Underemployment, 2011 Psychological, Economic, and Social Challenges

Underemployment ? when people are employed in some way that is insufficient, such as being overqualified or working part-time when one desires full-time employment ? is a challenge faced by all industrialized nations and their organizations and individuals. Just like unemployment, some level of underemployment exists even in the best of times, but it becomes more pervasive when the job market is weak. Given the current economic climate in North America and abroad, researchers and scholars in various disciplines (psychology, business, sociology, economics) are becoming more interested in investigating the effects of underemployment and identifying possible practical solutions. Underemployment synthesizes the current understanding of the phenomenon by bringing together scholars with diverse perspectives and expertise with the aim of informing and guiding the next generation of underemployment research.

Introduction.-I. Approaches to Studying Underemployment.-Theoretical Perspectives in Underemployment.-Measurement Issues in Underemployment Research.-II. The Antecedents of Underemployment.-Demographic Risk Factors for Underemployment.-Psychological Contract Breach and Underemployment.-Underemployment and the Trend Toward Nonstandard Work Arrangements.-Global and Cross-Cultural Issues in Underemployment.-III. The Effects of Underemployment.-The Impact of Underemployment on Job Attitudes and Withdrawal Behavior.-The Impact of Underemployment on Employee Behavior: Performance, Citizenship, and Counterproductive Behavior.-The Physical and Psychological Health Effects of Underemployment.-Underemployment and Organizational Effectiveness.-Underemployment and the Impact on the Broader Community.-IV. Future Directions.-Individual Responses to Underemployment.-Organizational and Governmental Responses to Underemployment.-New Frontiers in Underemployment Research

Douglas C. Maynard is an Associate Professor in the Psychology Department at the State University of New York at New Paltz. He earned his Ph.D. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from Bowling Green State University in 1998. He is primarily interested in studying the consequences of overqualification and other forms of underemployment and, more generally, the issues faced by marginalized workers. His work has appeared in such journals as the Journal of Organizational Behavior, Higher Education, Career Development International, Human Performance, and Organizational Research Methods.

Daniel C. Feldman is Associate Dean for Research and the Synovus Chair of Servant Leadership at the University of Georgia Terry College of Business.  He received his Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior from Yale University in 1976.  He is the author of six books and over 150 articles on career development and has served as Chair of the Careers Division of the Academy of Management.  He has also served as Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Management, Associate Editor of Human Resource Management, and Consulting Editor of Journal of Organizational Behavior.  Professor Feldman has won numerous research awards for his work on socialization, career indecision, layoffs, contingent employment, psychological contracts, and early retirement decisions.

Offers a comprehensive review of the phenomenon of underemployment

Provides an interdisciplinary perspective

Covers all facets of underemployment Includes theoretical and methodological issues

Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras