Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Highly competitive organisations are aware that their competitive edge lies within their human capital. In order for such organisation to stay ahead investing in best practices regarding people management and development is of paramount importance. In recent times, work engagement has been empirically linked to many positive organisational outcomes (Bakker, Demerouti, & Verbeke, 2004; Salanova, Agut, & Peiro, 2005; Schaufeli, Taris, & Bakker, 2006a). However, research on practical organisational interventions, aimed at increasing work engagement, is scant. Engaged employees often experience positive emotions (Bakker & Demerouti, 2008). Happy people are more sensitive to opportunities at work, more outgoing and helpful to others, more confident when interacting with others and more optimistic when taking on challenges. According to Bakker, Schaufeli, Leiter, and Taris (2008) engagement not only stems from job resources, but from personal resources as well. Building on Fredrickson’s (2000) Broad and Build theory of positive emotions, it is argued in this study that Emotional Intelligence (EI) is a personal resource that has not been studied in relation to work engagement. EI refers to the capacity to effectively perceive, express, understand and manage emotions in a professional and effective manner at work (Palmer & Stough, 2001). EI regulation abilities (e.g. emotional management and control) help increase individuals’ coping and / or resilience when more positive affect is experienced, according to Fredrickson’s Broad and Build theory, and should therefore be a particularly important personal resource for the enhancement of work engagement. The development of EI has progressively been gaining positive momentum and various studies have provided empirical support to suggest that EI can be developed (Dulewicz & Higgs, 2004; Fletcher, Leadbetter, Curran, & O’Sullivan, 2009; Gardner, 2005; Gorgens-Ekermans, 2011; Nelis, Quoidbach, Mikolajczak, & Hansenne, 2009; Slaski & Cartwright, 2003). By using the Swinburne University Emotional Intelligence Test (SUEIT) theoretical framework, it is argued that by developing emotional recognition and regulation abilities, specifically that of emotional management, employees would be better able to manage their positive and negative emotions, thereby improving their positive psychological state at work, which should increase their level of engagement. It is furthermore argued that increased EI will also affect other positive organisational outcomes, such as organisational commitment and satisfaction with work life. To this end, an EI training intervention programme was implemented and evaluated within an international courier company based in Cape Town, South Africa. A controlled experimental design (two-group pre- and post-test design) was utilised for the research. The EI training programme was evaluated in terms of its effect on EI, work engagement, organisational commitment and satisfaction with work life. A second objective of the study was to investigate and replicate previous research on the interrelationships between the constructs in the study within a South African sample. The total sample consisted of 35 full time employees. Three assessments were conducted (one week before the start of the intervention, immediately after the completion of the training, and two and a half months thereafter) The findings of the study demonstrated limited empirical support for the notion that EI training could improve levels of EI. Although definite trends to suggest this were evident in the data, the results were not statistically significant. Empirical evidence further suggested partial and weak support for work engagement and satisfaction with work life levels increasing as a result of the intervention. Unfortunately no support for organisational commitment levels improving as a result of the training was found. In terms of exploring and replicating the interrelationships between the constructs in the study, favourable results were found. Significant positive relationships emerged between all the related constructs. The results, however, need to be interpreted in terms of the limitations that were identified for this study. The results suggest that more research is required in this domain. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hoogs kompeterende maatskappye is bewus daarvan dat hul vlak van mededingingheid grootliks opgesluit lê in hul menslike hulpbronne. Vir sulke organisasies om vooruitstrewend te wees, is die beleging in menseontwikkeling en bestuur van uiterste belang. Empiriese navorsing oor werknemerbetrokkenheid toon dat dit verband hou met baie positiewe organisatoriese uitkomste (Bakker, Demerouti, & Verbeke, 2004; Salanova, Agut, & Peiro, 2005; Schaufeli, Taris, & Bakker, 2006a). Navorsing oor praktiese organisatoriese intervensies om werknemersbetrokkenheid te verhoog, is egter skaars. Werknemers met hoë werknemerbetrokkenheid ervaar gereeld positiewe emosies (Bakker & Demerouti, 2008). Gelukkige werknemers is meer bewus van geleenthede, is meer sosiaal en hulpvaardig, meer selfversekerd in sosiale omstandighede, en meer optimisties wanneer hulle gekonfronteer word met uitdagings. Volgens Bakker, Schaufeli, Leiter, en Taris (2008) spruit werknemersbetrokkenheid nie net voort uit werksbronne nie, maar ook vanuit persoonlike hulpbronne. Na aanleiding van Fredrickson se (2000) “Broaden and Build” teorie oor positiewe emosies word daar in hierdie studie geargumenteer dat Emosionele Intelligensie (EI) ‘n persoonlike hulpbron is, wat nog nie in verwantskap met werknemersbetrokkenheid bestudeer is nie. EI verwys na die kapasiteit om emosies binne die werkskonteks te kan herken, verstaan en bestuur op ʼn professionele en effektiewe wyse (Palmer & Stough, 2001). EI reguleringsvaardighede (bv. emosionele bestuur en beheer) bevorder individue se hanteringsvaardighede en veerkragtigheid wanneer meer positiewe emosies ervaar word. Volgens Fredrickson se “Broaden and build” teorie behoort dit dus ʼn belangrike persoonlike hulpbron te wees wat tot verhoogde werknemersbetrokkenheid kan lei. Positiewe voortuitgang in studies oor die ontwikkeling van EI bestaan tans en verskeie studies het tot dusver wetenskaplike steun verskaf vir die verwagting dat EI ontwikkel kan word (Dulewicz & Higgs, 2004; Fletcher, Leadbetter, Curran, & O’Sullivan, 2009; Gardner. 2005; Gorgens- Ekermans, 2011; Nelis, Quoidbach, Mikolajczak, & Hansenne, 2009; Slaski & Cartwright, 2003). Deur gebruik te maak van die Swinburne Universiteit Emosionele Intelligensie toets (die SUEIT) se teoretiese raamwerk, word daar geargumenteer dat die bevordering van emosionele herkennings- en reguleringsvermoë, spesifiek emosionele bestuur, werknemers se vermoë om hulle eie positiewe en negatiewe emosies te bestuur, behoort te verbeter. Dit sou ʼn verbeterde positiewe sielkundige toestand by die werk tot gevolg kan hê, wat tot verhoogde werknemersbetrokkenheid kan lei. Daar word ook aangevoer that verhoogde EI ook ander positiewe organisatoriese uitkomste, soos organisatoriese toewyding en satisfaksie met werkslewe, positief sal affekteer. Gevolglik is 'n EI opleidingsprogram geïmplementeer en geëvalueer in ‘n internasionale afleweringsmaatskappy wat gebaseer is in Kaapstad, Suid Afrika. ‘n Beheerde eksperimentele ontwerp (twee-groep voor- en natoetsontwerp) is gebruik in hierdie navorsing. Die EI opleidingsprogram is geëvalueer in terme van die effek op die EI, werknemerbetrokkenheid, organisatoriese toewyding en satisfaksie met werkslewe. ’n Tweede doel stelling van die studie was ook om die verwantskappe tussen die konstrukte te ondersoek en vorige navorsing in die verband binne ʼn Suid-Afrikaanse steekproef te reproduseer. Die totale steekproef het bestaan uit 35 permanent aangestelde werknemers. Drie assesserings het plaasgevind (een week voor die aanvang van die intervensie, direk na die afhandeling van die opleiding, en twee en ‘n half maande daarna). Die bevindinge van die studie het beperkte empiriese bewyse verskaf vir die aanname dat EI opleiding wel EI vlakke kan bevorder. Alhoewel daar duidelike tendense was wat dit suggereer in die data, was die resultate nie statistiese beduidend nie. Die empiriese bewyse het verder slegs gedeeltelike en swak ondersteuning verskaf vir die aanname dat werknemerbetrokkenheid en satisfaksie met werkslewe verbeter het as gevolg van blootstelling aan die intervensie. Geen bewyse dat organisatoriese toewydingsvlakke verbeter het as gevolg van blootstelling aan die intervensie, is gevind nie. Gunstige resultate aangaande die verwagte verwantskappe tussen die konstrukte in die studie is gevind. Positiewe, betekenisvolle verwantskappe tussen al die konstrukte word gerapporteer. Die resultate van die studie behoort binne die konteks van die beperkinge wat vir hierdie studie geïdentifiseer is, interpreteer te word. Die resultate toon dat meer navorsing in hierdie domein benodig word.

Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Employee engagement has become imperative for the long term sustainability and performance of organisations. In the current study, work-life interaction was hypothesized to have a direct effect on employee work engagement. Work-life balance, as a facet of work-life interaction, was defined in this study as having enough time to fulfil activities in both work and family contexts; maintaining a sense of equilibrium or harmony in life, having equal or balanced involvement, effort and time spent on various roles; as well as a balance between demands and resources in a person’s life, achieving a state of satisfaction in both employment and personal roles (De Cieri, Holmes, Abbott & Pettit, 2005; Hudson, 2005). Work-life balance has positive consequences for the employee in the form of higher levels of satisfaction and commitment, and improved personal health and wellbeing. For the organisation it is associated with improved recruitment and retention, improved employee productivity and performance, improved organisational performance and profitability, and increased work engagement. In the current study the overarching concept of work-life interaction was utilised to guide the empirical research. The study was motivated by the intention to clarify the antecedents of work-life interaction in a particular work environment in order to inform efforts aimed at promoting positive work-life interaction. Personalistic traits were anticipated to influence the relationship between organisational variables and work-life interaction. A literature review has led to a theoretical model to be utilised in investigating the determinants of work-life interaction and whether the nature of work-life interaction experienced enhances employee work engagement. The aim of the study was to determine whether a negative relationship exists between role conflict, work demands and work-life interaction and a positive relationship exists between work-family culture and work-life interaction. The research further aimed to establish whether specific personalistic variables such as conscientiousness, neuroticism, agreeableness, negative affectivity, positive affectivity and emotional intelligence influence the relationships between the organisational variables and work-life interaction. The observed inter-correlations show that the organisational variables are weakly to moderately correlated with most of the work-life dimensions. The results confirmed that there are negative correlations between role conflict, work demand and the positive forms of work-life interaction, and positive correlations between these two variables and the negative forms of work-life interaction. In contrast, work-home culture is positively related to the positive forms of work-life interaction, and negatively to the negative forms of work-life interaction. The moderated regression analyses found that only neuroticism and agreeableness had significant moderating effects on the relationship between work demand and work-life interaction, whilst a greater number of mediating effects were observed. An overview of the multiple regression analyses with the work-home interaction dimensions as dependent variables, found a significant difference between the amount of variance explained by the organisational variables and the additional variance explained by the personalistic variables in two analyses pertaining to positive work-home interaction and positive home-work interaction. The study has confirmed the role of organisational variables in the experience of work-life interaction and the positive role of the work-home culture of the organisation has been highlighted. The results provided limited support for the role of personalistic variables as moderators and more substantial support for its role as mediators of work-life interaction. The impact of positive affectivity was especially noticeable. The results further indicated that work engagement was significantly positively correlated with positive work-home interaction, negatively correlated with negative work-home interaction, and positively correlated with positive home-work interaction. These findings provide additional motivation to include selected personalistic variables in the selection process so that the likelihood of work engagement could be optimised through increased work-live balance. It further suggests focusing the attention of employees suffering from negative work-life interaction on their personal processing of the challenges experienced and their coping strategies The results indicated that the conceptualised theoretical model was seriously flawed and too simplistic and that it required serious reconsidering. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Werknemerbetrokkenheid het noodsaaklik geword vir die langtermyn volhoubaarheid en prestasie van organisasies. In die huidige studie is die hipotese gestel dat werk-lewe-interaksie werknemers se werksbetrokkenheid op ‘n direkte wyse bevorder. Werk-lewe-balans is in hierdie studie soos volg gedefinieer: Dit is om genoeg tyd te hê om aktiwiteite binne beide werk- en gesinsverband af te handel, deur ’n volgehoue sin van ekwilibrium of harmonie in die lewe te handhaaf, met gelyke of gebalanseerde betrokkenheid, insette en tyd gewy aan verskillende rolle, sowel as ’n balans tussen die eise en hulpbronne in ’n persoon se lewe, en die gevolglike bereiking van ’n vlak van bevrediging binne beide werk- en persoonlike rolle. (De Cieri, Holmes, Abbott & Pettit, 2005; Hudson, 2005). Werk-lewe-balans het ’n positiewe uitwerking op die werknemer, in die sin van hoër vlakke van werkstevredenheid en toewyding, en verbetering in persoonlike gesondheid en welstand. Vir die organisasie word dit geassosieer met verbeterde werwing en retensie van personeel, verbeterde werksproduktiwiteit en prestasie, verbeterde organisatoriese prestasie en winsgewendheid, en verhoogde werksbetrokkenheid. In die huidige studie is werk-lewe-interaksie as oorkoepelende konsep vir die doeleindes van die empiriese studie aanvaar. Die studie se oogmerk was om die aanleidende oorsake van die werk-lewe-interaksie in ’n bepaalde werksomgewing te identifiseer ten einde pogings te informeer wat gemik is op die bevordering van werk-lewe-balans. Die verwagting was dat persoonseienskappe die verhouding tussen organisatoriese veranderlikes en werk-lewe-interaksie sou beïnvloed. ’n Literatuuroorsig het gelei tot ’n teoretiese model wat gebruik is in ’n ondersoek na die determinante van werk-lewe-interaksie en die vraag of werk-lewe-balans werknemers se werksbetrokkenheid verhoog. Die doel van die studie was om vas te stel of daar ’n negatiewe verhouding is tussen rolkonflik, werkseise en werk-lewe-interaksie, en ’n positiewe verhouding tussen werk-lewe-kultuur en werk-lewe-interaksie. Die navorsingsprojek het verder beoog om te bepaal of spesifieke persoonsveranderlikes soos pligsgetrouheid, neurotisisme, aangenaamheid, negatiewe affektiwiteit, positiewe affektiwiteit en emosionele intelligensie die verhoudings tussen die onafhanklike veranderlikes en die afhanklike veranderlikes respektiewelik beinvloed. Die waargenome interkorrelasies het getoon dat die organisatoriese veranderlikes swak tot matig gekorreleer het met die meerderheid werk-lewe-interaksie veranderlikes en werknemerbetrokkenheid. Die resultate het bevestig dat daar negatiewe korrelasies was tussen rolkonflik, werkseise en die positiewe vorms van werk-lewe-interaksie, en positiewe korrelasies tussen hierdie twee veranderlikes en die negatiewe vorms van werk-lewe-interaksie. Daarteenoor is werk-lewe-kultuur positief verbind met positiewe vorms van werk-lewe-interaksie, sowel as werknemerbetrokkenheid, en negatief aan die negatiewe vorms van werk-lewe-interaksie. Die gemodereerde meervoudige regressie-ontledings het getoon dat slegs neurotisisme en inskiklikheid beduidend die verband tussen die organisatoriese veranderlikes en die werk-lewe-interaksie dimensies gemodereer het, terwyl daar ‘n groter getal bemiddelende effekte waargeneem is. In ’n oorsig van die meervoudige regressie-ontledings met die werk-lewe-interaksie dimensies as afhanklike veranderlikes, is ’n betekenisvolle verskil gevind in die variansie verklaar deur middel van die organisasie veranderlikes en die bykomende variansie wat deur die persoonsveranderlikes verklaar is. Die studie het die rol bevestig van organisatoriese veranderlikes in die ervaring van werk-lewe-interaksie; en die positiewe rol van die werk-lewe-kultuur van die organisasie is uitgelig. Die resultate het beperkte steun verleen aan die rol van persoonsveranderlikes as moderators van die verband tussen organisatoriese veranderlikes en werk-lewe-interaksie, maar meer substansiële steun aan persoonsveranderlikes as mediators van hierdie verband. Die impak van positiewe affektiwiteit was veral opmerklik. Die huidige bevindinge het getoon dat werknemer betrokkenheid beduidend positief korreleer het met positiewe werk-huis-interaksie, negatief gekorreleer het met negatiewe werk-huis-interaksie, en positief gekorreleer het met positiewe huis-werk-interaksie. Hierdie bevindinge verskaf bykomende motivering om geselekteerde persoonsveranderlikes in die seleksieproses in te sluit, sodat die waarskynlikheid van werknemerbetrokkenheid geoptimaliseer kan word deur verhoogde werk-lewe-balans. Dit dui verder ook daarop dat die aandag van werknemers wat negatiewe werk-lewe-steurings ervaar, gefokus moet word op hul persoonlike verwerking van die uitdagings wat hulle in die gesig staar en hul hanteringstrategieë. Die resultate het aangetoon dat die gekonseptualiseerde teoretiese model ernstig gebrekkig en simplisties was en dat ernstige herbesinning daaromtrent nodig is.

Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Health care is a key factor in the general health and wellbeing of any society. At the centre of any well-functioning healthcare system is sufficient, engaged and competent nursing staff. Access to proper health care is reliant on sufficient nursing staff levels, but unfortunately the global scarcity of nursing staff is proving to be a big challenge to the quality and service delivery that public and private healthcare organisations are providing. One of the many contributing factors to the shortage of nursing staff is the global challenge of an aging nursing staff population. At a time of widespread concern about nursing shortages and an ageing nursing workforce globally, human resources functions should pay increasing attention to addressing the shortage of nursing staff. Although attracting individuals to the nursing profession will increase the nursing pool, the engagement (and consequently retention) of current nursing staff is crucial to ensure a sustainable nursing workforce, and as a result, a sustainable healthcare system. The purpose of this study therefore included a diagnosis of the current state of work engagement of nursing practitioners, with the Job Demands and Resources model as diagnostic model, in an attempt to identify the antecedents that significantly contribute to the engagement of nursing practitioners. The data analysis techniques that were applied in this study included item analysis, correlation analysis, hierarchical multiple regression analysis, PLS analysis and ANOVA. While the overall level of work engagement of nursing practitioners in the sample might not have been as low as had been envisioned, there are clearly deficiencies that need to be addressed. In terms of job resources, the factors that were found to be below optimum levels, and warrants intervention, included remuneration, participation, career possibilities, variety at work, independence at work, opportunities to learn, and information. The job resources communication, contact possibilities, relationships with colleagues and relationship with supervisor yielded acceptable mean scores and as a result no particular interventions were proposed for these variables. In terms of job demands, all job demands were reported to be at unacceptably high levels; however, no correlation between pace and amount of work and work engagement was confirmed. As a result, practical recommendations were built around these job demands and resources which anticipate increasing the work engagement of nursing practitioners and thereby partially addressing the greater problem of nursing shortages. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Geen opsomming beskikbaar.

Sustaining competitiveness requires organisations to continuously reinvent themselves, consider both external influences as well as internal risk that may affect the company as a market leader. Organisations that have acknowledged that a relationship between engaged employees and business success exists, would seek ways to foster and facilitate the engagement of their workers through their leadership. The primary objective of the study was to determine whether a relationship exists between values-based leadership and employee engagement. The aim was to contribute to the quality of leadership values, behaviour and influence at Coca-Cola Beverages South Arica by gaining a deeper understanding of leadership and employee engagement. The theoretical study explored the definitions, key concepts, benefits and outcomes of both values based leadership and employee engagement. It provided a detailed literature review of the role of leadership in creating a values based organisation, what values-based leadership encompasses and its relationship with employee engagement. The theoretical overview highlighted that leadership is an influential factor in employee engagement and the extent to which employees feel valued and connected to the organisation’s goals. The theoretical overview further confirmed that leadership values, behaviour and influence are interrelated and exert an influence on employee engagement, thereby strengthening the fact that there is a relationship between values-based leadership and employee engagement. A structured web-based survey, with a questionnaire, was used to corroborate the theoretical findings and to assess employees’ perceptions of the prevalence of values–based leadership and employee engagement. A sample of 269 respondents was selected to participate in the empirical study and 167 responded to the survey, which yielded a 62% per cent response rate. The key findings of the study indicate that strong correlations exist between leadership values, behaviours and influence and that these concepts were interrelated. Furthermore, the study confirmed that values–based leadership was an important factor in employee engagement and specifically in terms of the physical, emotional and social components of engagement and less so in terms of the cognitive component. Values-based leadership and engagement were identified as critical factors in ensuring that organisations are well equipped to deal with the current volatile economic environment and to consider ways to maintain and accelerate their profitability and competitiveness in order to remain a sustainable business. It is strong values that underpin the performance of highly successful and sustainable organisations; coupled with effective leadership as a key driving force.

The primary objective of this dissertation was to investigate the relationship between intrinsic rewards, personality and emotional intelligence within the education sector within South Africa. In order to achieve this objective, the researcher tested a theoretical model using regression analysis, and made use of Pearson’s Product Moment Correlations. A further aim was to investigate whether differences existed according to teaching sector and teaching level with regards to these constructs. This was done using t-tests and analysis of variance tests. Moreover, the researcher aimed to further validate the Intrinsic Work Rewards Scale within the South African context. This was done via the use of confirmatory factor analysis. The questionnaire was completed by a total of 269 educators spanning across eleven educational institutions, including institutions within the private and public sector, and primary, secondary and tertiary educational institutions within the Eastern Cape. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics which included frequency tables, and pie charts, and the aforementioned inferential statistics. The findings revealed a number of correlations between the three constructs, and significant differences between private and public sector institutions, and between primary, secondary and tertiary institutions with regards to intrinsic rewards, personality factors and emotional intelligence. The proposed theoretical model could be partly accepted as it showed that a correlation does exist between Extraversion, Neuroticism, Agreeableness and Conscientiousness (Openness was not correlated) and intrinsic rewards, and between intrinsic rewards and emotional intelligence. Moreover, the model showed that emotional intelligence acted as a mediator and partial mediator in predicting one’s level of intrinsic rewards via Extraversion, Neuroticism, Agreeableness and Conscientiousness, but no mediation could be shown with regards to Openness. Finally, the results of confirmatory factor analysis confirmed that the Intrinsic Work Rewards Scale showed acceptable fit and thus provided evidence for this instrument holding construct validity within the South African context. These results theoretically contribute to the area of intrinsic rewards, and have uncovered a new area whereby intrinsic rewards are shown to be related to personality factors and emotional intelligence. The findings of this study hold important implications for the effective management of educators in the South African context.

Purpose - The purpose of the study was to determine the drivers of employee engagement in a lean manufacturing environment during a period of change. It also highlighted the importance of employee engagement with regards to the improvement of organisational performance especially in a lean manufacturing environment during the change. Design/methodology/approach – The most frequently mentioned drivers of employee engagement in relation to change and a lean environment were identified through a literature study. The potential drivers that emerged were vision, leadership, communication, immediate supervisory behaviour, team collaboration and training/career development. An empirical study was then carried out to study the impact of these factors on affective commitment, volunteerism and sportsmanship, the latter two are components of organisational citizenship behaviour. A survey with a questionnaire was conducted amongst 86 employees in a lean manufacturing organisation, which was undergoing change. The data analyses included descriptive statistics, correlations and multiple regression analysis. Findings – It was observed that all the six identified drivers of employee engagement namely: Vision, Leadership, Communication, Immediate Supervisor Behaviour, Team Collaboration and Training and Career Development explained 61.2 per cent of the variance in the employee engagement. However, the variables that had the biggest impact on employee engagement were the articulation of the organisational change Vision, Team Collaboration and Immediate Supervisor Behaviour. Practical implications – The results of the study emphasise that special focus and effort must be placed on factors affecting Vision, Team Collaboration and Immediate Supervisor Behaviour as they have shown significantly higher influence on employee engagement in a lean manufacturing environment during a period of change.

Occupational stress, intrinsic motivation and job engagement are areas of importance for today’s management. The main objective of this study was to explore the combined effect of occupational stress and intrinsic motivation in determining job engagement in the South African Police Service. Moreover, the study investigated the relationship between occupational stress, intrinsic motivation and job engagement. The study also sought to enquire into the effects rank and gender has on the study variables. A quantitative approach was adopted. A structured self – administered questionnaire comprising of four sections: biographical information, police stress questionnaire, intrinsic motivation inventory and job engagement scale was used to collect data. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyse data, and both descriptive and inferential statistics were utilized. The results revealed a negative relationship between occupational stress and job engagement. A positive relationship between intrinsic motivation and job engagement was also found. There was no combined effect of occupational stress and intrinsic motivation on job engagement. Lastly, no significant differences in the way police experience stress were found among rank and gender. The researcher concluded that even when police officers are under great amounts of stress they are still engaged in their jobs. Where levels of intrinsic motivation were high for the police officers, so were the levels of job engagement. Demographic variables did not yield any significant relationships to the study variables. These findings are of significance in creating a police force which is productive and meets the goals and objectives of the South African Police Service.

Former Eastern Airlines flight attendants were surveyed regarding their levels of union, organizational, and dual commitment, union participation, strike participation and support, and current feelings of job stress, job affect and job satisfaction. It was found that union commitment was positively correlated with union participation. Due to the unique situation at Eastern, it was also found that there was no difference in levels of strike participation and support between those dually committed and those unilaterally committed to the union. Strike participation and support also correlated positively with one measure of current job stress. Other findings included a positive correlation between job affect and satisfaction, and a negative correlation between both of these measures and job stress.

The management concept of Employee Value Proposition (EVP), which details the value and benefits employees derive from being members of the organisation, has been widely touted in literature as a determinant of work engagement and retention. The growing body of Positive Organisational Behaviour (POB) acknowledges the importance of these concepts, particularly in the service industry where engagement and retention are critical for good customer relationships. The research followed a quantitative and non-experimental approach by using primary data as the unit of analysis. Using a self-report electronic questionnaire, relationships between EVP, WE and Turnover Intentions were determined from a sample of (N=259) consisting of supervisor to management level employees in commercial banks across Botswana. The adopted composite questionnaire has been validated for the South African sample and proved to have high reliability. The individual instruments have been used in different industries as well as professions and showed no inherent bias. The results showed some important relationships between EVP, WE and Turnover Intentions. Specifically, EVP fulfilment revealed a substantive positive relationship with Work Engagement whereas another substantial relationship exists between engagement and Turnover Intention. While a definitive but small relationship exists between EVP and Turnover Intention, it was recommended that the organisation that participated can buffer turnover intention through leveraging engagement levels, especially the dedication dimension of engagement as it has found to be the prerequisite for vigor and absorption dimensions of engagement.

Increasing competition within the freight transportation market in South Africa has intensified the need for rail industries to identify ways in which to enhance their competitiveness within this market. One of the most important challenges for organisations’ operating in this market is to deliver goods on time, while meeting the needs of customers, at the lowest possible cost. If such organisations are to remain competitive, it may be required of them to shift their focus to their employees. Research has shown that employees render organisations’ with sustainable competitive advantage, more specifically, it has shown that engaged employees surpass disengaged employees. The distinguishing factor for organisations’ in the search of competitive advantage would therefore be an engaged workforce. The primary research objective of this study was to investigate contribution of reward systems to enhanced employee engagement within Transnet Engineering (TE) in Swartkops, Port Elizabeth. A theoretical overview was conducted to evaluate different definitions, engagement theories and factors of reward systems which contribute to enhanced employee engagement. An empirical study was conducted by means of a survey with a questionnaire as data collecting tool. The purpose of the structured questionnaire was to validate the findings obtained from the theoretical overview and to assess employees’ perceptions of reward systems and engagement. Recommendations were made based on the findings of the literature and empirical study. These recommendations will assist the organisation in understanding how reward systems can be used to enhance employee engagement, so that a competitive advantage can be achieved within the freight transportation market.