TOWARD AN INTEGRATED MODEL OF WORK EXPERIENCE

Work experience and related concepts such as tenure and seniority have been and continue to be used extensively in a variety of human resour ce functions. However, research on experience has proceeded without a clear theoretical orientation, adequate consideration of contextual an d individual factors, and appropriate attention to measurement and des ign. These issues are addressed and a model of the work experience con struct is offered. Work experience is described as consisting of quali tative and quantitative components that exist at different levels of s pecification and which interact and accrue over time. The model provid es a nomological net for the experience construct linking it to contex tual and individual factors critical for the development of experience and its translation into immediate outcomes of work-based knowledge, skills, attitudes, and motivation, and secondary outcomes such as perf ormance. The model provides a basis for specific research propositions and human resource applications that consider work experience as a mu ltidimensional, multilevel, and temporally dynamic construct.