The researcher investigated ways of alleviating stress and burnout among secondary school teachers. In this regard, factors causing teacher stress and burnout, the effect of stress and burnout on the quality of teaching and learning, support structures offered by secondary schools, and coping strategies to deal with stress and burnout were relevant. A total of 20 participants consisting of 12 teachers and 8 school management team members were interviewed using individual and focus group interviews, and participant observation. Findings revealed that teachers are experiencing a range of stressors of a consistent and prolonged nature leading to burnout. The allocation of unfamiliar subjects as a stressor appeared to be a new finding not noted in any of the previous literature. Stress and burnout constitute a threat to teacher retention and effective teaching and learning. Support structures offered to teachers are inadequate, resulting in teachers using ineffective stress coping strategies. / Die navorser het maniere ondersoek om spanning en uitbranding by hoërskoolonderwysers te verlig. In hierdie verband was faktore wat spanning en uitbranding tot gevolg het, die effek van spanning en uitbranding op die kwaliteit van onderrig en leer, ondersteuningstrukture wat deur skole aangebied word, en strategieë om spanning en uitbranding te hanteer van toepassing. Onderhoude, individueel en fokusgroep, is met 20 deelnemers, 12 onderwysers en 8 lede van die skoolbeheerraad gevoer. Data is ook met deelnemerwaarneming ingesamel. Navorsingsbevindinge toon aan dat onderwysers volgehoue spanning ervaar wat tot uitbranding lei. Die toewysing van vakke waarmee onderwysers nie vertroud is nie is as ‘n bevinding geïdentifiseer wat nie algemeen in die literatuur opgeteken is nie. Spanning en uitbranding affekteer onderwyserbehoud vir die beroep en goeie kwaliteit onderrig en leer negatief. Ondersteuningstrukture vir onderwysers is onvoldoende met die gevolg dat onderwysers geneig is tot die oneffektiewe hantering van spanning. / Umcwaningi ucwaninge izindlela zokuciphisa ukucindezeleka nokushisa phakathi kwabafundisi besikole esiphakeme. Kulokhu, izici ezidala ukucindezeleka nokushisa kothisa, umphumela wokucindezeleka nokushiswa kumhangatho wokufundisa nokufunda, izakhiwo zokusekela ezininkezwa izikole zamabanga aphezulu, Kanye namaqhinga okubhekana nomphumela wokucindezeleka nokushisa kwakufanele. Ingqikithi yabangu-20 yabahlanganyeli abangothisa abangu-12 kanye namalunga eqembu lesiphathimandla sabaphathi abangu-8 besikole babuzwe imibuzo ngokusebenzisa izingxoxo zanye ngabanye kange neqembu lokugxila, Kanye nokubonwa kwabahlangayeli, Kutholakale ukuthi othisha babona ububanzi bokucindezeleka kwendalo eqhubekayo okungaholela ekusheni. Ukwabiwa kwezihloko ezingajwayelekile njengoba ukucindezeleka kubonakala sengathi kuyinto entsha engatholakali ezincwadini zangaphambilini. Ukucindezeleka nokushisa kwakha umsongelo ekugcinweni kothisa Kanye nokufundisa nokufinda okuphumelelayo. Izakhiwo zokuseleka ezinekezwa othisha azanele, ziholela kothisa besenbenzisa amaqhinga okubhekana nokucindezeleka angasebenzi. / Educational Management and Leadership / M. Ed. (Education Management)

Tant auprès des chercheurs que des praticiens, la socialisation organisationnelle semble représenter un sujet d’intérêt à l’heure actuelle (Fang, Duffy, & Shaw, 2011). Dans cette lignée, la présente thèse cherche à approfondir notre compréhension de la socialisation organisationnelle, afin d’en dresser un portrait plus complet et étayé, mais aussi d’y arrimer des pratiques porteuses pour les organisations et leurs employés. Plus précisément, les aspects relationnels inhérents au vécu des nouveaux employés, largement ignorés à ce jour dans la documentation (Ashforth, Sluss, & Harrison, 2007), sont examinés à partir de données recueillies à trois temps de mesure distincts auprès d’un échantillon de 224 nouveaux employés. Avec comme point de départ la théorie de l’échange social (Blau, 1964) et le concept de confiance affective (McAllister, 1995), le premier des deux articles qui composent la thèse démontre que, par rapport aux approches dites classiques (i.e., exprimant une vision cognitive de la socialisation organisationnelle), une approche relationnelle de la socialisation organisationnelle permet de mieux rendre compte du lien psychologique qui s’établit entre les nouveaux employés et l’organisation, alors que les approches cognitives classiques sont davantage explicatives de la performance des employés. Les deux approches semblent donc complémentaires pour expliquer l’adaptation des nouveaux employés. Le second article s’appuie sur la démonstration effectuée dans le premier article et cherche à approfondir davantage les aspects relationnels inhérents au vécu des nouveaux employés, de même que leur influence sur l’adaptation de ces derniers. À cette fin, la théorie de la conservation des ressources (Hobfoll, 1989) est considérée et l’engagement affectif (Meyer & Herscovitch, 2001) est mis de l’avant comme concept focal. Les résultats suggèrent que l’engagement affectif envers le supérieur compense pour un déclin de l’engagement affectif envers l’organisation, tel qu’il résulte d’un bris de la relation avec l’organisation. Les relations semblent donc, dans certaines circonstances, avoir une portée qui dépasse leurs protagonistes directs. La présente thèse démontre donc que les aspects relationnels inhérents au vécu des nouveaux employés ont une influence distincte, prépondérante et complexe sur leur adaptation en emploi. Ce faisant, elle s’insère dans un courant de recherche visant à remettre à l’avant-plan et mieux comprendre la sphère relationnelle dans les organisations (Ragins & Dutton, 2007). Les implications théoriques et pratiques qui en découlent seront discutées. / Both among researchers and practitioners, organizational socialization seems to be a topic of interest nowadays (Fang, Duffy, & Shaw, 2011). Along this line, the present thesis seeks to deepen our understanding of organizational socialization in order to provide a more complete and documented picture of it, but also to develop useful practices for organizations and their employees. Specifically, the relational aspects inherent to the experience of newcomers, largely ignored so far in the literature (Ashforth, Sluss, & Harrison, 2007), are examined using data collected at three points in time among a sample of 224 newcomers. Using social exchange theory (Blau, 1964) as a background and the concept of affective trust (McAllister, 1995), the first of the two articles that comprise the thesis shows that, compared with conventional approaches (i.e., expressing a cognitive view of organizational socialization), a relational approach to organizational socialization can better reflect the psychological bond that is established between newcomers and organizations, while conventional approaches are more explanatory of employee performance. The two approaches thus seem complementary to explain newcomer adjustment. The second article draws from the evidence reported in the first article and seeks to further deepen the relational aspects inherent to the experience of newcomers, as well as their influence on adjustment. To this end, conservation of resources theory (Hobfoll, 1989) is considered and affective commitment (Meyer & Herscovitch, 2001) is put forward as the focal concept. Results suggest that affective commitment to the supervisor compensates for a decline in affective commitment to the organization as resulting from a breach to individuals’ relationship with the organization. Relationships thus seem, under certain circumstances, to have an impact that goes beyond their direct protagonists. This thesis therefore demonstrates that the relational aspects inherent to the experience of newcomers have a distinct, prevailing and complex influence on their adjustment. In doing so, it is part of a research stream that tries to put forward and better understand the relational dynamics within organizations (Ragins & Dutton, 2007). Theoretical and practical implications will be discussed.

Ce mémoire élaboré dans le cadre d'une étude plus vaste sur la santé mentale au travail étudie l'effet de la culture organisationnelle ainsi que certains facteurs du travail comme la supervision abusive, la latitude décisionnelle, l'utilisation des compétences, l'autorité décisionnelle, les demandes psychologiques, le soutien social ainsi que l'horaire de travail sur l'épuisement professionnel et ses trois dimensions. Ces facteurs, à l'exception de la culture organisationnelle ont fait l'objet d'études approfondies dans le passé. Ce mémoire se base sur un modèle connu et régulièrement utilisé mesurant l'effet de ces facteurs du travail sur la santé mentale. Ce modèle est communément appelé le modèle demandes-contrôle de Karasek. L'échantillon à l'étude est constitué de 384 policiers et travailleurs cols blancs travaillant pour le service de police de la Ville de Montréal. La récolte des données à été effectuée en 2008 et 2009. Ce mémoire confirme en partie les résultats fréquemment observés dans les études sur le sujet. La supervision abusive, les demandes psychologiques et certains types de culture augmentent le niveau d'épuisement professionnel. D'autres variables comme la latitude décisionnelle et certains autres types de culture organisationnelle réduisent le niveau d'épuisement professionnel. / This thesis is part of a vast study on mental health at work started by the Équipe de Recherche sur le Travail et la Santé Mentale. It more specifically focus on the effect of organizational culture and some work concepts like abusive supervision, decisional latitude, skills utilisation, psychological demands, social support and work schedules on the incidence of burnout including its three specific dimensions. Previous studies were conducted on these factors with the exception of organizational culture. This thesis is based on a previous studies which have developed models to explain the incidence of burnout : the demand-control model proposed by Karasek et al. This study uses data collected in 2008 and 2009 from 384 policemen and white collar workers from the Montreal Police Service. This thesis confirms some frequently observed results like the positive influence of abusive supervision and jobs demands on the incidence of burnout. There is also some variables such as decisional latitude and certain types of organizational cultures which are negatively related to the incidence of burnout.

L’objectif principal du présent mémoire réside dans l’exploration des liens concomitants existant entre les trois dimensions de l’épuisement professionnel telles que définies par Maslach (1981) et la consommation de substances psychoactives, plus précisément au niveau de la consommation épisodique excessive et hebdomadaire à risque d’alcool et de la consommation de médicaments psychotropes. À partir d’un échantillon composé de 1809 travailleurs provenant de 83 milieux de travail québécois, des profils-types correspondant à des formes particulières de comorbidité de santé mentale au travail sont identifiés grâce à la méthode d’analyse en classes latentes. Ainsi quatre profils-types sont dégagés: un premier regroupant les individus dits «sains», dont les scores aux différentes dimensions de l’épuisement professionnel sont faibles et dont la consommation de substances psychoactives est modérée; deux autres correspondant à des formes intermédiaires de risques; et un quatrième rassemblant des travailleurs dits «fragiles» dont les scores pour chacune des dimensions de l’épuisement professionnel se situent dans le quintile le plus élevé et dont les probabilités de consommation de substances psychoactives sont grandes. De plus, cette recherche s’est penchée sur l’identification de facteurs de risque et de protection associés à chacun des profils-types. À cet effet, les résultats des analyses corroborent la plupart des associations retrouvées au sein de la littérature quant aux facteurs du travail (composantes des modèles du stress professionnel de Karasek et Theorell (1990) ainsi que de Siegrist (1990)), hors travail (statut matrimonial, obligations parentales, revenu du ménage) et certaines caractéristiques individuelles (âge et genre). De faibles récompenses et un fort degré de surinvestissement de la part de l’individu se révèlent être des facteurs de risque particulièrement significatifs pour les formes intermédiaires et à risque de comorbidité de la santé mentale au travail. Dans une moindre mesure, une faible utilisation des compétences, des demandes psychologiques élevées, un soutien social inadéquat et le jeune âge expliquent une part de la variation observée entre les différents profils-types. Enfin, les résultats soutiennent une conceptualisation tridimensionnelle de l’épuisement professionnel. / The main objective of this master is to explore the concurrent associations between two phenomena related to stress, burnout and the use of psychoactive substance. Particularly, this research focuses on the three dimensions of burnout as defined by Maslach (1981), on two hazardous alcohol patterns consumption, binge drinking and weekly alcohol abuse, and on psychotropic drugs utilization. From a sample of 1809 workers issued from 83 workplaces in Quebec, typical profiles corresponding to different forms of comorbidity are identified with the use of latent class analysis. Four typical profiles were identified. The first one referred to “healthy” individuals who presented the lowest scores for the three dimensions of burnout without misuse of any psychoactive substances. Two more groups corresponded to intermediate health risk forms of comorbidity patterns. The fourth one was composed of “fragile” workers, with the highest burnout scores and the highest probabilities for misusing alcohol and psychotropic drugs. In addition, this research identified some risk and protective factors associated with each profiles. Multivariate analyses results corroborated most associations found in the occupational stress literature on organizational work conditions (model components of occupational stress developed by Karasek and Theorell (1990) and Siegrist (1996)), non-work determinants (marital status, parental status and household income), and on individual characteristics (age and gender). Low rewards and high overcommitment appeared as particularly significant risk factors for the intermediate and severe forms of comorbidity. Low skills utilization, low social support at work, high psychological demands and a young age explained to a lesser extent part of the variation observed between the comorbidity profiles. Results supported a three-dimensional conceptualization of burnout.

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The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between burnout and work engagement among employees in the pharmaceutical distribution industry. The research conducted on these concepts was geared towards adding to the knowledge base in the field of industrial and organisational psychology, to enable the current organisation from which the sample was chosen and other organisations in South Africa to focus on the effect that burnout has on employees, which directly affects the company. A quantitative survey using primary data was conducted on a convenience sample (N = 204) of full-time employees in a South African pharmaceutical distribution company. The Maslach Burnout Inventory – General Survey model (MBI-GS) and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) model were used to gather data. The work engagement-burnout continuum has received a great deal of research attention (Maslach, Schaufeli, & Leiter, 2001; Schaufeli & Bakker, 2003; Schutte, Toppinen, Kalimo, & Schaufeli, 2000) that has produced contradicting results. One viewpoint regards the core constructs of work engagement and burnout as opposite poles of two continua (vigour-exhaustion and dedication-cynicism), labelled energy and identification, respectively (González-Romá, Schaufeli, Bakker, & Lloret, 2006). Work engagement is ”characterized by a high level of energy and strong identification with one’s work”, while burnout is ”characterized by the opposite: A low level of energy combined with poor identification with one’s work” (Schaufeli & Bakker, 2003, p. 5; Bakker, Schaufeli, Leiter, & Taris, 2008). Hence work engagement and burnout can be recognised as inseparable and co-dependent constructs that share more or less 10 to 25% of their variance and are moderately negatively related (Schaufeli & Bakker, 2004; Schaufeli, Salanova, González-Romá, & Bakker, 2002). The second viewpoint regards work engagement and burnout as being strongly related, but fundamentally different in their separation in the work experience. They are therefore not opposite poles of a continuum (Denton, Newton, & Bower, 2008; Huhtala & Parzefall, 2007; Rothmann & Joubert, 2007; Schaufeli & Bakker, 2004; Schaufeli et al., 2002). Work engagement is defined as a ”positive, fulfilling, work-related state of mind that is characterised by vigour, dedication, and absorption” (Schaufeli & Bakker, 2004, p. 295). Burnout, however, is defined by Maslach and Jackson (1981, p. 99) as a ”syndrome of emotional exhaustion and cynicism that occurs frequently amongst individuals who do ‘people-work’ of some kind”. The statistical results of this study confirmed the hypothesis. It was found that there is a significant relationship between burnout and work engagement. Burnout is indeed negatively related to work engagement in the contact centre. However, a definitive relationship between burnout and work engagement in the distribution centre was not established. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Comm. (Industrial Psychology)

The key objective of this study was to determine the relationship between burnout (measured by the Maslach Burnout Inventory – Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS)), work engagement (measured by the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale), and sense of coherence (measured by the Orientation of Life Questionnaire developed by Antonovsky (1987)). A quantitative study using a cross-sectional survey research design was conducted on a randomly selected sample (N = 178) of nurses at a central hospital in Kwa-Zulu Natal. A theoretical relationship was established between the variables. The empirical relationship revealed statistically significant negative relationship between burnout and work engagement. A statistically significant negative relationship was also established between burnout and SOC. The findings add valuable knowledge to industrial and organisational psychology and can be applied to promote employee and organisational wellness. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

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The aim of the research study, Combatting the Downward Spiral: Burnout, Support Networks and Coping Strategies of TESOL Teachers at Private Language Schools in Johannesburg, South Africa was firstly to determine whether TESOL teachers working in private language schools in Johannesburg, South Africa suffered from burnout. Secondly, the aim was to discover which factors caused stress for TESOL teachers inside and outside the classroom, what support structures were available for burned out TESOL teachers and the type of coping strategies TESOL teachers used to manage burnout. Using a mixed method design which consisted of the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Educators Survey and semi-structured interviews, the findings revealed that 46% of the TESOL teachers who participated in the research study were suffering from high levels of burnout. Interviews revealed three main areas that caused stress for TESOL teachers: the job of teaching, relationships at work and organisational and TESOL-related issues. These areas were divided further into various sub-themes. Furthermore, support structures for burned out TESOL teachers were generally inadequate and although TESOL teachers attempted to manage burnout by using a variety of coping strategies, these did not seem to be effective in the long-term. / English Studies / D. Lit. et Phil. (English)