Magister Commercii (Industrial Psychology) - MCom(IPS) / The current crime rate in the Western Cape plays a crucial role in the exposure of police officers to stressful and traumatic events. The intensity and frequency of this exposure, if not treated, could lead to police officers experiencing comorbid disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This leads to an increased need for trauma intervention strategies to be offered, to assist police officers who are exposed to trauma in the South African Police Service (SAPS). Although trauma intervention programmes are established within SAPS, a difference in perception about their effectiveness and service offering are presented. The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences in perception toward stress and trauma intervention strategies within the SAPS in the Western Cape. In order to achieve the purpose of the study, the researcher, tapped into the lived experiences of current police officers and Employee Health and Wellness (EHW) staff, employed by SAPS through semi-structured interviews. Through a comparative design, the study will add value to the current body of knowledge, as differences and similarities between two of the primary role players in the trauma debriefing process within the SAPS are explored. The research sample, recruited by means of convenience sampling, consisted of seven EHW staff members who had experience with dealing with stress and trauma-related programmes, and eight visible policing police officers who had experienced some form of trauma-related incident. The researcher made use of an in-depth interview guide as the research instrument for this study, which consisted of audio-recorded semi-structured interviews with the participants. The audio recordings were transcribed, and then analysed by means of thematic analysis. The findings showed that a difference in perception exists between police officers and EHW staff members toward the effectiveness of trauma intervention strategies offered in the SAPS. The findings also suggest that the majority of police officers do not make use of the trauma intervention programmes in the SAPS, in comparison to EHW staff reporting on good attendance by police officers at the service offerings. Similarities in perception between the two groups presented itself in the form of how trauma is defined, the different responses to trauma and coping mechanisms employed by police officers. The implications of this study include a contribution toward policy and structural amendments of the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) framework within the SAPS, as well as a motivation for implementing a compulsory trauma counselling programme for police officers.

Work-related injuries and illnesses may lead to absenteeism, which affects the level of productivity. The purpose of this study was to determine the success of an employee workplace training program on work-related injury and illness rates at selected federal districts within a federal organization. Newman's model, which describes internal and external factors that may have an effect on an individual's health, was the framework that guided this project. A pre-post design was used to compare data from 2 publically available data sets, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Illness and Injury and the Voice of the Employee Survey, for the years 2013 and 2014, before and after a wellness training program. According to a descriptive analysis of 91 illness and injury events that occurred during the 2-year period, the greatest number of employees who reported illnesses were mail handlers and mail processing clerks. Slips/trips and falls, strikes by machine/equipment or other objects, and repetitive motion were the top 3 types of injuries. After training, the total number of illness and injury days away from work and days of limited duty were decreased, indicating a positive impact of this workplace wellness program and a need for future training for these workers. This project has the potential to affect social change by supporting the benefits of workplace wellness in improving employee health and reducing workplace injuries at federal agencies.

The purpose of this study was to explore and highlight positive psychological strengths that are required and, to a lesser extent, negative psychological factors that are to be eliminated in employees attending EAP in the public service in order to make the EAP beneficial and successful. EAPs in the public service have not been as successful as expected because employees drop-out prematurely and/or benefit minimally from attending their sessions. Through the use of a qualitative research approach, this study explored positive psychological strengths that played a significant role in assisting employees attending EAP to achieve their health goals. Research data was collected through the narratives and in-depth interviews from eight participants, who shared their EAP experiences with the researcher. The collected data was analysed through the use of content analysis and positive psychological strengths in the form of themes emerged. The themes were compared with the framework of positive psychology, which is known as the VIA classification system of strengths and virtues framework, in order to determine alignment or compatibility with it. In addition, a few negative emotions were also reported as having been experienced by the participants while attending EAP. The results of this study indicate that certain positive psychological strengths possessed by employees while attending EAP contributed significantly in making them benefit from their EAP consultations. Although a few negative emotions were also reported as having being present during the EAP consultation, they did not affect the progression and success of the EAP. An EAP intervention model is recommended herein for future use, in order to facilitate the success of EAP sessions. / Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Psychology)

The purpose of this study was to explore and highlight positive psychological strengths that are required and, to a lesser extent, negative psychological factors that are to be eliminated in employees attending EAP in the public service in order to make the EAP beneficial and successful. EAPs in the public service have not been as successful as expected because employees drop-out prematurely and/or benefit minimally from attending their sessions. Through the use of a qualitative research approach, this study explored positive psychological strengths that played a significant role in assisting employees attending EAP to achieve their health goals. Research data was collected through the narratives and in-depth interviews from eight participants, who shared their EAP experiences with the researcher. The collected data was analysed through the use of content analysis and positive psychological strengths in the form of themes emerged. The themes were compared with the framework of positive psychology, which is known as the VIA classification system of strengths and virtues framework, in order to determine alignment or compatibility with it. In addition, a few negative emotions were also reported as having been experienced by the participants while attending EAP. The results of this study indicate that certain positive psychological strengths possessed by employees while attending EAP contributed significantly in making them benefit from their EAP consultations. Although a few negative emotions were also reported as having being present during the EAP consultation, they did not affect the progression and success of the EAP. An EAP intervention model is recommended herein for future use, in order to facilitate the success of EAP sessions. / Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Psychology)

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Abstracts in English and Southern Sotho / Affordable and accessible preventive health programmes within the South African Police Service (SAPS) could be the best measures for managing epidemic diseases in the organisation. Employee health and wellness (EHW) programmes, including those dealing with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), are often the subjects of debate among scholars and human resource management practitioners within the context of developing effective and efficient interventions in the workplace to enhance the health management of employees. This study explores the nature and extent of the employee wellness programmes that focus on HIV/AIDS in the SAPS. In particular, the research examines how EHW practitioners in the SAPS experience the programmes and what support they receive regarding HIV/AIDS in the workplace. Data were collected from six EHW practitioners using semi-structured interviews. The study finds that HIV/AIDS programmes are categorised into different interventions, each with advantages and purpose. The findings will help determine if the HIV/AIDS programmes effectively cater to the health needs of employees within the SAPS. The findings from this study are limited to six EHW practitioners’ experiences in relation to how they perceive the employee wellness programmes in the SAPS, more specifically, the HIV/AIDS programmes. / Go hwetšagala ga mananeo a maphelo a thibelo ao a bolokegilego, ao a sa turego le a go fihlelelega ka gare ga Tirelo ya Maphodisa ya Afrika Borwa (SAPS) e ka ba legato le lekaone la thibelo la go laola malwetši a leuba ka gare ga tirelo ye. Mananeo a bophelo bjo bokaone bja bašomi, go akaretšwa ao a šomago ka twatši ya go palediša mašole a mmele go šoma (HIV) le bolwetši bja go šitwa ga mašole a mmele (AIDS), gantši ke seo se dirago gore dirutegi di ngangišane le bašomi ba lefapha la bašomi mabapi le go tšweletša ditsenogare tšeo di šomago gabotse le tša go hloka mathata ka mošomong ka nepo ya go maatlafatša taolo ya maphelo a bašomi. Maikemišetšomagolo a dinyakišišo e bile go utolla sebopego le bogolo bja mananeo a maphelo a makaone a bašomi ka go SAPS ao a lebeletšego kudu HIV/AIDS. Dinyakišišo di dirilwe go tseba ka fao bašomi ba maphelo a bašomi le go phela gabotse (EHW) ga bona ka SAPS ba itemogetšego mananeo ao le gore ke thekgo efe ye ba e hwetšago mabapi le HIV/AIDS ka mošomong. Dipotšišo tša dipoledišano tšeo di nyakago gore baarabi ba fe mabaka di dirilwe ka nepo ya go kgoboketša tshedimošo go tšwa go bašomi ba tshela (6) ba EHW ba ka SAPS bao ba kgathilego tema ka dinyakišišong. Dikutollo di laetša gore mananeo a HIV/AIDS a hlophilwe ka mehuta ye e fapafapanego ya ditsenogare, gomme le lengwe le le lengwe le na le menyetla le maikemišetšo a lona. Dikutollo tše di tla ba mohola go tseba ge eba mananeo a HIV/AIDS a šoma gabotse go hlokomela dinyakwa tša maphelo tša bašomi ka gare ga SAPS. Dikutollo go tšwa ka mo dinyakišišong tše di tšwa fela go maitemogelo a bašomi ba tshela ba EHW mabapi le ka fao ba bonago mananeo a mabapi le go phela gabotse ga bašomi ka SAPS, kudukudu, mananeo a HIV/AIDS. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)