The purpose of this research was to determine the relationship between salutogenic functioning and sick leave. Occupational stress as a metatheoretical concept was investigated. Work is stressful, but some people cope better with this stress than others. A study of salutogenic functioning as a way of coping with occupational stress was done. Salutogenic constructs, as moderator variables of the coping abilities were investigated in relation to sick leave days. This research used a sample of 73 employees in PTM. The relationship between the employees' biographical variables, salutogenic functioning and sick leave was determined, and no relations between them were found, but a significant correlation between gender and potency was found. The results indicated no relation between PTM employees' salutogenic functioning and sick leave. Furthermore, biographical variables didn't predict sick leave. The employees displayed moderate to strong salutogenic functioning in terms of their ability to cope and to stay well. / M.A.(Industrial Psychology)

Thesis (M.A. (S.W.))--University of Pretoria, 2003.

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Distressed and impaired professionals represent a problem to the professions and the consumers of their services. Little data is available on the distressed psychologist. This study, endorsed by the Board of Professional Affairs of the American Psychological Association, was concerned with developing a data base in the following areas: (1) the prevalence and types of mental disorder among psychologists, (2) characteristics of distressed psychologists, (3) ethical and legal violations committed by distressed psychologists, (4) procedures for identifying and handling these psychologists, and (5) treatment resources. A questionnaire was sent to the fifty state licensing boards in psychology, the fifty state psychological associations, and one percent of the total number of licensed psychologists listed in the National Register of Health Service Providers. This one percent was selected by a stratified random sampling by state. Results indicated that distressed psychologists represent a significant problem to the profession due to the ethical/legal violations they commit and the adverse impact of their distress on professional performance. Distressed psychologists were also found to rate the impact of their distress on performance significantly less adversely than did their colleagues. Most frequently occurring problems among distressed psychologists were depression, alcohol abuse/dependence, and personality disorder. Differences were found on the following dimensions between distressed psychologists who committed no known violations and those who committed violations: rated adverse impact of distress on performance, type of problem, the frequency with which colleagues intervened, the frequency with which the distressed psychologists themselves took some action in regard to their problems, types of intervention made, and outcome. State licensing boards and psychological associations were found to have little contact with distressed psychologists who commit no violations and few means of identifying the distressed among those who do commit violations. A few state psychological associations are exploring the issue of distressed psychologists in their states and developing referral and outreach programs. State boards who responded have not made special efforts for distressed psychologists. No special treatment programs were discovered. The profession is considered to be insufficiently prepared for assisting distressed psychologists and client care is endangered. Implications of findings for programming are discussed.

Tracking and addressing police members' effectiveness in areas that could impact on the standard of their services are important. Burnout, job stress and ways to cope are specific focus areas in this regard. Previous research indicates relationships between burnout, job stress and coping while such relationships in the SAPS in the Free State have not yet been investigated. The objectives of this research were to determine the reliability and validity of the MBI-GS for SAPS members in the Free State, and secondly to determine the relationship between job stress and burnout, and thirdly to determine whether coping strategies can moderate or mediate the relationship between job stress and burnout A stratified random sample of 332 police personnel in the Free State was taken. The Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey (MI-GS), Police Stress Inventory (PSI) and the Cope Questionnaire (COPE) were used as measuring instruments. Cronbach alpha coefficients, inter-item correlation coefficients, Pearson-product correlation coefficients and canonical correlation coefficients were used to analyse the data. Structural equation modelling (SEM) methods were used to construct coping models of burnout. Structural equation modelling confirmed a 3-factor model of burnout. All three factors showed acceptable internal consistencies. Job stress was associated with exhaustion, which led to cynicism. Job stress was independently related to lower levels of professional efficacy. Active coping and seeking emotional support moderate the relationship between job stress and professional efficacy. Avoidance moderates the relationship between job stress and exhaustion and mediates the relationship between job stress and cynicism. Recommendations for future research were made. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.

Applying The Theory of Work Adjustment, the purpose of this study was to test the following hypotheses: (1) Higher levels of correspondence between vocational needs and work environment reinforcers will be associated with decreased severity of illness. In addition, personality flexibility will moderate these relationships such that higher levels of flexibility will attenuate the relationship between discorrespondence and illness. (2) Those individuals with greater tenure in an occupation where there is discorrespondence between work reinforcers will display more flexibility than those with similar degrees of discorrespondence and less tenure.Medical records were reviewed from 122 subjects from the Counseling Psychology section of the Minneapolis Veterans Administration Medical Center. Severity of illness was determined form these records. Occupational fit was measured through comparison of the individual's Minnesota Importance Questionnaire (Rounds, Henly, Dawis, Lofquist, & Weiss, 1981) profile and the reinforcers present in his/her primary occupation. Flexibility was measured by selected subscales from the Jackson Personality Inventory (Jackson, 1976) and a criterion variable and occupational fit, tenure, job satisfaction, and personality flexibility as predictor variables. Also, a hierarchial multiple regression technique was applied to test possible interaction effects between Flexibility and Fit.A brief self-report measure of flexibility was administered to a subsample and, although correlating in the expected direction, it was not significantly associated with Flexibility as measured by the JPI. Neither was it correlated with any of the other variables of interest in this study.The first hypothesis was not supported. Correspondence between vocational needs and work environment reinforcers was not associated with decreased severity of illness. There was no significant correlation between job satisfaction and occupational fit although there was a trend in the expected direction. It was found, however, that Flexibility, as measured by selected subscales from the JPI, was associated (p < .01) with a lesser severity of illness rating.There was not support for the second hypothesis. Tenure was not significantly associated with any of the variables of interest in this study. There was a trend, however, in the expected direction among tenure, job satisfaction and occupational fit. They all correlated positively.

The purpose of this study was to investigate management of stress among educators in schools in Mafikeng area. It was hoped that a broader understanding of the distinctive factors that account for identification of stressors and how educators try to cope with or manage them and highlight the effects of these stressful experience on the physical domain, emotional health, mental functions, behavioural efficiency, interpersonal relationships and personal productivity on educators, and to provide some guidelines to ways of controlling, managing and combating stress among educators. A multi-faced instrument technique, comprising a questionnaire and document reviews were employed to gather data. The research paradigm that was used to underpin this study was the survey method where both qualitative and quantitative data were obtained from questionnaire. The study revealed that educators were stressed up due to numerous factors such as, salary not commensurate with their qualification and experience, ill discipline among learners and work overload etc. There are suggested methods in how to manage or cope with stress among educators in our schools. The research had some limitations, which include; the subjects might not at the time of research be able to identify their stressors, hence the results of the study might not be reliable and generalisation of results not possible because only ten schools were selected. / Thesis (MBA) North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, 2004

Tracking and addressing police members' effectiveness in areas that could impact on the standard of their services are important. Burnout, job stress and ways to cope are specific focus areas in this regard. Previous research indicates relationships between burnout, job stress and coping while such relationships in the SAPS in the Free State have not yet been investigated. The objectives of this research were to determine the reliability and validity of the MBI-GS for SAPS members in the Free State, and secondly to determine the relationship between job stress and burnout, and thirdly to determine whether coping strategies can moderate or mediate the relationship between job stress and burnout A stratified random sample of 332 police personnel in the Free State was taken. The Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey (MI-GS), Police Stress Inventory (PSI) and the Cope Questionnaire (COPE) were used as measuring instruments. Cronbach alpha coefficients, inter-item correlation coefficients, Pearson-product correlation coefficients and canonical correlation coefficients were used to analyse the data. Structural equation modelling (SEM) methods were used to construct coping models of burnout. Structural equation modelling confirmed a 3-factor model of burnout. All three factors showed acceptable internal consistencies. Job stress was associated with exhaustion, which led to cynicism. Job stress was independently related to lower levels of professional efficacy. Active coping and seeking emotional support moderate the relationship between job stress and professional efficacy. Avoidance moderates the relationship between job stress and exhaustion and mediates the relationship between job stress and cynicism. Recommendations for future research were made. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.

This thesis is concerned with the direct and indirect mechanisms through which psychosocial stressors affect well-being, within the framework of the Michigan Model (House, 1981). An additional aim is to examine the stress process during workplace transitions. Empirical studies were conducted in three occupational settings: a cross-sectional pilot study with a sample of white-collar employees of several companies (N=144), and two longitudinal studies with samples drawn from a single retail chain, the "manager study" (N=261) and the "relocation study" (N=175). Although statistical control for individual differences (including response style) attenuated associations between work characteristics and strain outcomes, in all three samples work characteristics jointly contributed to the explanation of job satisfaction and psychological distress. More specifically, perceptions of control and social support were associated with job satisfaction, while work demands played a significant role in explaining symptom report. Furthermore, symptom levels predicted work absence in a combined sample of retail employees (N=221). In addition to direct effects, mediation and moderation patterns were examined. Results suggested that work perceptions partially mediated relations between personality (specifically locus of control beliefs and neuroticism) and strain. A similar pattern of mediation was apparent for social support. However, evidence for moderation of the stress process by individual and work characteristics was equivocal. Cross-sectional analyses using the manager sample data revealed significant interactions of control and Type A behaviour with work characteristics, but these interactions were not consistent in form with theory and past research. In contrast, in the longitudinal relocation study interactions were consistent with expectations: the negative impact of change was buffered by social support from senior colleagues and perceptions of control. Longitudinal analyses also demonstrated negative effects of workplace change; decreasing job satisfaction was observed during organisational restructuring, and transfer to a new branch was associated with increased psychological distress. Furthermore latent variable models revealed that changes in support, role ambiguity, and control over time were predictive of changes in job satisfaction. Overall, the present studies emphasise the need to examine simultaneously the joint influences of individual and work characteristics in occupational stress research. In this way the direct and indirect mechanisms through which psychosocial factors influence strain may be more fully understood, and strain-reducing interventions devised.