Subjective wellbeing, work-school conflict and proactive coping among Nigerian non-traditional students

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of participating in two domains, work and school, on the subjective wellbeing (SWB) and work-school conflict (WSC), as well as the moderating role of proactive coping between WSC and SWB among Nigerian nontraditional students. Design/methodology/approach - Using a cross-sectional survey, data are collected from a total of 141 non-traditional Master's in Managerial Psychology students at a university located in the South West of Nigeria. Findings - Results of hierarchical multiple regression analysis reveal that work status is inversely related to SWB and positively related to WSC. Results also confirm the moderating role of coping; such that, as perceived WSC increased, non-traditional students with moderate to high levels of coping reported greater SWB than those with low coping skills. Research limitations/implications - Statements on causality, with respect to the present findings, must be made with caution because of the self-report nature of the study. Further, a global challenge of WSC was adopted in this study; nevertheless, one cannot underestimate the distinctive pattern of WSC that characterised Nigerian non-traditional students. These could be explored in future studies to further enrich the literature on work-school obligations and health outcomes. Practical implications - Results of the present study suggest the need for employers' support as well as universities' flexibility to the needs of non-traditional students. Originality/value - The study fills a void in the literature, linking fulfillment of work-school obligations to health-related issues among adults (non-traditional students) in an African setting. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.