Moderation effects of personality and organizational support on the relationship between prior job experience and academic performance of management students

Abstract

The study investigates the relationship between prior job experience and current academic performance among management students in India. It further explores the impact of individual and situational factors on the above relationship. Based on a longitudinal study spanning over nine months in the academic year 2010–11 among a sample of 324 management students, the study found a positive relationship between prior job experience and current academic performance. Among individual factors, conscientiousness, openness to experience, and agreeableness, and among situational factors, perceived organizational support, were expected to moderate the relationship. Apart from openness to experience and agreeableness, other variables were found to strengthen the relationship between prior job experience and current academic performance. The study argues that in addition to prior job experience, individual and situational factors are important for the current academic performance in management education. Implications of the study for theory and practice are discussed.