The primary objective of this study was to explore the relationship between personality and employability using a sample of 100 employees at a meat producing company in South Africa. A secondary objective was to determine if personality could be used to predict employability, and whether individuals from different demographic groups differed regarding their employability. The instruments used were the sixteen personality factor inventory (16PF) and the Van Der Heidje employability measure. The research findings indicated that the personality factors of submissiveness and seriousness correlated to the employability dimensions of anticipation/ optimization and occupational expertise respectively. Openness and corporate sense were also correlated, with anxiety in particular correlating with the overall employability measure. Differences between the race groups and employability were also noted. Particular interventions aimed at improving individual career decision making and employability practices within the organisation concluded the study. / M.A. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

The primary objective of this study was to explore the relationship between personality and employability using a sample of 100 employees at a meat producing company in South Africa. A secondary objective was to determine if personality could be used to predict employability, and whether individuals from different demographic groups differed regarding their employability. The instruments used were the sixteen personality factor inventory (16PF) and the Van Der Heidje employability measure. The research findings indicated that the personality factors of submissiveness and seriousness correlated to the employability dimensions of anticipation/ optimization and occupational expertise respectively. Openness and corporate sense were also correlated, with anxiety in particular correlating with the overall employability measure. Differences between the race groups and employability were also noted. Particular interventions aimed at improving individual career decision making and employability practices within the organisation concluded the study. / M.A. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

No description available.

While much of the ‘sport transitions' literature focusses on the ‘end of career', research focussing on within career transitions in sport has identified a number of challenging transitions, for example, the move from junior to senior sport. While there is some very focussed (e.g., Scandinavian context) quantitative research that has been conducted, our understanding regarding the factors that contribute to the adjustment of athletes through within career sport transitions is mainly based from qualitative methodologies. It is clear that there are a number of important transitions on the path to elite sport, which may vary depending on factors such as sport and culture (e.g. diversification to specialising; junior to senior; academy to professional; elite to super elite; continued longevity of success). Continuing to broaden and deepen our understanding in this area will help both researchers and practitioners working with athletes on this pathway. As such, the objectives of this thesis are to: 1) Understand the predictive factors of adjustment and satisfaction through important within career sport transitions; 2) Investigate the individual, environmental and experiential features that are associated with successful and unsuccessful transitions to elite level sport 3) Investigate the individual characteristics and environmental features of a highly successful world class elite development program. These three thesis objectives were achieved through four aims and associated studies. Specifically: a) Examining the junior to senior transition experiences of a cross-cultural population using the Transition Monitoring Survey, b) Examining the individual and environmental characteristics, and developmental experiences of athletes who successfully negotiated the transition to elite level through qualitative methodology, c) Examining the individual and environmental characteristics, and developmental experiences of athletes who were unsuccessful in negotiating the transition to elite level, through qualitative methodology, iii and d) Examining the mechanisms that underpin the success of an independent triathlon program in developing elite world-class level athletes, using a qualitative approach. Subtleties of the trajectory were identified and interestingly athletes who successfully progressed to elite level made a choice to commit to their sport after taking part in deliberate play activities during early steps. On the contrary, unsuccessful athletes specialized early and in some cases the sport they were involved was not a personal choice. Findings showed that a combination of individual and environmental characteristics is necessary in order to cope successfully with within-career transitions. Physical abilities, commitment, motivation, aspirations, mental skills and the ability to respond to challenges were acknowledged as facilitators of a successful trajectory towards elite level. As environmental features also play a significant role in the outcome of the within career transitions an environment focused on long-term development, with clear and coherent communication and goals promoting the athlete wellbeing while in the same time utilizing intentional challenge can facilitate the pathway to elite level. The integration of the selection process as part of the talent development and the use of role models within the team to enable individuals continuously learn from each other were additional features identified. On the other hand, social pressure, balancing a dual career, a winning focused environment and poor communication were the main barriers that may lead to dropout. Practical implications are that increasing the quality of athletes' preparation and equipping them with the skills and attributes required in order to cope with the challenges of the within career transitions during their trajectory to elite level competition would facilitate progression. As such, not only developing individual characteristics but also creating an environment that aids to this end would increase the chances of athletes reach at elite level. Research implications of this thesis are that key individual and environmental features that facilitate progression to elite level were identified. Future research is required regarding the potential connection of early experiences and long-term achievements in sport, differences between team and individual sports while also further examination of successful environments and longitudinal examination of within career transitions.

<p>Abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the process of overtraining syndrome as a part of development in sports and careers. It is based on theories about overtraining syndrome and athlete career transitions. The intention was to find patterns that illustrate critical factors in the athlete career for overtraining syndrome to occur, but also for preventing overtraining syndrome to emerge and for rehabilitation.</p><p>The Informant was a 19 years old man who had completed his studies at a Swedish sports-“gymnasium”. Two semi structured interviews were made, the second as a following up interview. The material was analysed by a qualitative content analysis including a constant comparing method. </p><p>The result showed that the Informant developed an overtraining syndrome during his first year as an elite junior athlete at the sports-“gymnasium”. It took one year from the occurrence of the first symptoms until initiating interventions and a second year of rehabilitation before the Informant was totally recovered. Imbalance in the stress-recovery process because physiological and psychological sports demands as well as lack of cognitive skills was possible factors for the beginning of the overtraining syndrome. Factors for preventing origination were the Informants motivation, cognitive skills along with social support.</p><p>In summary it is proposed to focus on interaction between models and theories about overtraining syndrome and athletic career transitions, in purpose to prevent overtraining syndrome to occur when young athletes transcend to high achievement junior sports, including its structure.</p><p>Sammanfattning: Syftet med studien var att studera processen för överträningssyndrom som en del i idrotts- och karriärutvecklingen utifrån teorier om överträningssyndrom och idrottskarriärövergångar. Avsikten var att finna mönster som belyste faktorer och kritiska skeden i idrottskarriären för att överträningssyndrom ska uppstå samt för att förhindra detta och underlätta rehabilitering.</p><p>Informant var en 19 årig man som avslutat tre års studier på idrottsgymnasium. </p><p>Två semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes, den senare intervjun som uppföljningsintervju. Materialet analyserades genom kvalitativ innehållsanalys med en konstant jämförande metod. Resultaten visade att under det första året som elitidrottande junior på idrottsgymnasium utvecklade Informanten ett överträningssyndrom. Det tog ett år från att första symtomen uppmärksammades till att intervention påbörjades och ytterligare ett års rehabilitering innan Informanten var helt återställd. Tänkbara orsaker till uppkomsten var obalans i stress-återhämtningsprocessen, framförallt beroende på idrottsliga fysiska och psykologiska krav och brist på kognitiva förmågor. Faktorer för att förhindra uppkomst och i rehabilitering antas vara Informantens motivation och kognitiva förmågor samt socialt stöd. </p><p>Sammantaget antas att interaktion mellan modeller och teorier om överträningssyndrom och idrottskarriärövergångar ska ses som en helhet i syfte att förhindra uppkomst av överträningssyndrom då unga idrottare övergår till högpresterande junioridrott och dess struktur.</p>

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the process of overtraining syndrome as a part of development in sports and careers. It is based on theories about overtraining syndrome and athlete career transitions. The intention was to find patterns that illustrate critical factors in the athlete career for overtraining syndrome to occur, but also for preventing overtraining syndrome to emerge and for rehabilitation. The Informant was a 19 years old man who had completed his studies at a Swedish sports-“gymnasium”. Two semi structured interviews were made, the second as a following up interview. The material was analysed by a qualitative content analysis including a constant comparing method. The result showed that the Informant developed an overtraining syndrome during his first year as an elite junior athlete at the sports-“gymnasium”. It took one year from the occurrence of the first symptoms until initiating interventions and a second year of rehabilitation before the Informant was totally recovered. Imbalance in the stress-recovery process because physiological and psychological sports demands as well as lack of cognitive skills was possible factors for the beginning of the overtraining syndrome. Factors for preventing origination were the Informants motivation, cognitive skills along with social support. In summary it is proposed to focus on interaction between models and theories about overtraining syndrome and athletic career transitions, in purpose to prevent overtraining syndrome to occur when young athletes transcend to high achievement junior sports, including its structure. Sammanfattning: Syftet med studien var att studera processen för överträningssyndrom som en del i idrotts- och karriärutvecklingen utifrån teorier om överträningssyndrom och idrottskarriärövergångar. Avsikten var att finna mönster som belyste faktorer och kritiska skeden i idrottskarriären för att överträningssyndrom ska uppstå samt för att förhindra detta och underlätta rehabilitering. Informant var en 19 årig man som avslutat tre års studier på idrottsgymnasium. Två semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes, den senare intervjun som uppföljningsintervju. Materialet analyserades genom kvalitativ innehållsanalys med en konstant jämförande metod. Resultaten visade att under det första året som elitidrottande junior på idrottsgymnasium utvecklade Informanten ett överträningssyndrom. Det tog ett år från att första symtomen uppmärksammades till att intervention påbörjades och ytterligare ett års rehabilitering innan Informanten var helt återställd. Tänkbara orsaker till uppkomsten var obalans i stress-återhämtningsprocessen, framförallt beroende på idrottsliga fysiska och psykologiska krav och brist på kognitiva förmågor. Faktorer för att förhindra uppkomst och i rehabilitering antas vara Informantens motivation och kognitiva förmågor samt socialt stöd. Sammantaget antas att interaktion mellan modeller och teorier om överträningssyndrom och idrottskarriärövergångar ska ses som en helhet i syfte att förhindra uppkomst av överträningssyndrom då unga idrottare övergår till högpresterande junioridrott och dess struktur.

Psychosocial factors are the interrelated psychological, social and/or behavioural considerations that can influence talent development in football (Holt & Dunn, 2004). Despite this, the significant growth of female football worldwide, and the psychosocial challenges faced by female athletes during adolescence, scant scholarly attention has been afforded to the role of psychosocial factors in the development of talented female football players. Therefore the main aim of this thesis was to understand psychosocial factors associated with talent development in UK female football players. Study one systematically reviewed the literature on psychosocial factors associated with talent development in soccer. Following an extensive literature searching, selecting and appraisal process, three overarching themes of psychological, social and behavioural factors associated with talent development in soccer - underpinned by a total of 33 subthemes were created. The appraised literature has a moderate-to-high risk of reporting bias; had a significant bias towards adolescent, Caucasian, male, able-bodied, and European soccer players; and extant literature has demonstrated bias towards quantitative approaches and retrospective data collection methods. Consequently, study two began to address these reported biases by longitudinally and prospectively investigating the developmental experiences of English elite female youth soccer players. Through interviews, fieldwork and the use of composite sequence analysis, study two forwarded the importance of psychosocial considerations including the interaction between players and key social agents (soccer fathers, soccer brothers, soccer peers and non- soccer peers), elements of self-regulation and volitional behaviours, and the subsequent developmental benefits for their soccer careers. However, this study did not address the experiences of those who were unsuccessful in their attempts to achieve an elite female soccer career, nor did it collect primary data from other key social agents. Building on the critique of study two, study three sought to adopt an underutilised approach of negative case analysis by examining the experiences of players who had been unsuccessful in their attempts to forge a career in female soccer. Based on interviews former female players, their best friends, coaches and teachers, a grounded theory of talent and career development in UK female youth soccer players was produced. The theory posited that interactions with multiple social agents can affect the quality of talent development and learning environment that a player experiences, which can lead to adaptive player level benefits and changes (e.g., basic psychological need satisfaction; development of pertinent intra-individual constructs; optimal match preparation and training behaviours) and create a greater chance of career success. Study three also forwarded important culturally significant considerations for practitioners working with UK female soccer players, such as an understanding of dual career demands and the impact of role strain on female players. However, study three did not test any of the theoretical predictions offered by the grounded theory. Owing to the need to test predictions of grounded theories to assess their predictive validity, study four sought to test key predictions using a representative sample of English talented and elite adolescent female soccer players (N=137). As a result of the limited structural stability of the Basic Needs Satisfaction in Sport Scale and the Talent Development Environment Questionnaire (as demonstrated by significant cross loading of items, high bivariate correlations between subscales, and one example of an inadequate Cronbach s alpha), data was parcelled and the revised path hypothesis: perceptions of talent development environment > basic psychological needs satisfaction > career aspirations and beliefs > career intentions was produced. Path analysis supported the hypothesis. Supporting findings of studies two and three, regression analysis demonstrated that playing level positively predicted career beliefs, aspirations and intentions; whereas age negatively predicted these variables. Finally, TDEQ results indicated a perception that UK female soccer players that they can be written off before having the opportunity to fulfil their potential. Overall, this thesis has provided original and unique contributions to the sport psychology literature by enlightening the body of research to the developmental experiences of English female youth soccer players. It provides a developmental understanding scarcely evident in existing talent development literature. The interactional roles of multiple social agents have been elucidated and linked to psychosocial development, behavioural outcomes and talent and career progression within talented female players. The thesis has extended previous approaches to talent development in soccer by testing the predictions of the grounded theory. Initial evidence suggests that the proffered grounded theory is robust; however further research utilising structurally sound and ecologically valid measures would serve to further validate these claims.

This qualitative study examined the athletic retirement processes of Finnish female elite distance runners retrospectively, and was loosely based on the theoretical-conceptual background of sport career transition models (Stambulova, 2003; Taylor & Ogilvie, 1994). The participants were Finnish female distance runners who have competed at the national level, or at the international level as members of the Finnish national track and field team. In Finland, the athletic retirement process has not been studied extensively, especially among distance runners. A total of nine former female runners who had retired 10 years prior and no less than one year ago participated in the study. The qualitative data were collected by conducting semi-structured interviews in Finland, using an interview guide constructed by Kadlcik and Flemr (2008) as a model. Seven of the interviews were performed face-to-face, one via Skype, and one via telephone. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and a total of seven themes with 25 subthemes emerged from the data. The themes that emerged included: (1) avenues to become a distance runner, (2) meaning of running, (3) pre-retirement conditions, (4) retirement, (5) factors affecting quality of retirement, (6) major effects of retirement, and (7) current life. Several reasons for sport career termination were identified, loss of motivation being the most prevalent. Most athletes did not have a plan for how to deal with retirement, although studying and other interests played an important role when methods of adaptation were discussed. As in previous studies conducted in other countries, the former Finnish athletes experienced significant changes in many aspects of their lives, including social, psychological and health. Overall, the participants reported a challenging, but not overwhelming athletic career retirement process, with two out of nine participants stating that the transition was somewhat difficult. Recommendations for researchers and practitioners are also discussed. / Kinesiology

Sports career (SC) is a term for the multiyear sports activities of the individual aimed at high sport achievements and self-improvement in sport. The analytical model of sports career considers it as a multiyear process certain stages and transitions. SC were identified: 1) the beginning of sport specialisation; 2) the transition to intensive training in the chosen kind of sport; 3) the transition to high achievement and adult sports; 4) the transition from the culmination to the end of SC and transition to the other professional career. Athletes have to solve „transitional problems“ in order to continue the SC successfully on the next stage. A failure in solving transitional problems leads to a crisis. The research showed that the most influence to choose the main kind of sport had the coach (95%). In the intensive training in the chosen kind of sport all respondents had the aim, after trainings felt tired (75%) and even 89% of respondents complained of injuries. Most of athletes (74%) noted that sometimes needed psychological support in competitions. Mostly in high achievement and adult sports (55%) changed the coach and every fifth athlete not always successfully collaborated with him, and also came into conflict with other members of the group (28%). In this stage was difficult to adjust sport activity and studies, sport activity and leisure, and also sport activity and job. Most coaches pointed that too early finished trainings by these reasons: difficult to adust... [to full text]

This study wants to investigate internal driving forces of employees who want a career change, what type of career-related support they need to move forward, and how this support can be made available, as well as their thoughts on the potential of career-interventions supporting the career-health of employees. Peavy’s socio-dynamic counseling theory, Antonovsky’s SOC and previous studies on career-counselling and health build the theoretical framework for the study. The CIP-theory was used as a methodological tool to generate empirical evidence. Eight semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with an interview guide built on SOC’s comprehensibility, manageability and meaningfulness. Results show that these employees experience some negative health-effects and difficulties to proceed on their own, hence describes a need for support at different stages of the process. All participants mention meaningfulness as an important driving-force and they express a wish for conversational support to investigate what could be meaningful for them. / Syftet med studien är att undersöka drivkrafter hos anställda som önskar en karriärrelaterad förändring, vilket karriärrelaterat stöd dessa anställda upplever sig ha behov av för att komma vidare och hur stödet kan tillgängliggöras, samt deras tankar kring karriärvägledningens potential för främjandet av karriärhälsa. Peavys konstruktivistiska vägledningsteori och Antonovskys KASAM har använts som teoretiskt ramverk tillsammans med tidigare forskning kring vägledning och hälsa. CIP-teorin har använts som metodologiskt verktyg för att generera empiri i denna kvalitativa intervjustudie. Åtta semistrukturerade intervjuer har genomförts med hjälp av en intervjuguide skapad utifrån KASAMs tre begrepp begriplighet, hanterbarhet och meningsfullhet. Resultaten visar att anställda som önskar förändring kan uppleva negativa hälsoeffekter och svårigheter att på egen hand ta sig vidare och beskriver behov av stöd under olika faser av beslutsprocessen. Samtliga deltagare nämner meningsfullhet som en drivkraft och de önskar samtalsstöd i utforskandet av vad som skulle kunna vara meningsfullt för just dem.