How to engage and retain employed students

Purpose Our study aims to examine how polychronicity (or individuals’ preference for multitasking) and cognitive crafting (or mental reappraisal of one’s job scope) relate to job satisfaction while mitigating turnover intentions among employed students. Design/methodology/approach A total of 204 employed students at a publicly funded university in the US completed surveys with a four-week time interval between two time points. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). Findings Our analysis revealed a direct relationship between polychronicity and cognitive crafting. We further confirmed cognitive crafting as a significant mediator between polychronicity and job satisfaction. The mediation relation was also significant between polychronicity and turnover intentions. Interestingly, we found no significant direct relationship between polychronicity and job satisfaction or turnover intentions, likely due to the job nature. Practical implications Employed students often accept precarious and casualized jobs. It is important for these students to acquire more than just their wages from these roles. Managers can promote both multitasking and cognitive crafting through job designs that complement student preferences. Implications and recommendations are discussed. Originality/value By examining polychronicity as an antecedent to cognitive crafting, we extend the temporal characteristics of the job crafting literature. We further advance the limited and sparse scholarship on the student workforce.