Work and School at the Same Time? A Conflict Perspective of the Work–School Interface

Master's degrees represent resources that often help employees advance in organizations. Tuition reimbursement programs for graduate studies also represent a large training expense for many organizations. Despite this interest in graduate education, and the additional demands it places on the employee, the impact of simultaneous participation in graduate school on important work-related outcomes is an understudied phenomenon. The purpose of this study is to develop and test a graduate school and work dual-role conflict model. The mediation model is tested using two samples of students who are enrolled in MBA programs. Results suggest that involvement in school can lead to higher levels of school-work conflict, which in turn can lead to lower levels of supervisor-reported job performance. Implications of the findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.