The general aim for this research was to explore and describe the risk and protective variables in the bio–psychosocial field of adolescents with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) and to describe how these variables impact multi–dimensionally on such adolescents. From the literature search it seemed as if interventions regarding CF focus mainly on the medical condition. No literature could be found on the experiences of adolescents with CF. It is clear that there is a dearth of research on adolescents with CF in general but also specifically on the bio–psychosocial impact of this illness on adolescents in this challenging time of maturing. The research design was a case study and focused on exploration and description of risk and protective factors in the bio–psychosocial fields of adolescents with CF. Semi–structured interviews were used as a data collecting method. Questions were open–ended, but focused on the experience of adolescents having CF. Thematic analysis was used for data analysis based on the following steps, which entailed among others transcribing data, reading, re–reading, translation, coding, identifying and describing themes. Facing a chronic illness and the intensive medical treatment required is a harsh reality that influences the entire field of adolescents with CF. This research results expanded knowledge of CF in adolescents within a Gestalt field perspective. Themes identified outline risk and protective factors related to faith, daily routines and especially the effect of medical procedures on time management, emotions, health and body–related aspects, frequent hospitalisation, social support and future concerns. If the risk and protective variables in the field of adolescents with CF is better understood from their own perspective, it is assumed that trans–disciplinary interventions with a multi–dimensional focus will be targeted more accurately in intervention strategies for this vulnerable group. / Thesis (M.A. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

Cette recherche a pour but d’étudier les effets de l’insécurité de l’emploi sur la santé des employés. L’insécurité de l’emploi a été étudiée comme une ressource qui est en constante menace. Parfois, ces menaces sont des interprétations personnelles que peuvent ne jamais aboutir à un licenciement, néanmoins engendrent de forts niveaux de stress chez les employés. Le deuxième objective concerne à étudier comment remédier cette situation. Nous sommes intéressés par le rôle du sentiment d’efficacité personnelle. Ce trait de personnalité peut être utilisé comme une ressource positive à mettre en place afin d’éliminer, sinon d’atténuer les conséquences négatives de l’insécurité de l’emploi sur la santé. Afin de déterminer ces associations, nous avons mis en relation un modèle qui consiste à identifier la façon selon laquelle les individus perçoivent une menace dans leur environnement (l’exposition différentielle) et la façon dont ils produisent les réponses afin d’atténuer les effets du stresseur (la réactivité différentielle). Nous avons utilisé une base de données secondaire recueillie à l’aide d’un sondage électronique dont 310 employés brésiliens, âgés en moyenne de 39 ans et avec plus de 10 ans d’expérience, ont participé volontairement et anonymement. Les résultats ont révélé que l’insécurité de l’emploi est effectivement un stresseur qui produit plusieurs problèmes de santé. Cependant, les employés qui présentent un niveau de sentiment d’efficacité personnelle élevé réagissent à l’insécurité de l’emploi différemment des participants dont le SEP est faible. Ainsi, les travailleurs avec un haut niveau d’efficacité personnelle sont moins affectés par l’insécurité de l’emploi. Tandis que pour les employés qui présentent un faible niveau de sentiment d’efficacité personnelle les résultats indiquent que plus l’insécurité de l’emploi accroît, plus les problèmes de santé se révèlent. / The first objective of this research is to study the effects of job insecurity on employee health. Job insecurity has been studied as a resource that is under constant threat. Sometimes these threats are personal interpretations that may not result in dismissal, but still cause high levels of stress among employees. The second objective concerns studying how to repair this situation. We are interested in the role of the self-efficacy. This trait of personality can be used as a positive resource to put in place to eliminate, if not mitigate, the consequences of job insecurity in the health. In order to determine these associations, we have linked a model that consists in identifying the way in which individuals perceive a threat in their environment (differential exposure) and the way that they produce the responses in order to deal with the stressor (differential reactivity). We used a secondary database collected using an electronic survey in which 310 Brazilian employees, average age 39 years and over 10 years of professional experience, participated voluntarily and anonymously. The results showed that job insecurity is indeed a stressor that produces several health problems. However, employees with a high level of personal self-efficacy respond to job insecurity differently from employees with low personal self-efficacy. Therefore, workers with a high level of personal self-efficacy are less affected by job insecurity. While the employees with a low level of personal self-efficacy, the results indicate that the more job insecurity increases, the worse the overall health conditions the employees have

Si la santé psychologique au travail retient de plus en plus l’attention de la communauté scientifique et des milieux de pratique, certains aspects du phénomène restent néanmoins à explorer. Notamment, les études se sont peu attardées au fonctionnement de l’individu dans l’organisation, focalisant plutôt sur les expériences subjectives associées au bien-être et à la détresse psychologiques. En outre, l’état des connaissances sur les mécanismes sous-jacents à la santé psychologique au travail demeure embryonnaire. Faute d’écrits sur la question, la compréhension du construit s’avère partielle. Devant ce constat, la présente thèse vise à modéliser la santé psychologique au travail en y intégrant des indicateurs du fonctionnement de l’employé. Dans cette optique, cinq études, regroupées en deux articles, ont été menées auprès de quatre échantillons indépendants (Article 1 : NA = 296, NB = 350, NC = 139; Article 2 : NB = 330, NC = 128; ND = 389). Le premier article a pour objet de développer une conceptualisation et une mesure du fonctionnement de l’individu dans l’organisation. Prenant appui sur les travaux en socialisation organisationnelle et sur la théorie de la conservation des ressources (Hobfoll, 1989, 2001), l’ajustement cognitif au travail est proposé à titre d’indicateur additionnel de la santé psychologique au travail. Des analyses factorielles exploratoires et confirmatoires, de même que des analyses de cohérence interne, d’invariance temporelle et de régression, confirment les qualités psychométriques de l’instrumentation et étayent la validité de l’ajustement cognitif au travail comme indicateur de la santé psychologique au travail. Le second article s’appuie sur la conceptualisation du fonctionnement de l’employé présentée dans le premier article pour tester une modélisation de la santé psychologique au travail. Se fondant sur la théorie de la conservation des ressources (Hobfoll, 1989, 2001), la santé psychologique au travail est modélisée comme un processus incluant quatre indicateurs, soit le bien-être psychologique, la détresse psychologique, l’ajustement cognitif et les réponses comportementales de stress au travail. Deux mécanismes distincts sont mis de l’avant pour expliquer les relations unissant les indicateurs positifs de santé psychologique au travail (c.-à-d., le bien-être psychologique et l’ajustement cognitif) et celles caractérisant les indicateurs négatifs (c.-à-d., la détresse psychologique et les réponses comportementales de stress). Des analyses acheminatoires et d’invariance transculturelle révèlent la présence des deux mécanismes et montrent que, au-delà de l’influence des demandes en emploi, le bien-être psychologique exerce un effet médiateur sur la relation positive entre des ressources personnelles (c.-à-d., optimisme et résilience) et organisationnelle (c.-à-d., climat de travail) et l’ajustement cognitif au travail. Les résultats mettent également en exergue le rôle médiateur de la détresse psychologique sur la relation négative entre les mêmes ressources et les réponses comportementales de stress au travail. Une discussion générale précise la portée des résultats présentés dans le cadre des deux articles. / While psychological health at work is gaining attention from academics and practitioners, certain aspects of the phenomenon need deeper exploration. Notably, scant research has examined individual functioning in the workplace; the majority of studies focused on subjective experiences related to psychological well-being and distress instead. Moreover, little is known about the mechanisms underlying psychological health at work. These shortcomings result in a partial understanding of the construct. In light of these observations, the present thesis aims to develop a model of psychological health at work, integrating indicators of employee functioning. To achieve this goal, five studies divided into two articles were conducted using four independent samples (Article 1: NA = 296, NB = 350, NC = 139; Article 2: NB = 330, NC = 128; ND = 389). The first article proposes a conceptualization and a measurement of individual functioning at work. Building on organizational socialization literature and on conservation of resources theory (Hobfoll, 1989, 2001), we conceptualize cognitive adjustment as a psychological health indicator. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, as well as reliability, temporal invariance and regression analyses, confirm the psychometric qualities of the instrument and support the validity of cognitive adjustment at work as, indeed, an indicator of psychological health. Drawing from the conceptualization of employee functioning reported in the first article, the second article tests a model of psychological health at work. Based on conservation of resources theory (Hobfoll, 1989, 2001), psychological health at work is conceptualized as a process, which includes four indicators, namely psychological well-being, psychological distress, cognitive adjustment, and behavioural stress responses at work. Two distinct mechanisms are put forward explaining the relations between positive indicators (i.e., psychological well-being and cognitive adjustment), and the relations between negative indicators (i.e., psychological distress and behavioural stress responses). Path and cross-cultural invariance analyses acknowledge both mechanisms, and demonstrate that, beyond the impact of job demands, psychological well-being exercises a mediating effect on the positive relations between personal (i.e., optimism and resilience) and organizational (i.e., work climate) resources, and cognitive adjustment at work. Results also highlight that psychological distress mediates the negative relations between the same resources and behavioural stress responses at work. A general discussion covers in deeper details the implications of the findings emanating from both articles.

In South Africa there are great polarities in terms of needs in resource–poor communities versus communities with available resources. This is evident during visits to Sir Lowry's Pass Village and when available statistics on trends in the community are taken into account. A potentially valuable resource in resource–poor communities is outreach programmes by a faith–based organisation (FBO) such as Jabulani Africa Ministries (JAM). JAM is a Christian FBO with a strong community focus. This study focuses on the resource–poor community of Sir Lowry's Pass Village, situated in the Helderberg Basin in the Western Cape. Sir Lowry's Pass Village is just one of a few resource–poor communities to whom JAM reaches out on a weekly basis since through their outreach programme aimed at middle–childhood children. The aim of this study was to explore and describe the content of this outreach programme of JAM in Sir Lowry's Pass Village aimed at middle–childhood children in order to provide guidelines to more specifically target the needs of the particular group of children. Data were collected from various sources according to principles of participatory action research. Data were organised through thematic data analysis to identify themes. Two core themes emerged; one theme is a mutual lack of understanding of the broader field by JAM members and the target of their interventions, middle–childhood children. The other theme centred on the moral value system of the particular group of children. The central theoretical argument of this study is that outreach programmes by faith–based organisations (such as JAM) in resource–poor communities should be directed as effectively as possible to meet the needs of middle–childhood children. / http://hdl.handle.net//10394/7006 / Thesis (M.A. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

In South Africa there are great polarities in terms of needs in resource–poor communities versus communities with available resources. This is evident during visits to Sir Lowry's Pass Village and when available statistics on trends in the community are taken into account. A potentially valuable resource in resource–poor communities is outreach programmes by a faith–based organisation (FBO) such as Jabulani Africa Ministries (JAM). JAM is a Christian FBO with a strong community focus. This study focuses on the resource–poor community of Sir Lowry's Pass Village, situated in the Helderberg Basin in the Western Cape. Sir Lowry's Pass Village is just one of a few resource–poor communities to whom JAM reaches out on a weekly basis since through their outreach programme aimed at middle–childhood children. The aim of this study was to explore and describe the content of this outreach programme of JAM in Sir Lowry's Pass Village aimed at middle–childhood children in order to provide guidelines to more specifically target the needs of the particular group of children. Data were collected from various sources according to principles of participatory action research. Data were organised through thematic data analysis to identify themes. Two core themes emerged; one theme is a mutual lack of understanding of the broader field by JAM members and the target of their interventions, middle–childhood children. The other theme centred on the moral value system of the particular group of children. The central theoretical argument of this study is that outreach programmes by faith–based organisations (such as JAM) in resource–poor communities should be directed as effectively as possible to meet the needs of middle–childhood children. / http://hdl.handle.net//10394/7006 / Thesis (M.A. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

在現今多工、多角色而多刺激的工作環境中，人與人因為頻繁的接觸，使得部屬的情緒問題及其影響愈來愈受到組織所重視，其中，主管情緒協助扮演的角色舉足輕重，如何透過主管的行為影響部屬，進而影響整個組織，對管理意涵而言尤其重要。立基於過去情緒協助研究的認知概念，並以資源保存理論的觀點為基礎，本研究探討主管情緒協助的行為層面的內涵與分類，是如何保存與增加部屬的個人資源，而透過資源的變動，對部屬的主觀幸福感與工作疲勞狀況所產生的影響，另外，根據廣義的社會衝擊理論，試圖理解部屬權力距離傾向可能扮演的調節角色。本研究將採問卷調查法施測，第一階段共回收226份問卷，第二階段發放給226位第一階段的填答者，共回收線上問卷152份，因此，共回收有效線上問卷152份，有效回收率約為67%，研究結果顯示，在高部屬權力距離傾向調節的情況下，主管情緒協助會降低個人資源，使其主觀幸福感降低、工作疲勞上升，而在低部屬權力距離傾向調節的情況下，主管情緒協助會提升個人資源，使其主觀幸福感上升、工作疲勞降低。最後，本研究針對研究結果進行討論，並對理論貢獻、實務意涵、研究限制，以及未來研究方向加以闡述。 / The working environments nowadays are multi-work, multi-role and multi-stimulation. The emotion issue of employees is held in high regard today for organizations since people get in touch with each other more frequently. Among them, supervisors’ emotion helping plays an important role in this situation. Moreover, how supervisors’ behaviors affect subordinates, followed by the impact on organization is crucial when it comes to leadership. Based on pervious cognitive knowledge of emotion helping related studies and conservation of resources theory, the main focus of this research is to examine whether supervisors’ emotion helping behaviors are associated with personal resources and the distinctive mediating mechanisms that may explain subordinates’ subjective well being and work fatigue, as well as the classification of emotion helping behaviors. Furthermore, understanding the moderating role of power distance orientation according to broad social impact theory. This study is conducted by questionnaire survey and received 152 replies from subordinates. The results indicated that personal resources mediated the relationship between emotion helping – subjective well-being and emotion helping – work fatigue while subordinate power distance orientation play a moderated role between emotion helping and personal resources. This study contributing to the implications for organizational researches and managerial practices. Furthermore, limitation and future direction were being discussed at the end of this paper.

In this research, a cross-sectional quantitative survey was conducted on a convenience sample of working adults (N = 550) from different race, gender, age, qualification, job level and tenure groups in various South African organisations, with the intention of developing a psychosocial model of career wellbeing for the working adult in the South African context. To identify the elements and nature of the model, the relationship dynamics between the constructs of occupational passion, psychological career resources, psychosocial career preoccupations and the outcome of career satisfaction were examined. The mediating effect of psychological career resources and psychosocial career preoccupations on the relationship dynamics between occupational passion and career satisfaction was determined. The moderating effect of certain sociodemographic variables (race, gender, age, qualification, job level, and tenure) on the relationship dynamics between the research constructs was measured. In addition, an evaluation of the differences manifested by individuals from various sociodemographic backgrounds (race, gender, age, qualification, job level, and tenure) regarding the research constructs added to an understanding of the manifested model. Correlation and inferential statistical analyses (multi-level mediation modelling, regression analysis and tests for significant mean differences) indicated that career management practices should consider harmonious passion to be an important intrinsic motivational antecedent in explaining the variance in individuals’ career satisfaction as it can facilitate the development of important psychosocial resources. These resources include flexible career preferences, well-crafted career plans and actions to achieve career goals, career harmonisers (i.e. self-esteem, behavioural adaptability and emotional literacy) and a strong need to be upskilled and employable (career adaptation needs). These elements manifested as the core elements of the psychosocial career wellbeing profile. Job level and race were further indicated as important sociodemographic variables in explaining levels of career satisfaction. Differences between race, gender, age, qualification, job level and tenure groups, for the constructs of occupational passion, psychological career resources, psychosocial career preoccupations and career satisfaction, also need to be considered in the career wellbeing profile. Theoretically, the results advanced career theory by empirically validating the core elements of the career wellbeing profile. These may be applied to inform career management practices and consequently enhance the career wellbeing of working adults. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / Ph. D. (Psychology (Industrial and Organisational Psychology))

Abstracts in English, Afrikaans and Zulu / This research investigated work as a calling, the relationship with work engagement and the effect on burnout in the Namibian health care sector. A quantitative survey was conducted on a convenient sample of nurses (N = 261) employed by government and private hospitals in Namibia. Kendall's tau_b correlation analysis indicated a positive correlation between job/calling orientation and total work engagement, and a negative correlation with the burnout sub-dimensions of exhaustion and cynicism/ depersonalisation. The results of this study also suggest that both job/calling and work engagement are statistically related to the respondents’ positive world view, which is an important attribute for quality of life. Additionally, the study revealed that burnout had a partial mediation effect on the interaction between job/calling and work engagement. Selected demographic characteristics had a partial moderation effect on the relationship between job/calling orientation, work engagement and burnout. These findings may provide new knowledge for the design of workplace practices that assess calling orientation, and may enhance work engagement. The study provided a deepened understanding of the interrelationships between work as a calling, work engagement and burnout. On a practical level, the recommendations provided can be used by human resource management practitioners, nurse managers and health care providers to motivate health care workers to become more productive in the provision of quality health care, and to improve the management of employees throughout their employment life cycle. / In hierdie studie is werk as ʼn roeping en die verband tussen werkverbintenis en die uitwerking van ooreising in die Namibiese gesondheidsorgsektor ondersoek. ʼn Kwantitatiewe opname is onder ʼn geriefsteekproef van verpleegsters (N = 261) by private en staatshospitale in Namibië gedoen. Volgens Kandall se tau_b-korrelasieanalise is daar ʼn positiewe korrelasie tussen pos/roepingsgerigtheid en totale werkverbintenis, en ʼn negatiewe korrelasie met die ooreisingsubdimensies van uitputting en sinisme/ontpersoonliking. Die uitslag van hierdie studie dui daarop dat sowel pos/roeping as werkverbintenis statisties met die respondente se positiewe wêreldbeskouing, ʼn belangrike kenmerk vir lewenskwaliteit, verband hou. Afgesien hiervan dui die uitslag daarop dat ooreising ʼn gedeeltelike mediasie-effek op die wisselwerking tussen pos/roeping en werkverbintenis het. Die gekose demografiese kenmerke het ʼn gedeeltelik matigende effek op die verband tussen pos/roepingsgerigtheid, werkverbintenis en ooreising. Hierdie bevindings is nuwe kennis vir die ontwerp van werkplekpraktyke wat roepingsgerigtheid evalueer en dit kan werkverbintenis verbeter. Hierdie studie bied groter insig in die onderlinge verbande tussen werk as ʼn roeping, werkverbintenis en ooreising. Op ʼn praktiese vlak kan mensehulpbronbestuurders, verpleegsterbestuurders en gesondheidsorgverskaffers die aanbevelings gebruik om gesondheidsorgwerkers te motiveer sodat hulle produktiewer in die lewering van goeie gesondheidsorgdienste raak. Dit kan eweneens gebruik word om gesondheidsorgwerkers hulle hele werkslewensiklus deur beter te bestuur. / Lolu cwaningo beluphenya umsebenzi njengobizo lomsebenzi, ubudlelwano bokuzibandakanya emsebenzini kanye nomthelela wokukhathala kakhulu kwabasebenzi emkhakheni wezempilo eNamibia. Isaveyi eyencike kumanani iye yenziwa ngokuthi kuthathwe isampuli efanele yabahlengikazi (N = 261) abaqashwe yizibhedlela zikahulumeni kanye nezibhedlela zangasese eNamibia. Uhlaziyo lukaKendall lwe-tau_b luveze ubudlelwano obuhle obuphakathi kobizo/kokufundiswa umsebenzi kanye nokuzibandakanya ngokugcwele emsebenzini, kanye nobudlelwano obubi bokukhathala kwezigatshana ezincane zokudangala kanye nokwenza into ngesizathu sokuzinceda wena wedwa/ukuqeda ukuzibheka wena wedwa. Imiphumela yalolu cwaningo nayo iphakamisa ukuthi kokubili umsebenzi/nobizo lomsebenzi kanye nokuzibandakanya emsebenzini ngokwamanani kuhlobene nombono omuhle wabaphenduli bemibuzo mayelana nomhlaba, okungumthelela obalulekile kwizinga elihle lempilo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ucwaningo luveze ukuthi ukukhathala kakhulu ngakolunye uhlangothi kunomphumela omuhle wokuxazulula kahle lapho kuhlangana khona umsebenzi/ubizo lomsebenzi kanye nokuzibandakanya emsebenzini. Izimpawu ezikhethiwe zedemografi ngakwenye ingxenye zinomthelela wozinzisa kahle ubudlelwano obuphakathi kohlelo lokungeniswa emsebenzi/obizweni lomsebenzi, kokuzibandakanya emsebenzini kanye nokukhathala kakhulu emsebenzini. Lolu lwazi olutholakele lungaletha ulwazi olusha olumayelana nedizayini yezingqubo zendawo yomsebenzi, okuyizingqubo ezihlola ukufundiswa ngobizo lomsebenzi kanti lokhu kungaqinisa ukuzibandakanya emsebenzini. Empilweni yangempela, izincomo zingasetshenziswa abasebenzi bomnyango wezokuqhashwa kwabasebenzi, abaphathi babahlengikazi kanye nabahlinzeki bezempilo ngesizathu sokukhuthaza abasebenzi bezempilo ukuba babe abasebenzi abaqotho mayelana nokunikezwa kwezinsiza zempilo zezinga eliphezulu, kanyenokuthuthukisa nohlelo lokuphathwa kwabasebenzi empilweni yabo yonke yokusebenza. / Business Management / D. Com. (Business Management)