Biography:

My main research focus is on the quality of work, encompassing constructs such as underemployment, precarious work, decent work, and working poverty. This includes (a) advancing the literature on the conceptualization and measurement of underemployment and precarious work; (b) investigating how systemic forces inequitably distribute poor quality work; and (c) examining how underemployment, low wage work, precarious work, and decent work relate to mental health and well-being. Another area of my research is understanding meaningful work, particularly how helping others contributes to meaningful work and how structural factors affect people’s access to it. I have also contributed to the conceptualization and measurement of fulfilling work – a construct that goes beyond meaningful work to include positive affect, work engagement, and job satisfaction.

Recent Publications:

Allan, B. A., Kim, T., & Pham, J. (2024). Disentangling underemployment and precarious work: A latent profile analysis. Journal of Career Assessment, 32(3), 560-577. https://doi.org/10.1177/10690727231212187

Allan, B. A., Kim, T., & Shein, B. (2022). Underemployment and mental health: A longitudinal study. Journal of Counseling Psychology 69(5), 578-588. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000610

Allan, B. A., & Blustein, D. L. (2022). Precarious work and workplace dignity during COVID-19: A longitudinal study. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 136, 103739. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2022.103739

Allan, B. A., Kim, T., Liu, T. Y., & Owens, R. L. (2021). Are work well-being variables distinct? A bifactor model of fulfilling work. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 68(4), 425-434. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000559

Allan, B. A., Autin, K. L., & Wilkins-Yel, K. G. (2021). Precarious work in the 21st century: A psychological perspective. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2020.103491

Allan, B. A., Autin, K. A., Duffy, R. D., & Sterling, H. M. (2020). Decent and meaningful work: A longitudinal study. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 67(6), 669-679. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000432

Allan, B. A., Owens, R. L., Sterling, H. M., England, J., & Duffy, R. D. (2019). Conceptualizing well-being in vocational psychology: A model of fulfilling work. The Counseling Psychologist, 47(2), 266-290. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000019861527

Allan, B. A., Batz-Barbarich, C., Sterling, H. M., & Tay, L. (2019). Outcomes of meaningful work: A meta-analysis. Journal of Management Studies, 56(3), 500-528. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/joms.12406

Allan, B. A., Duffy, R. D., & Collisson, B. (2018). Helping others increases meaningful work: Evidence from three experiments. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 65(2), 155-165. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/cou0000228

Allan, B. A., Tay, L., & Sterling, H. M. (2017). Construction and validation of the Subjective Underemployment Scales (SUS). Journal of Vocational Behavior, 99, 93-106. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2017.01.001

Education:

Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology, University of Florida, 2015