchange as a theoretical framework to examine how work-related factors (i.e., leadership qualities and the supervisor-employee relationship) impact job satisfaction among student workers. Seventy-eight undergraduate students completed the study. Leadership qualities and supervisor-employee relationship positively correlated with job satisfaction; however, further analysis revealed that the relationship between the supervisor and employee was a significant mediator. These findings add unique information to prior research and might be used by individuals who work with student employees. Additional implications of this work as well as limitations are discussed.

Recommended Citation

Lopez, Carson C. and Whitaker, Whitney (2019) "Student Job Satisfaction and Leader-Member Exchange: Relationships with Employers," Academic Leadership Journal in Student Research: Vol. 5, Article 2.
DOI: 10.58809/UYLM6737
Available at: https://scholars.fhsu.edu/aljsr/vol5/iss1/2