The goal of this study was to explore the factors impacting on the well-being of ICU employees. The objectives of the study were: <ul> <li> To theoretically conceptualise the factors impacting on employees in a hospital ICU.</li> <li> To explore the role of personal factors such as personality, behaviour risks and resilience that impact on the well-being of ICU employees.</li> <li> To explore the organisational and work related factors that impinge on ICU employees and the impact these factors have on their well-being.</li> <li> To make recommendations regarding the implementation of proactive strategies.</li></ul> The research question of the qualitative study is: What are the factors impacting on the well-being of intensive care employees at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital? This is an applied, qualitative research study. The research design used was a collective case study using focus group interviewing. The research study was conducted at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital Intensive Care Unit. The sample was selected using non-probability, purposive sampling. The sample consisted of ten doctors, thirteen nursing personnel and seven allied professionals (four physiotherapists and three dieticians). A pilot study was conducted with two doctors, two nurses and a social worker to test the interview schedule. This group did not form part of the sample. The researcher did her best to adhere to ethical considerations. Participants were informed of the nature of the research and completed informed consent forms. Anonymity was ensured through presenting responses collectively. No individual names or responses will be identified. A semi-structured interview schedule was used to collect data during focus group interviewing. The four focus group sessions were tape recorded. After completion of the focus group interviewing, the data was transcribed verbatim and then the data was organised into themes and sub-themes. The findings were released in a mini-dissertation. The report is accurate and reflects the true facts. All sources, references and assistance are acknowledged. The themes and sub-themes identified were: <ul> <li> Theme one: Job Satisfaction and sub-themes-Fulfilment, Meaning to Work, Emotions experienced, Changes healthcare workers would like implemented.</li> <li> Theme two: Stressors and sub-themes- What the stressors are, Control over the Stressors, Self-care techniques utilised, Personal Resources and Ways of de-stressing.</li> <li> Theme three: Trauma</li> <li> Theme four: Interpersonal Relationships and sub-themes- Connectivity amongst team, Impact connectivity has on functioning and Teamwork.</li> <li> Theme five: Role Demands and sub-themes- Job Description, Role Conflict and Balance between work and personal life.</li> <li> Theme six: Job Resources and sub-themes- Adequacy of resources, Resources Lacking and Impact job resources have on functioning.</li> <li> Theme seven: Job Conditions and sub-themes- Work Overload, Job Security and Working Conditions.</li></ul> The findings of the study were as follows: <ul> <li> CHBH employees experience high job satisfaction as they are doing what they want to do. They feel that they make a difference and enjoy trauma work. They are where things happen and where they want to be.</li> <li> The stressors faced by ICU employees can be divided into emotional and physical/resource stressors. The physical stressors were found to be: long working hours, lack of resources, untrained staff, budget, procuring equipment and resources, lack of human resources, equipment and linen shortages. The emotional stressors were related to having to deal with trauma and the impact thereof, dealing with death and dying, decisions regarding the switching off of life support machines, not always knowing if you did the right thing and wondering if you did everything you could for the patient to save their life.</li> <li> Daily, employees are faced with dealing with trauma and the impact thereof. This has an impact on well-being and can lead to compassion fatigue or soul weariness.</li> <li> It is important to examine the interplay of job resources and job demands. If job demands are high and job resources lacking, well-being is impacted. Job resources may buffer the impact of job demands and thus reduce burnout, exhaustion and increase motivation.</li> <li> If job demands are high and job resources low, job demands will exceed the individuals’ capacity to cope and overtax or stretch ability to cope. ICU employees experience being overstretched and overtaxed due to high job demands and being under-resourced. Work overload results in exhaustion.</li> <li> Relationships are an important aspect of organisational support. Employees value their relationships with colleagues and this provides opportunities for discussing patients, sharing knowledge and obtaining assistance with patient care. By pooling resources the team has additional resources to resolve complex situations.</li> <li> The working conditions of ICU employees are impacted by shortages in human and equipment resources.</li></ul> Recommendations arising from the study are: <ul> <li> A lifestyle and health management program dealing with issues of nutrition, exercise, relaxation, self awareness and disease management.</li> <li> An educative stress management program which is presented at induction and orientation.</li> <li> Preventative programs that enhance knowledge and skills on coping and self-care.</li> <li> Self awareness programs designed to assist employees in understanding their own stressors and reactions, enhance their self-esteem by developing strengths, resilience and coping.</li> <li> Human capital management- developing strategies to attract retain and reduce staff shortages.</li> <li> Facilities for exercise and relaxation- the provision of a gym facility.</li> <li> Program to reduce fatigue and recovery time.</li> <li> Group sessions focussing on catharsis and ventilation of feelings.</li> <li> A comprehensive Employee Wellness Program. </ul> / Dissertation (MSW)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Social Work and Criminology / Unrestricted

The purpose of the study was mainly to explore factors influencing the morale of employees at the Greater Tzaneen Municipality (GTM). Morale is the psychological state of a person as expressed in self-confidence, enthusiasm, and/or loyalty to a cause or organisation and it flows from people's conviction about the righteousness or worth of their actions and the hopes of considerable rewards (material or otherwise) in the future. The study was conducted at the Greater Tzaneen Municipality, Tzaneen Area in Limpopo. The investigation consisted of a literature review about morale in order to gain an understanding to answer the research question which is: What are factors influencing morale of employees at the GTM? The sample of the study comprised 103 employees at the GTM including, directors, managers, supervisors and first line level employees. The samples were drawn from the population of the GTM using stratified random sampling and the required number of respondents was further selected proportionally from each stratum using random sampling. Quantitative research was performed utilising a questionnaire as a data collection tool. A theoretical background on morale, Employee Assistance Programme and working conditions of employees was provided through a literature study. The empirical findings were gathered based on the information received from the respondents. The findings of the study were based on 97% of the questionnaires received and/or returned by the respondents. The findings were presented and analysed using tables, graphs, pie charts and also interpreted in words. The majority of the respondents who participated in the study, revealed that the expectation of receiving a desired reward contributes to high morale, with expected monetary rewards having a larger influence than non-monetary rewards, but praise for a job well done and a feeling of accomplishment were also indicated to contribute positively to employee morale. The results also revealed that there is a significant correlation between positive attitudes toward work and morale, and a positive correlation between performance management, commitment, leadership, employees’ salaries, compensation, training and development with employee morale. The demographic characteristics were shown not to have a discernable influence on workplace morale. Based on the findings of the study, recommendations and conclusions were made regarding strategies to be implemented by both management and employees to deal with morale in the Greater Tzaneen Municipality. / Dissertation (MSW)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / lmchunu2014 / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

Text in Afrikaans / The purpose of the research was to determine the extent to which health issues, and particularly work stress, are managed at a welfare organization. The group investigated consisted of 49 registered social workers employed at nine welfare organizations in the Nelson Mandela Metropole. The research process was directed by quantitative research, the research information being obtained through a literature study and structured questionnaire. A number of health issues were identified in the workplace. Based on the empirical investigation it was concluded that health management does not enjoy a high priority at welfare organisations. The health issues that have the most impact on the respondents' work ability are work stress and burnout. It is recommended that organisations compile a holistic policy for health management. There is a need for implementation of employee assistance and wellness programmes for health management. Such programmes promote the productivity and general wellbeing of social workers. / Die doel van die navorsingstudie was om te bepaal tot watter mate gesondheidskwessies, in die besonder werkstres, by 'n welsynsorganisasie bestuur word. Die ondersoekgroep het bestaan uit 49 geregistreerde maatskaplike werkers werksaam by nege welsynsorganisasies in die Nelson Mandela Metropool. Die navorsingsproses is deur kwantitatiewe navorsing gerig en die navorsingsinligting is met behulp van 'n literatuurstudie en gestruktureerde vraelys bekom. Daar word tans 'n aantal gesondheidskwessies in die werkplek geidentifiseer. Na aanleiding van die empiriese ondersoek is daar tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat gesondheidbestuur nie 'n hoe prioriteit geniet by welsynsorgnisasies nie. Die gesondheidskwessies wat die mees beduidende impak op die respondente se werkvermoe het, is werkstres en uitbranding. Daar word aanbeveel dat organisasies 'n holistiese beleid ten opsigte van gesondheidsbestuur opstel. Daar is 'n behoefie aan die implementering van werknemerhulp- en werknemerwelstandprogramme vir gesondheidsbestuur omdat sulke programme die produktiwiteit en algemene welstand van maatskaplike werkers kan bevorder. / Social Work / M.Diac. (Social Work)

This study evolved from an involvement with professional people in a rural and semi-rural environment thereby taking into account the role which the Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP) plays in their professional context of work. Two underlying factors motivate the study. Firstly, that professional needs and capacities of faith, belief and spirituality are not been catered for in the EAPs. Secondly, that an African-Christian wholesome sense making approach provides more satisfactory answers to the lack of faith, belief and spirituality in the EAPs than the modern versions of the classic dualist and tripartite anthropological schemes of soul and body or soul, spirit and body. Furthermore, a wholesome sense making approach supports and tackles people’s wellness and well-being levels more satisfactorily than the classic dualist and tripartite views. An outline of an EAP in which faith leaders and consultants and their programmes are integrated and which contributes to the enhancing of well-being levels and performance management of professional people is described. The main focus of the study revolves around wholesome foursome experiential patterns in which alternating emphases of faith experience are acted out in the sense of ‘I believe God, I believe myself, I believe my human neighbours and I believe the physical natural environment’. This four side pattern of faith experience functions as an important theoretical assumption in the study. A second theoretical assumption has to do with the foursome processual framework of God’s grand acts of creation, reconciliation (redemption= cross and resurrection of Jesus), renewal (ongoing renewal of everything) and consummation and fulfilment towards the end (aim and goal) in which we as people and the physical natural environment are intrinsically and continuously involved. A third theoretical assumption revolves around the foursome experiential professional performance pattern of ‘I perform for God, I perform for myself, I perform for my human neighbours and I perform for the physical natural environment’. The foursome experiential patterns are also set as evaluative pointer patterns around which the empirical investigative part is constructed. / Philosophy & Systematic Theology / D.Th. (Systematic Theology)

The purpose of this study is to explore the EAP environment and provide a better understanding of the related roles of the Employee Assistant Practitioners/Professionals (EAPs) in respect of their treatment of various forms of illnesses in the workplace – particularly HIV and AIDS. The EAP role is not aligned to any individual profession, as it is designed to match employees’ holistic needs. It is in this context that the repertoire of EAP roles would include caring, psycho-social, therapeutic and technical skills. The EAP role is therefore endowed with the potential to meet a range of inter-departmental and multi-disciplinary needs – such as Nursing, Allied Health Professions, and Healthcare Sciences. A generic Assistant Practitioners Performance Management system (scorecard) had to be developed and agreed to with the City of Johannesburg’s (CoJ) Management in order to maintain consistency when developing APE programmes and roles. Notwithstanding the fact that the Employee Assistant Practitioners do also address the growing HIV/AIDS concerns in the workplace – including psycho-social problems of employees and their families – there is minimal acknowledgment of the EAPs’ roles, and little recognition of their welfare and well-being programmes. Drawing eclectically from various inter-related disciplinary terrains, the study centripetally explores the roles of EAPs as well as HIV/AIDS frameworks in the workplace. Quantitative and qualitative descriptive research methods were employed to assess challenges encountered by the City of Johannesburg (C.o.J) employees and their dependants. Questionnaires were used for the data collection of this study. The repertoire of participants in the study (n=55) comprised of doctors, social workers, nurses, HR officers, and other CoJ employees themselves. vi The questionnaire became the pivotal quantitative data analysis reference point ias it focused on numbers or quantities, and less on the qualitative analysis, which focused on differences in quality. The results of the study are based on numeric analysis and statistics to quantify the qualitative analysis. The prevalence of fewer participants was largely influenced by the depth of the data collection process, which did not allow for large numbers of research participants. The findings of the study revealed, amongst other factors, that there was an unsurpassed need to integrate different HIV/AIDS frameworks in order that the roles of EAPs becomes more effectively and efficiently defined and executed. The roles of EAPs were hitherto not well defined, resulting in duplication and confusion of service delivery to some employees utilising the EAP services. However, some of the EAP roles are highly appreciated and increasingly supported by managers and employees. Based on the findings of the study, recommendations were made for clarifying and extending the criticality of EAP roles and functions. / Health Studies / Ph. D. (Health Studies)

Text in Afrikaans / The purpose of the research was to determine the extent to which health issues, and particularly work stress, are managed at a welfare organization. The group investigated consisted of 49 registered social workers employed at nine welfare organizations in the Nelson Mandela Metropole. The research process was directed by quantitative research, the research information being obtained through a literature study and structured questionnaire. A number of health issues were identified in the workplace. Based on the empirical investigation it was concluded that health management does not enjoy a high priority at welfare organisations. The health issues that have the most impact on the respondents' work ability are work stress and burnout. It is recommended that organisations compile a holistic policy for health management. There is a need for implementation of employee assistance and wellness programmes for health management. Such programmes promote the productivity and general wellbeing of social workers. / Die doel van die navorsingstudie was om te bepaal tot watter mate gesondheidskwessies, in die besonder werkstres, by 'n welsynsorganisasie bestuur word. Die ondersoekgroep het bestaan uit 49 geregistreerde maatskaplike werkers werksaam by nege welsynsorganisasies in die Nelson Mandela Metropool. Die navorsingsproses is deur kwantitatiewe navorsing gerig en die navorsingsinligting is met behulp van 'n literatuurstudie en gestruktureerde vraelys bekom. Daar word tans 'n aantal gesondheidskwessies in die werkplek geidentifiseer. Na aanleiding van die empiriese ondersoek is daar tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat gesondheidbestuur nie 'n hoe prioriteit geniet by welsynsorgnisasies nie. Die gesondheidskwessies wat die mees beduidende impak op die respondente se werkvermoe het, is werkstres en uitbranding. Daar word aanbeveel dat organisasies 'n holistiese beleid ten opsigte van gesondheidsbestuur opstel. Daar is 'n behoefie aan die implementering van werknemerhulp- en werknemerwelstandprogramme vir gesondheidsbestuur omdat sulke programme die produktiwiteit en algemene welstand van maatskaplike werkers kan bevorder. / Social Work / M.Diac. (Social Work)

This study evolved from an involvement with professional people in a rural and semi-rural environment thereby taking into account the role which the Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP) plays in their professional context of work. Two underlying factors motivate the study. Firstly, that professional needs and capacities of faith, belief and spirituality are not been catered for in the EAPs. Secondly, that an African-Christian wholesome sense making approach provides more satisfactory answers to the lack of faith, belief and spirituality in the EAPs than the modern versions of the classic dualist and tripartite anthropological schemes of soul and body or soul, spirit and body. Furthermore, a wholesome sense making approach supports and tackles people’s wellness and well-being levels more satisfactorily than the classic dualist and tripartite views. An outline of an EAP in which faith leaders and consultants and their programmes are integrated and which contributes to the enhancing of well-being levels and performance management of professional people is described. The main focus of the study revolves around wholesome foursome experiential patterns in which alternating emphases of faith experience are acted out in the sense of ‘I believe God, I believe myself, I believe my human neighbours and I believe the physical natural environment’. This four side pattern of faith experience functions as an important theoretical assumption in the study. A second theoretical assumption has to do with the foursome processual framework of God’s grand acts of creation, reconciliation (redemption= cross and resurrection of Jesus), renewal (ongoing renewal of everything) and consummation and fulfilment towards the end (aim and goal) in which we as people and the physical natural environment are intrinsically and continuously involved. A third theoretical assumption revolves around the foursome experiential professional performance pattern of ‘I perform for God, I perform for myself, I perform for my human neighbours and I perform for the physical natural environment’. The foursome experiential patterns are also set as evaluative pointer patterns around which the empirical investigative part is constructed. / Philosophy and Systematic Theology / D.Th. (Systematic Theology)

The purpose of this study is to explore the EAP environment and provide a better understanding of the related roles of the Employee Assistant Practitioners/Professionals (EAPs) in respect of their treatment of various forms of illnesses in the workplace – particularly HIV and AIDS. The EAP role is not aligned to any individual profession, as it is designed to match employees’ holistic needs. It is in this context that the repertoire of EAP roles would include caring, psycho-social, therapeutic and technical skills. The EAP role is therefore endowed with the potential to meet a range of inter-departmental and multi-disciplinary needs – such as Nursing, Allied Health Professions, and Healthcare Sciences. A generic Assistant Practitioners Performance Management system (scorecard) had to be developed and agreed to with the City of Johannesburg’s (CoJ) Management in order to maintain consistency when developing APE programmes and roles. Notwithstanding the fact that the Employee Assistant Practitioners do also address the growing HIV/AIDS concerns in the workplace – including psycho-social problems of employees and their families – there is minimal acknowledgment of the EAPs’ roles, and little recognition of their welfare and well-being programmes. Drawing eclectically from various inter-related disciplinary terrains, the study centripetally explores the roles of EAPs as well as HIV/AIDS frameworks in the workplace. Quantitative and qualitative descriptive research methods were employed to assess challenges encountered by the City of Johannesburg (C.o.J) employees and their dependants. Questionnaires were used for the data collection of this study. The repertoire of participants in the study (n=55) comprised of doctors, social workers, nurses, HR officers, and other CoJ employees themselves. vi The questionnaire became the pivotal quantitative data analysis reference point ias it focused on numbers or quantities, and less on the qualitative analysis, which focused on differences in quality. The results of the study are based on numeric analysis and statistics to quantify the qualitative analysis. The prevalence of fewer participants was largely influenced by the depth of the data collection process, which did not allow for large numbers of research participants. The findings of the study revealed, amongst other factors, that there was an unsurpassed need to integrate different HIV/AIDS frameworks in order that the roles of EAPs becomes more effectively and efficiently defined and executed. The roles of EAPs were hitherto not well defined, resulting in duplication and confusion of service delivery to some employees utilising the EAP services. However, some of the EAP roles are highly appreciated and increasingly supported by managers and employees. Based on the findings of the study, recommendations were made for clarifying and extending the criticality of EAP roles and functions. / Health Studies / Ph. D. (Health Studies)

AFRIKAANS : In hierdie studie is daar enersyds bepaal of daar spesifieke stressore aanwesig is wat tot werknemers van die betrokke tersiêre opleidingsinstelling se verhoogde stresvlakke en gepaardgaande siening van ‘n negatiewe gehalte van werklewe (GWL) bydra. Andersyds was die fokus op die effektiwiteit van die huidige Stresbeheerprogram (SBP), waar vasgestel is of deelname aan die spesifieke program tot 'n beter en meer positiewe ervaring in die werknemer se GWL bydra. Die studie het uitgebreide teoretiese perspektiewe op die gehalte van werk, stres, welstand en intervensies in die werkplek voorsien. Vanuit die literstuurstudie in gemelde hoofstukke 2, 3, 4 en 5 blyk dit duidelik dat verandering in die werksomgewing en die gevolglike stres wat dit meebring op die werknemer se belewenis van welstand en gehalte van werklewe impakteer, en dat die werknemer se reaksie op beide voorafgaande die deurslaggewende faktor in die bereiking van gesondheid en welstand is. Werkgewers het die verantwoordelikheid om ‘n gelukkige werkplek te vestig deur die benutting van intervensieprogramme ten einde werknemers in staat te stel om eienaarskap van hul lewens te aanvaar in die bereiking van optimale gesondheid en welstand. Die literatuurstudie is opgevolg deur ‘n empiriese ondersoek waartydens evaluatiewe navorsing benut is. Die kwantitatief-kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenaderings met fokus op Creswell se ‘dominant- less-dominant’ model is gebruik, waar die kwantitatiewe fases as oorheersende paradigma gebruik is. Die kwantitatiewe beskrywende opname-ontwerp se ewekansige kruisseksie-opname is benut om ondersoek in te stel na die aard, omvang en impak van stres op die GWL van werknemers aan die betrokke tersiêre opleidingsinstelling. Die aangepaste ‘ASSET’-posvraelys is aan respondente van die twee gekose fakulteite en respondente van die SBP voorsien. Die kwasieksperimentele navorsingsontwerp se een-groep voortoets-na-toets ontwerp en handafgelewerde vraelyste het gedien as tweede kwantitatiewe fase van die studie. Tydens fase drie, die kwalitatiewe fase, is die gevallestudie met fokus op kollektiewe gevallestudie as navorsingstrategie gevolg waartydens semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude met ‘n onderhoudskedule gebruik is om addisionele inligting te bekom. Die belewenisse en behoeftes van die respondente, wat die SBP opleiding voltooi het, is bepaal ten einde sodanige belewenisse en behoeftes tydens die aanpassings van die SBP in ag te neem. Die gestruktureerde vraelyste, sowel as die semigestruktureerde onderhoude is as voor- en na-toets gebruik om die effektiwiteit en die benuttingswaarde van die huidige SBP te bepaal. Die keuse van die onderskeie benaderings, strategie en ontwerpe, wat tydens die navorsingsproses gevolg is, was relevant en suksesvol ten einde die geformuleerde probleem aan te spreek, die navorsingsvrae sinvol te beantwoord, en die hipotese te bevestig. Die navorser kon dus daarin slaag om, deur gebruikmaking van metodologiese triangulasie, die kwantitatiefkwalitatiewe benaderings te kombineer waartydens meervoudige metodes aangewend is om alle moontlike aspekte van dieselfde fenomeen te beskou en te vergelyk, en sodoende die geldigheid daarvan te verifieer. Gebaseer op bevindinge, kan die gevolgtrekking gemaak word dat stressore wel by werknemers van die betrokke tersiêre opleidingsinstelling aanwesig is, dat stres ‘n wesenlike impak op die GWL van werknemers het, en dat die huidige Stresbeheerprogram wel ‘n verbetering in die GWL van werknemers teweeggebring het. ENGLISH : On the one hand this study determines whether there are specific stressors present, which lead to higher stress levels and contribute to the accompanying negative quality of worklife perspective of employees at the relevant tertiary institution (QWL). On the other hand the focus is on the effectiveness of the current Stress Management Programme (SMP), in order to determine whether participation in this specific programme contributes to a better and more positive experience of the employee's QWL. This study provides extensive theoretic perspectives on the quality of work, stress, wellbeing and interventions in the workplace. From the literature review in Chapters 2, 3, 4 and 5, it is clear that change in the work environment, and the subsequent stress it imposes, impacts on the employee's experience of quality of worklife and wellbeing and the employee's reaction to both these is the decisive factor in reaching health and wellbeing in the workplace. Employers have the responsibility to establish a healthy workplace by utilising intervention programmes in order to enable employees to accept ownership of their lives in reaching optimum health and wellbeing. The literature review is followed by an empirical investigation during which evaluative research was utilised. The quantitative-qualitative research approaches, with focus on Creswell's ‘dominant-less-dominant’ model was used where the quantitative phases were used as the dominant paradigm. The quantitative descriptive design's random cross section is utilized to investigate the nature, extent and impact of stress on the QWL of employees at the relevant tertiary education institution. The adapted ‘ASSET’ mailed questionnaire was provided to respondents from two chosen faculties and respondents who participated in the SMP. The quasiexperimental research design's one-group pre-test / post-test design and hand-delivered questionnaires served as the second quantitative phase of this study. During the qualitative third phase, the case study, with focus on a collective case study as research strategy, was followed during which semi-structured interviews with an interview schedule were used to obtain additional information. The experiences and needs of respondents, who completed the SMP training, were determined in order to take into account these experiences and needs when the SMP is adapted. The structured questionnaires, as well as the semi-structured interviews were used as pre-test and post-test to determine the effectiveness and the utilization value of the current SMP. The choice of the different approaches, strategy and design which were followed during the research process, were relevant and successful in order to address the formulated problem, to provide a sensible answer to the research question, and to confirm the hypothesis. The researcher could therefore succeed to, by using methodological triangulation, combine the quantitative-qualitative approaches, during which multiple methods were applied to explore and compare all possible aspects of the same phenomenon and to subsequently verify the validity thereof. Based on findings, the following conclusion can be made: firstly, there are stressors present at the relevant tertiary education institution; secondly, stress has a substantial impact on the QWL of employees; and the current Stress Management Programme contributes to an improved QWL of employees. / Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

AFRIKAANS : Die navorsing is uitgevoer ten einde die aard en benutting van Personeelondersteuning- en Loopbaansentrum (POLS) se dienste aan die AID-personeel van die hoofkampus van UP, te verken en waar primêr gebruik gemaak was van ‘n kwantitatiewe navorsingsbenadering. Met die aanvang van die navorsingsprosedure was ‘n uitgebreide literatuurstudie oor verwante konsepte van WHPs en die universiteit as werkplek onderneem, gevolg deur empiriese navorsing deur die benutting van twee self-geadministreerde posvraelyste. Die eerste vraelys was aan geselekteerde AID-toesighouers en die tweede vraelys aan AID-werknemers ook geselekteer volgens die proporsioneel-gestratifiseerde steekproeftrekking, versprei. Daar was derhalwe deur middel van evaluerende navorsing ondersoek ingestel na werknemers en toesighouers se behoeftes en verwagtinge van die bestaande dienste, die mate van tevredenheid wat ervaar was en of hul deur die huidige dienste bereik word. Die behoefte aan ‘n volwaardige en gestruktureerde WHP vir UP was ook bepaal. Die studie het ‘n uitgebreide teoretiese deurskouing van die literatuur oor WHPs in die algemeen voorsien en aspekte soos die universiteit as werkplek, met spesifieke klem op die AID as werkplek, ondersoek en beskryf. Indien die literatuurstudie oor WHP in ag geneem word, blyk dit duidelik dat die dienste soos deur POLS gelewer, nie aan die standaarde en riglyne soos deur EAPA-SA gestel, voldoen nie. POLS voldoen op hierdie stadium ook nie aan ‘n tipiese WHP of Bedryfsmaatskaplike werk program nie, vanweë die lewering van beperkte dienste. Die literatuur het ook lig gewerp op die feit dat die WHP ten doel het om die organisasie se visie en missie te ondersteun. Die werksopset, organisasie dinamika en personeel diversiteit binne die Universiteit van Pretoria het dan ook aangedui dat die universiteit ‘n unieke werkgewer is en ook gebonde is tot die onderskrywing van verskeie wetgewing soos van toepassing op alle ander werkgewers. Die AID se missie, organisasiestruktuur, strategiese bestuur, fasiliteite en menslike hulpbronne dui daarop dat die AID nie van enige ander organisasie met betrekking tot werknemer en werkgewer verwagtinge verskil nie. Die literatuurstudie het aangedui dat die kern van WHPs gesetel is in ‘n doelgerigte en gestruktureerde program met die uitsluitlike doel om die werknemer se algehele maatskaplike funksionering te bevorder. Die empiriese navorsing het getoon dat POLS, as die Universiteit van Pretoria se hulpverleningsdiens, nie ten volle in die doel kon slaag nie. Die situasie kan grootliks toegeskryf word aan onkunde met betrekking tot POLS en gepaardgaande dienslewering asook die leemte aan doeltreffende bemarking deur POLS. Daar word derhalwe aanbeveel dat die Universiteit van Pretoria sterk oorweging skenk aan die ontwikkeling en implementering van ‘n volwaardige gestruktureerde werknemerhulpprogram, geskoei op die voorskrifte en beleid van EAPA-SA. ENGLISH : The research was performed to explore the nature and utilization of the Employee Assistance- and Career Centre's (EACC) services to the Academic Information Service (AIS) personnel on the main Campus of the University of Pretoria, and where a quantitative research approach was primarily used. With the commencement of the research procedure an extensive literature study about related concepts of EAP's and the University as a work place was undertaken, followed by empirical research through the usage of two self administered post questionnaires. The first questionnaire was sent to selected AIS-supervisors and the second questionnaire to the AIS-employees, also selected according to proportional stratified sampling procedure. An investigation was therefore done, through research evaluation, whether the employees and supervisors' needs and expectations of existing services, the extent of satisfaction experienced have been met and whether they are reached by the present services. The need for a full-fledged and structured EAP for UP was also determined. The study provided an extensive theoretical study of the literature on EAPs in general and surveyed and described aspects such as the university as work place, with specific emphasis on AIS as work place. Should the literature study on EAP be taken into account, it is evident that services provided by EACC, do not comply with standards and guidelines set by EAPA-SA. The EACC does not comply, at this stage, to a typical EAP or Occupational Social Work programme, because of the delivery of limited services. The literature also revealed the fact that EAPs purpose is to support the vision and mission of the organization. The work set-up, organization dynamics and personnel diversity with-in the University of Pretoria also indicated that the University is a unique employer who is also tied to the underwriting of several legislation applicable to all employers. The AIS's mission, organizational structure, strategical management, facilities and human resources, indicated that AIS do not differ from any other organization with regards to employee and employer expectations. The literature study indicated that the core of EAPs is settled in a purposeful and structured programme with the exclusive purpose to promote the employee's entire social well-being. The empirical study showed that the EACC, as employee assistance service of the University of Pretoria, could not reach the expected goals. This can be assigned to the lack of knowledge regarding EACC and their services, as well as the inefficient marketing by EACC. It is therefore recommended that the University of Pretoria should strongly consider a full-fledged Employee Assistance Programme based on the prescription and policies upheld by EAPA-SA. / Dissertation (MSD)--University of Pretoria, 2009. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted