Navigating work and study: Antecedents and outcomes of conflict and facilitation aspects of the work-school interface

- Adolescents' work-school interface comprises aspects of conflict and facilitation.
- Blending work and school has similar mechanisms in different developmental stages.
- Paid work has the potential to contribute positively to youth development.
- Social support may enable adolescents to further benefit from paid work.
- Adolescents lacking the prerogative not to work are more vulnerable.

The current study investigated a model of the work-school interface among working adolescents. The examined model investigated the partial mediating role of conflict and facilitation relations between three antecedents (social support, number of working hours, and the existence or absence of the freedom to choose to work) on three outcomes (life satisfaction, school grades and academic behavior). The participants were 289 Israeli working students (Mage = 17.56; SDage = 0.56). SEM analysis indicated an adequate index fit, suggesting that aspects of conflict and facilitation relations co-exist when blending work and school. Social support, number of working hours, and the freedom to choose to work were associated with facilitation relations which, in turn, were associated with greater life satisfaction, higher school grades, and higher academic behavior. Low social support and the absence of freedom to choose to work were associated with conflict relations that, in turn, were associated with lower academic behavior. Results suggest that role blending during adolescence and adulthood share similar mechanisms. Practical implications are discussed.