This paper explores the utility of Weingarten's (2003) witness positions in the understanding of compassion fatigue in people who care for their own family members with AIDS. The research is embedded in Weingarten's theory of witnessing and narrative theory and practice. The literature review explores the shift from hospital-based care to community/home-based care which has led to family members assuming the role of caring for their family members with AIDS, an overview of the effects of caring for AIDS patients on caregivers and an overview of Weingarten's (2003) theory of witnessing with special emphasis on the witnessing positions and their consequences. Interviews, based on narrative theory and practice in which Weingarten's theory is rooted, gave access to the participants' experiences, which were then analysed and interpreted through a framework developed from the witnessing theory. This article demonstrates the utility of Weingarten's (2003) theory of witnessing to people who are caregivers to their own family members with AIDS. I argue that witness positions occupied by caregivers during witnessing determine whether the caregivers will experience compassion fatigue. The negative consequences related to compassion fatigue that will be reviewed could probably be prevented through active, intentional, compassionate witnessing.

The objective of this study was (i) to determine the relationship between sense of coherence, work engagement and burnout; and (ii) to determine whether, in terms of the various socio-demographic groups, namely, gender, age, race, marital status, number of years in current position and number of years in public service, the sample differed significantly in terms of their levels of sense of coherence, work engagement and burnout. A quantitative study, using primary data, was conducted using a convenience sample (N = 172) of middle managers in a public service organisation. The psychometric properties of the Orientation to Life Questionnaire, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale and the Maslach Burnout Inventory Scale were investigated before the hypothesis was tested. The statistical analysis of the data included descriptive statistics as well as inferential statistics. The Kaiser-Meyer Olkin and Bartlett’s test of sphericity techniques were used to determine the exploratory factor analysis of all three measuring scales. A correlation analysis between the one-factor sense of coherence, one-factor work engagement and the three burnout sub-dimensions (exhaustion, cynicism and professional efficacy) was conducted. The Pearson product-moment correlation was used to determine the strength of the relationships between the variables. The level of significance was set at a 95% confidence interval level (p 􀀂􀀁0,05). Standard multiple regression analysis was used to establish whether there is a significant relationship between sense of coherence, work engagement and burnout. The Wilk’s lambda technique was used to test the results for significance, while Levene's test of equality of error variances technique was used to test the results for significance on the sense of coherence and work engagement scales with regard to the demographic groups. The results showed that there was a significant relationship between the participants’ sense of coherence, work engagement and burnout levels. Significant differences were also found between respondents in the marital status group and the burnout dimension, depersonalisation or cynicism. The results also reflected the wellbeing status of middle managers and indicated that the respondents were flourishing (feeling good as they scored a high sense of coherence and functioning well as indicated by a high score for work engagement). It is anticipated that the findings of the study will contribute valuable knowledge to employee wellbeing programmes in public service. The study concludes by making recommendations for future research practice. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

v anglickém jazyce Supervision is one of the possibilities of professional support, which helps in solving difficult working situations. They imply challenges, personal constraints and ethical issues. Uncertainties can be on the both sides of the social worker and his client. Supervision should not be a check of incorrect decisions or supervision of the choice of work outcomes. On the contrary, the supervisor should be supportive of his clients and provide them professional and correct leadership to ensure the quality of their work. The diploma thesis deals with the interconnection of supervision with burnout syndrome. The theoretical part draws attention to the preventive nature of the supervision process and the risks that are threatened in the absence of supervision. Both concepts, supervision and burnout syndrome, are described and explained in the diploma thesis. The theoretical part of the thesis contains basic terminology, division and important participants in such cooperation. The second section describes the situation regarding the use of supervision and the rate of burnout syndrome in selected social workers. The results of this survey are shown in the charts. The thesis is concluded with a discussion which contains comments on the legal anchoring of supervision in the Czech Republic and...

The general aim of this study was to investigate whether a relationship exists between employee wellness (specifically sense of coherence, burnout, sources of job stress and work engagement) and career anchors, and to determine whether gender, race, employment and age groups differed in terms of the employee wellness and career anchors variables. The study was conducted among a random sample of 90 employees in a typical South African work context. The data was collected by means of the Orientation to Life Questionnaire (OLQ), Maslach’s Burnout Inventory (MBI), Sources of Job Stress, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) and the Career Orientations Inventory (COI). Supporting evidence indicates significant associations between employee wellness and the career anchors variables. The results also showed significant differences between the career anchors of males, females, blacks, whites, permanent staff, contract staff and age groups. The findings contribute valuable new knowledge to the wellness and career literature and organisational practices related to employee wellness and career decision making. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

The objective of this study was to: (1) assess the overall wellness climate profile of a sample of higher education call centre employees for national benchmarking purposes; (2) explore the relationship between the participants‟ sense of coherence, affective wellbeing and burnout; and (3) determine how the participants differ regarding these variables in terms of socio-demographic contextual factors such as gender, race, age, and marital status. The South African Employee Health and Wellness Survey was used as a measuring instrument. Compared to the national norm, the results indicated a risky wellness climate reflecting a burnout propensity, lower morale (affective wellbeing) and lower resilience (sense of coherence). Significant relations existed between the participants‟ sense of coherence, affective wellbeing and burnout levels. Significant differences regarding these variables were also detected between males and females and the various marital status groups regarding the participants‟ sense of coherence, affective wellbeing and burnout. The findings of this study contributed new knowledge that may be used to inform employee wellness programmes within a higher education call centre environment. The study concluded with recommendations for future research and practice. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Comm. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

The primary aim of this study was to ascertain whether teacher burnout is accompanied by physiological, psychological and behavioural symptoms. The Maslach Burnout Inventory was used to ascertain the levels of burnout among a sample of 282 Indian teachers of all ranks in ex - House of Delegates schools in the Kwazulu - Natal region. The Burnout Manifestations Scale was used to elicit those symptoms which burned out subjects exhibited the most. While 23 % of the sample appeared vulnerable to burnout, 7% appeared to be already burned out. It was found that with a few exceptions, the sample was susceptible to a lesser or greater degree to almost all of the symptoms listed in the Burnout Manifestations Scale. As no significant differences between the groups was detected in the selected demographic variables, it can be concluded that anyone, irrespective of their sex, marital status or any other variable, can become vulnerable to burnout. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Psychology of Education)

Fire fighters are involved in critical decision making situations, and under-performance and lack of job satisfaction due to burnout could adversely affect the welfare of the people that are being provided with the service. This study thus investigated the relationship between burnout and job satisfaction amongst operational fire fighters. Two measuring instruments were used: the Pines, Aronson & Kafry (1981) Burnout Index, and the Smith, Hulin and Kendall (1969) Job Descriptive Index. This study was conducted amongst 102 fire fighters working for a local authority. Through a literature review, burnout and job satisfaction were defined, and a link between the two constructs outlined. Through an empirical study, the relationship between burnout and job satisfaction was determined. Supporting evidence indicates a negative correlation between burnout and job satisfaction, as well as revealing social support amongst co-workers as being an important buffer against the effects of burnout. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Industrial Psychology)

Abstract The theoretical part of this thesis focuses on health care issues related to the work of health care professionals in the context of a current legislation. In this part the work of health care professionals is linked to the ethical principles and pressures on the emotional, mental, physical and social levels. The work focuses on the possible symptoms of exhaustion and fatigue on these levels. The emphasis is put on a personal development and coping with emotions so the health care professional is able to provide his or her clients and patients with relevant support. Supervision also develops its potential as a system of control and improving the quality of the provided care. It also helps to achieve the necessary health care quality standards in all respects. This system of a complex support and care for an individual worker as well as team of professionals is rooted predominantly in the development of psychotherapy. In its empirical part this thesis deals with the reasons which prevent supervision to be fully accepted and generally adopted as a system of support for health care professionals. The research in the Regional Hospital in Příbram tries to find and identify possible barriers to the development of supervision and thus contribute to greater interest in its implementation. According to the research findings the main barriers involve inadequate experience and awareness of senior professionals about possibilities and purpose of supervision, their concerns about high financial expenses, the need to devote extra time to this method and last but not least the necessity to study and apply a large amount of professional methods and information to work. The last two mentioned criterions also reduce space which could health care professionals otherwise use for meeting their own needs and self -care. In terms of conditions supervision in health care institution would have to meet, the thesis comes to a conclusion that the possible supervisor should be well-informed about health care sector or experienced in own medical practice. In this respect he or she would be authentic and trustworthy for the supervised health care staff. This thesis also finds out that hospital management strongly supports supervision but so far has not recorded any interest in its implementation among the employees. However, findings of the survey aimed at health care professionals from the selected hospital departments show that more than 50% of respondents regard supervision in health care as needed. The specific need of support for health care professionals is found predominantly in inadequate recognition and appreciation of their work and in the feeling that their work does not bring them joy. In this respect the respondents to a large extent described somatic problems such as frequent headaches, difficulties in digestion and breathing and sleep disorders. According to the research there are good conditions for implementation supervision in a health care institution. However, first it is necessary to ensure that both hospital management and health care professionals are provided with good and sufficient information. The goal of this thesis is to support implementation of supervision among health care professionals in inpatient wards. It is intended for the health care professionals as well as for hospital management. Its aim is to promote the idea that only a person who is healthy, self confident and meets his/her own needs is able to cure well and help others.

Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Technology: Business Administration in the Faculty of Business at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology 2014 / Call centres have become an important source for organisations to provide efficient information to their customers through cost-effective communication channels. Call centres are defined as a work environment in which the main business is mediated by computer- and telephone-based technologies that allow the effective distribution of incoming calls to available staff, and permit customer–employee communication simultaneously with the use of display screen equipment (DSE) and instant access to information. Working in a call centre is often linked with high stress levels, difficult customers, shift work, high workload demand, absenteeism and high employee turnover rates. The work characteristics of call centres include performance targets where employees are required to achieve set targets, undergo close performance monitoring, performance appraisal systems, limited task variation, repetitive work and limited autonomy. The physical environment in the call centre is often associated with open-plan office layouts and booths where noise levels and workstations are positioned in close proximity to each other. Wellbeing in call centres has become a concern and the research was undertaken to establish what effects the working environment (physical environment and job characteristics) in call centres in the Cape Metropole has on the wellbeing of call centre agents. A quantitative research method was employed in the study. A structured questionnaire was distributed via SurveyMonkey® to call centre agents from four participating call centres in the Cape Metropole. The combined target population of the four call centres was 760. A sample size of 200 was determined by using the Raosoft Incorporated® calculation tool. Although the aforesaid sample size sufficed, a response rate of 275 was received. Questions relating to job characteristics and significance of the work were based on the Job Diagnostic Survey by Hackman and Oldham. Social support questions were based on the instrument developed by Caplan, Cobb, French, Van Harrison & Pinneau in 1975. Job demand questions were based on the instrument developed by Karasek in 1979, and only the section on job demand was used. Performance monitoring and physical work environment were measured by using the questions based on these variables by Sprigg et al in 2003. Emotional wellbeing questions relating to burnout were measured using the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory. The wellbeing questions relating to vocal health, optical health and auditory health were based on the questionnaires developed by Sprigg et al. in 2003. General health was measured using the “Somatic Complaints” section of the NIOSH Generic Job Stress Questionnaire. Musculoskeletal health problems were measured using the Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (CMDQ) developed by Hedge in 1994. Research question 1 addressed the gender perceptions of job characteristics, physical work environment and emotional and physical wellbeing. A T-test was conducted to answer the research question and the results revealed that there was no significant difference in gender perception on job characteristics; however there was a significant difference in perception of the physical work environment and wellbeing. Research question 2 addressed whether there is a significant difference in emotional and physical wellbeing experienced by call centre agents from various industries. A MANOVA analysis was conducted to determine the significance in industries, p = .015, and an ANOVA analysis was conducted that revealed agents working in the online retail as well as financial service industries were more likely to experience disengagement, p = .035. Research question 3 addressed the factors in the workplace environment that contribute to emotional and physical wellbeing problems. An ANOVA analysis was conducted and the results revealed lack of skills variety, p = .014, contributes to exhaustion; lack of autonomy, p = .040, contributes to disengagement; lack of supervisor support, p = .009, contributes to exhaustion, job demands, p = .000, contribute to exhaustion, performance monitoring, p = .036, contributes to exhaustion; and workstation layout, p = .001, contributes to auditory health problems. Research question 4 addressed whether there is a significant relationship between job characteristics, physical work environment and wellbeing. A Pearson correlation analysis was conducted and the results revealed that there is a significant relationship between job characteristics, physical work environment, and wellbeing. It can be concluded that the workplace environment does have an impact on the wellbeing of call centre agents in the Cape Metropole. It is imperative that the management of call centres understand the nature of the job and how the physical environment contributes to job stress; burnout; vocal, auditory, and optical health problems; and musculoskeletal disorders. The researcher recognises that there are essential job characteristics associated with call centre work but that there are elements of the job that can be redesigned to improve the wellbeing of call centre agents. It is recommended that management implement interventions which will redesign those elements within the workplace environment that contribute to wellbeing issues. The findings of this study add to existing literature and knowledge of the workplace environment and wellbeing of call centre agents.

Syftet med den här studien är att beskriva processen som leder från utbrändhet till en ny vardag; en process som här benämns ”vägen tillbaka”. Studien är kvalitativ i sin karaktär och utgår från intervjuer med sex personer som erfarit utbrändhet. Vidare belyses de faktorer som informanterna upplever har bidragit till att de ”kommit tillbaka”, de hinder som försvårat i ”vägen tillbaka” samt hur identitet och självbild påverkats i processen. Uppsatsen utgår från ett fenomenologiskt perspektiv, bestående av både teori och metod. Inom perspektivet anses människors upplevelser vara centrala. Datamaterialet har analyserats så förutsättningslöst som möjligt utifrån EPP-metoden (en empirisk fenomenologisk psykologisk metod). Resultatet presenteras i två huvuddelar, först utifrån informanternas gemensamma upplevelser av processen och sedan utifrån de skillnader som karaktäriserar resan tillbaka.