TEENAGERS PART-TIME EMPLOYMENT AND THEIR WORK-RELATED ATTITUDES AND ASPIRATIONS

We assessed the relationship between the quality (i.e., job characteri stics, role stressors, and interpersonal relationships) and quantity o f part-time employment, and work-related attitudes and aspirations amo ng 349 students. Neither the linear nor the quadratic components of em ployment quantity predicted any of the outcome variables. Motivation t o do good work was predicted both by role stressors and by family achi evement orientation. Career maturity was predicted by role stressors a t work, and cynicism by role stressors and satisfaction with interpers onal relationships. In contrast, job involvement was significantly rel ated to family achievement orientation but not to any perceived job fa ctors. These findings question the assumption that only intensive work during high school exerts negative effects for teenagers, and support the importance of employment quality for teenagers as well as adults. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.