The teaching context in South Africa is continuously transforming. Consequently, there are numerous challenges that the educator has to face. Schools are challenged in ways that are different from private sector companies. Lack of resources and funds, teacher turnover, dealing with discipline, lack of learner motivation and self-esteem, racism, violence, antisocial behaviour, shortage of skilled personnel and educator strikes are some of the challenges in the educational environment. The education profession needs to re-think and re-design its existing management processes in order to retain staff. It can be expected that educators will be negatively influenced by the above challenges and will therefore express intentions to leave the profession. The ability of any school to achieve excellence will depend on the quality, level of competence and energy of the educators. The school requires motivated educators and should attract, develop, care for, retain and inspire the best people on a continuous basis. The school principal should be competent and willing to empower educators. Leadership empowerment behaviour and psychological empowerment could lead to lower levels of teachers' intention to leave. The aim of this research was to investigate the extent to which leader empowerment behaviour and psychological empowerment predict educators' intentions to leave the teaching profession in the Sedibeng West District of the Gauteng Province. The research method consisted of a literature study that served as the foundation of the empirical research. A cross-sectional survey design was used to achieve the research objectives. Three standardized questionnaires were used in the empirical study, namely the Leader Empowering Behaviour Questionnaire, Measuring Empowerment Questionnaire and Intention to Leave Questionnaire. The statistical analysis was conducted with the aid of the SPSS program. The statistical methods applied in the study consisted of factor analyses (validity), descriptive statistics, Cronbach alpha coefficients (reliability), correlations and regression analyses. Significant correlations were found between Leader Empowering Behaviour, Psychological Empowerment and Intention to Leave. Leader Empowering Development and Leader Empowering Decision predicted a high percentage of the variance in Psychological Empowerment. Leader Empowering Development and Leader Empowering Decision predicted 18% of the variance in Psychological Empowerment (Attitude). Leader Empowering Behaviour predicted 11% of the variance in Intention to Leave. When Influence was entered into the equation, 19% of the total variance in Intention to leave was predicted. Based on the results, recommendations were made for schools and for future research. Leadership and empowerment of educators are important challenges that influence Intention to Leave and that could ultimately reduce turn-over rates of talented people. The empowerment and retention of staff are not only important challenges for schools, but for the growth and prosperity of the country. This research will hopefully contribute in assisting other researchers to develop strategies for improving leader empowerment behaviour and educators' meaning of work. / Thesis (M.Ed. (Education Management))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2010.

Thesis (MComm)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In recent decades, organisations have continued to lose their skilled and experienced employees due to voluntary turnover. As a result, managers, researchers and practitioners have taken interest in understanding the factors that affect employees’ turnover decisions. However, although several existing studies have identified numerous factors related to turnover behaviours among employees, most of the empirical research studies utilise explanatory models that do not sufficiently address the mediating processes that lead to turnover intention. This study examined the collective effects of perceived leader behaviour, psychological empowerment, satisfaction and commitment on turnover intention. In doing so, the present study tested an explanatory structural model that suggests how these variables jointly influence turnover intention. Therefore, an ex post facto correlation study was conducted using a sample of military personnel (n = 318) in which study participants completed five questionnaires that measured the endogenous latent variables (i.e., psychological empowerment, job satisfaction and organisational commitment) and the single exogenous latent variable (i.e., leader behaviour) in the structural model. Item analysis and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were used to assess the measurement properties of the respective measures. The results showed adequate evidence that the manifest indicators used in the study were indeed valid and reliable measures of the latent variables they were linked to. The proposed structural model was tested using structural equation modelling (SEM) and the goodness-of-fit statistics showed that both the hypothesised measurement model ( = 182.97; df = 67; p-value = 0.0000; RMSEA = 0.074) and the structural model ( = 182.91; df = 68; p-value = 0.00000; RMSEA = 0.073 ) were found to fit the data reasonably well. The results supported a model where turnover intention was explained to result from a combination of organisation-related and job-related attitudes. In turn, these attitudes were affected by leadership behaviours. The results showed that turnover intention resulted more strongly and directly from low levels of organisational commitment than from job satisfaction per se. The results also suggested that turnover intention was the result of high levels of psychological empowerment. Leader behaviour had a strong direct effect on both psychological empowerment and organisational commitment, but not a unique effect on job satisfaction, while psychological empowerment had a strong direct effect on both job satisfaction and turnover intention than on organisational commitment. The results also indicated that job satisfaction had an insignificant effect on organisational commitment. In addition, psychological empowerment mediated the effect of leader behaviour on turnover intention, while job satisfaction did not mediate the relationship between leader behaviour and turnover intention. Finally, the results suggested that psychological empowerment played mediated the effect of leader behaviour on job satisfaction and organisational commitment. The study adds to the existing literature in two ways. First, the findings indicated that turnover intention results strongly from the combination of leader behaviour, psychological empowerment and organisational commitment, with psychological empowerment and organisational commitment playing a dominant role, with their direct- as well as mediating effects on turnover intention. Second, the present study partially replicated earlier studies of turnover intention in a new setting, i.e., within a military sample and within a non-Western context. In this way, the study confirmed the generalisability of earlier findings that relate to the development of turnover intention. A unique finding of the present research was the positive relationship found between psychological empowerment and turnover intention, suggesting that turnover process models may be more organisation-specific than previously thought (e.g., Alexander, 1998). The study limitations and recommendations provide avenues to be explored for possible future studies and recommendations for human resource management practice are discussed.

Magister Commercii (Industrial Psychology) - MCom(IPS) / School principals and teachers play a vital role of imparting the important skills required for successful learning performance and further education and training (Mahembe & Engelbrecht, 2013). Teachers are responsible for the production of quality primary and secondary school graduates who will constitute the future human capital base for the country to be able to achieve its competitive advantage. The role of the principal as a servant leader is vital to an academic institution such a school. A principal that adopts a servant leadership approach enables teachers and the School Management Team (SMT) to function as a collective and potentially improve or create an environment conducive for governance, teaching and learning. Therefore, effective leadership is essential to develop good schools with teachers that trust their leader, are satisfied in their jobs, feel empowered and will go beyond the call of duty. A principal as a servant leader, including a departmental head, can shape the school working environment to provide greater opportunities for exhibiting positive behaviors and outcomes that are likely to promote job satisfaction and organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB). The purpose of the current research study is to answer the question, "What is the influence of servant leadership on trust, psychological empowerment, job satisfaction and OCB amongst teachers at selected schools in the Western Cape Province?" In order to answer the research question explaining the hypothesised relationships, the research study developed a theoretical model and tested an explanatory structural model to explain the manner in which servant leadership influences trust, psychological empowerment, job satisfaction and organisational citizenship behaviour. The study was conducted using teachers drawn from selected schools in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. The participants were asked to complete five self-reporting questionnaires comprising the Servant Leadership Questionnaire (SLQ), the Leadership Trust Scale (LTS), Measuring Empowerment Questionnaire (MEQ), Job Satisfaction Scale (JSS), and the Organisational Citizenship Behaviour Scale (OCBS). A total of 203 (n=203) questionnaires were returned out of a distributed total of 330 questionnaires. Item and dimensionality analyses were conducted on all of the dimensions using SPSS version 23. Subsequently, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was executed on the measurement models of the instruments used. The proposed conceptual model was evaluated using structural equation modelling (SEM) via the LISREL version 8.80 software. It was found that both the measurement and structural models fitted the data reasonably well. The results indicated a significant and positive relationship between servant leadership and trust; servant leadership and psychological empowerment; servant leadership and job satisfaction; psychological empowerment and trust; psychological empowerment and job satisfaction; and psychological empowerment and OCB. However, there is a non-significant relationship between servant leadership and OCB. Furthermore, the relationship between job satisfaction and OCB is negative and insignificant. This study will add significance to the body of knowledge by attempting to give insight as to whether servant leadership influences teachers towards engaging in extra role behaviours. The practical implications of the study and limitations are discussed as well as the direction for future research studies.

Magister Commercii - MCom / The primary objective of this study was to gain an understanding of the impact of psychological empowerment and job satisfaction on organizational commitment amongst employees in a multi-national organization. For the purpose of this study a quantitative, non-probability convenience sampling design was used to assess the three variables. The sample consisted of (N = 120) permanent employees were employed in the following departments namely: Administration, Engineering, Production, Quality and Commercial. / South Africa

Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka mellanchefers strukturella- och psykologiska empowerment i en kommunal verksamhet. Metod: Vi har baserat denna studie på kvalitativ forskningsmetod. Empirisk data har samlats in genom nio semistrukturerade intervjuer med mellanchefer i en kommunal verksamhet i Sverige där mellancheferna har olika positioner i verksamhetens organisationshierarki. Resultat och Slutsats: Studiens resultat visar på att empowerment inom denna kommunala verksamhet inte används som ett styrande verktyg men att mellancheferna upplever olika nivåer av empowerment i sin arbetsroll. Två slutsatser har dragits i denna studie. Den första är att verksamheten är toppstyrd då mellancheferna är uppdelad i tydliga hierarkiska nivåer. Den andra slutsatsen är att upplevd empowerment beror på hierarkisk nivå där empowerment hos mellanchefer på lägre hierarkisk nivå hindras på grund av att de inte ges strukturella befogenheter. Examensarbetets bidrag: Studiens teoretiska bidrag är att strukturell empowerment skapar förutsättningar för individer att uppleva psykologisk empowerment. Studien bekräftar också tidigare studiers resultat på att empowerment hindras i offentliga organisationer. Studiens teoretiska bidrag är att mellanchefer med lägre hierarkiska positioner inte ges tillräckliga befogenheter genom information, resurser och möjligheter. Fortsatt forskning: Organisationen genomgår en omorganisering till en plattare organisationsform. En uppföljande studie hade varit intressant för att undersöka om mellanchefernas empowerment har förändrats. För att göra studien generaliserbar ges också förslag på att genomföra en större studie inkluderande mellanchefer från olika kommuner. En studie med kvantitativ metod skulle ge exakta mätvärden för upplevd empowerment hos mellanchefer på de olika hierarkiska nivåerna vilket är ett ytterligare förslag på vidare forskning.

Title: A study on empowerment leadership and service recovery in the restaurant industry.   Level: Student thesis, final assignment for bachelor’s degree in business administration   Authors: Ellinor Strinnholm and Emma Söderstjerna   Supervisor: Svante Brunåker and Monika Wallmon   Date: 2020 – June     Aim: This study interprets empowering leadership's impact on frontline staff's initiative in service recovery in the restaurant industry.   Method: Through a qualitative-phenomenological approach, semi-structured interviews have been conducted with both frontline staff in the restaurant industry as well as managers. Through a thematic analysis, connections were made between themes in the respondents' statements and Spreitzer's four dimensions.   Result & Conclusions: The results indicate that frontline staff do not feel that Spreitzer's four dimensions of empowerment leadership, are met. Instead, the study found that authoritarian leadership in various forms is implemented at all restaurants in the study, despite the fact that empowerment leadership is in demand.   Contribution of the thesis: The study contributes with frontline staff's views on empowerment leadership as well as key drivers for increased staff performance. In addition, the problems in the restaurant industry are highlighted today and how these can be linked to a certain kind of leadership.   Suggestions for future research: For future research, we recommend exploring further why empowerment leadership is not implemented in the restaurant industry today.

Abstract : Using a quantitative research design and survey data from 83 supervisor - employee dyads working in North American facilities of a large multinational healthcare organization, this study explores the critical role of first line supervisors in a lean environment. Many organizations have adopted the Toyota Production System (TPS, also known as lean management or the Toyota Way) in an effort to improve organizational effectiveness. Implementation success has been surprisingly limited. The predominantly negative effects documented in the scientific literature are attributable to the introduction of lean as a series of tools and techniques for cost cutting. In environments that truly manage according to the TPS, all share the belief that the development and participation of all employees is essential to maintain competitiveness. Increased emphasis on teamwork and worker involvement in a lean environment places rising demands on the first - line supervisor. The supervisor role in a lean environment is considered critical and becomes one of encouraging more participation, and creating an environment of continuous improvement. Given that leadership is a complex construct, the current paper uses a multi - domain approach proposed by Graen and Uhl - Bien (1995) to study the effect of empowering leadership behaviours (leader domain), leader - member exchange (relational domain) and psychological empowerment (follower domain) on individual performance (measured as in - role performance and organizational citizenship behaviours) through the mediating variable of job involvement in the work setting. Findings indicate that the role of the first line supervisor in a lean environment is critical. The follower (psychological empowerment) and relational (leader - member exchange) domains of leadership are significant in predicting variations of job involvement in the work setting, and job involvement mediates the relationship between the relation domain variable of leader - member exchange and individual performance (organizational citizenship behaviours targeted at the individual). Empowering leadership behaviours are significantly related and directly related to in - role performance. Development of first line supervisors should emphasize building high quality relationships, facilitating employee psychological empowerment, and demonstrating empowering leadership behaviours in order to enhance involvement in a team setting and individual performance. // Résumé : En utilisant une méthode de recherche quantitative ainsi que les résultats de sondages auprès de 83 dyades superviseur-employé travaillant dans des établissements nord-américains d’une grande organisation multinationale du domaine de la santé, cette étude explore le rôle clé des superviseurs de premier niveau dans un environnement de production « lean ». Plusieurs organisations ont adopté le Système de production Toyota (SPT, aussi connu sous les vocables de « lean management » ou de « méthode Toyota ») dans le but d’améliorer l’efficacité organisationnelle. De façon surprenante, le succès de l’implantation de cette méthode de production s’est montré limité. L’effet négatif prédominant documenté dans la littérature scientifique est attribuable à l’introduction du « lean » comme une série d’outils et de techniques pour réduire les coûts. Dans les environnements véritablement gérés selon le SPT, on partage la croyance que le développement et la participation de tous les employés est essentielle pour maintenir la compétitivité. L’accent sur le travail d’équipe et sur l’implication des travailleurs dans un environnement « lean » place des attentes élevées sur les superviseurs de premier niveau. Le rôle du superviseur dans ce type d’environnement est considéré comme critique et consiste à encourager la participation et la création d’un environnement d’amélioration continue. Étant donné que le leadership est un construit complexe, la présente étude utilise une approche multi-domaines proposée par Graen and Uhl-Bien (1995) pour étudier l’effet des comportements de leadership habilitant (empowering leadership; domaine du leader), de l’échange leader-membre (leader-member exchange; domaine de la relation) et de l’habilitation psychologique (psychological empowerment; domaine de l’employé) sur la performance individuelle (performance dans le rôle et comportements de citoyenneté organisationnelle) via la variable médiatrice de l’implication au travail, et plus spécifiquement dans l’environnement de travail (job involvement in the work setting). Les résultats indiquent que le rôle du superviseur est crucial. Les domaines de leadership de l’employé (c.-à-d. l’habilitation psychologique) et de la relation (c.-à-d. l’échange leader-membre) sont significatifs lorsqu’il s’agit de prévoir les variations de l’implication au travail, et l’implication au travail agit comme médiateur entre les variables des domaines de leadership et la performance individuelle (comportements de citoyenneté organisationnelle). Le développement des superviseurs de premier niveau devrait mettre l’accent sur la formation de relations superviseur-supervisés de grande qualité et faciliter l’habilitation psychologique des employés afin d’encourager l’implication dans le travail d’équipe, et par le fait même, la performance individuelle.

This study examines the role women’s groups play in the lives of 10 Muslim women in South Africa. A qualitative methodology was employed to gain information from two women’s groups in Johannesburg. An open-ended questionnaire, focus groups, and individual interviews were used to elicit information. The data were initially analysed using a computer-based content analysis programme (Atlas-ti), to identify a priori and emergent themes and categories in the data. These themes and categories were then used as the basis for a qualitative interpretive analysis, focused in particular on issues of empowerment with respect to psychological, community, economic, intellectual and political empowerment, and more specifically on gender equality. The study would thus suggest that while these groups do have many positive outcomes, the issues dealt with in women’s groups cannot be isolated from the broader social context in which Muslim women live. While the processes of empowerment appear to have begun in areas of psychological, community, intellectual, economic and political empowerment in this sample of women, empowerment with respect to gender equality still seems far off.

This study aimed to confirm that social participation may influence empowerment as one ofthe four components explained by the theory. The hypothesis proposes systemic interaction of two components of empowerment: intrapersonal and behavioral. 113 urban residents participated in the study. The hypotheses were tested through the use of structural modeling. An intrapersonal component of empowerment, composed of positive empowerment, negative empowerment and socio-political control was identified. This component was affected by the behavioral component that involves social organization, community action and decision making. The hypothesis is accepted and the study provides empirical support to the theory. / Se busca confirmar que la participación social puede influir en el empoderamiento comouno de sus cuatro componentes. La hipótesis propone la interacción sistémica de dos componentes del empoderamiento: intrapersonal y comportamental. Los participantes fueron 113 habitantes urbanos a quienes se les aplicó una encuesta. Los resultados evidencian que el modelamiento estructural identificó un componente intrapersonal del empoderamiento integrado por empoderamiento positivo, empoderamiento negativo y control sociopolítico. Este componente se muestra afectado por el componente de comportamiento conformado por la organización social, las acciones comunitarias y la toma de decisiones. Se acepta la hipótesis y se proporciona sustento empírico a la teoría.

Syfte: Syftet med studien är att ur ett ledar- och medarbetarperspektiv undersöka om och i så fall hur ett tillverkningsföretag tillämpar empowerment i deras styrning. Vi vill även ge förslag på hur tillverkningsföretaget kan vidareutveckla empowerment. Metod: Vi har genomfört semistrukturerade intervjuer med totalt 11 individer från ett tillverkningsföretag. 7 av intervjuerna var med anställda med chefsposition och resterade intervjuer var med medarbetare. I analysen har medarbetarnas och ledarnas svar från intervjuerna jämfört med varandra, där sekundärdata har vävts in. Resultat och slutsats: Resultatet från vår studie visar att företaget tillämpar empowerment i deras styrning. Det undersökta företaget har med hjälp av teknikerna strukturell- och psykologisk empowerment skapat en arbetsmiljö där empowerment är närvarande. Den första slutsatsen som vi kan ta är att tillverkningsföretaget har anpassat empowerment till deras bransch och organisation. Den andra slutsatsen är att det förekommer brister, som t.ex. stöd, möjligheter, påverkan m.fl. inom strukturell och psykologisk empowerment. Examensarbetets bidrag: Vår studie bidrar till att företagsledare inom tillverkningsindustrin, samt andra branscher, får en tydligare riktlinje eller lärdom vid tillämpningen av empowerment i deras styrning. Förslag till fortsatt forskning: Förslag till fortsatt forskning är att göra liknande studie i samma bransch, men fokus på ett mindre företag eller företag utomlands. Ett annat förslag är att göra ett kompletterade studie inom ett tillverkningsföretag med fokus på andra tekniker inom empowerment än vad vi har undersökt. / Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate whether and if so, how a manufacturing company applies empowerment in their governance, from a leader and employee perspective. We also strive to be able to give suggestions on how the company can increase the degree of empowerment in their governance. Method: We conducted semi-structural interviews with a total of 11 employees from a manufacturing company. 7 of the interviews were with employees with leader positions and the remaining interviews were with employees. In the analysis, the employees 'and managers' responses from the interviews have been set against each other, where secondary data has been woven in. Results and conclusions: The results from our study show that the company applies empowerment in their management. With the help of the techniques of structural- and psychological empowerment, the studied company has created an environment where empowerment is present. The first conclusion that we can draw is that the manufacturing company has adapted empowerment to their industry and organization. The second conclusion is that there are shortcomings, such as support, opportunities, influence, etc. in structural- and psychological empowerment. Contribution of the thesis: Our study contributes to leaders in manufacturing industry, as well as other industries, gaining a clearer guideline or knowledge in application of empowerment in their governance. Suggestions for future research: Suggestions for further research are to do a similar study in the same industry, but to examine smaller companies or abroad companies. Another suggestion is to make a supplementary study within a manufacturing company with a focus on other techniques in empowerment than those we have studied.