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Kleinian Analysis of Organisations: Implications for Employee Health and Well-BeingJohn McManus Unknown Date (has links)
Abstract A Kleinian Analysis of Organisations: Implications for Employee Health and Well-Being. This dissertation considers research that was conducted into the impact of organisational style of operation upon the health and well-being of individual employees. A Kleinian analysis of organisations, from a psychoanalytic perspective, highlights the defining characteristics of different organisations within the study. The intent of the thesis is to argue that the different types of organisations impact upon the health and well-being of their employees. Six organisations were studied using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Extensive interviews were conducted with 120 employees from those organisations. A Kleinian Analysis Questionnaire and a Kleinian Analysis Rating Scale (new psychoanalytic techniques aimed at promoting dialogue with employees) assisted in the analysis and positioning of the organisations. The findings suggested that organisations can be distinguished in Kleinian terms and that these differences produce a range of health effects for employees. In the qualitative parts of this research extensive discussions took place with the employees of organisations considered to be in either the Depressive position or the Paranoid – Schizoid positions. Using the Kleinian Analysis Questionnaire (KAQ), a great deal was revealed about the emotional lives of their organisations and the impact of these realities on their own individual emotional lives and on their mental and physical health. Organisational employee assistance programs (EAPs) were considered in terms of how support was extended to employees within the studied organisations and how the efficacy and utilization of EAPs were affected by organisational classification of either Depressive or Paranoid-Schizoid. A range of quantitative measures were employed in the study and included the broad health measures SF-36, the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), the Schedule for the Evaluation of Individual Quality of Life - Direct Weighting (SEIQoL-DW) and the Work Environment Scale (WES). Employees in the Depressive organisations described their workplaces as open, encouraging, creative, flexible and democratic in process. They described how the stated values and mission statements of their organisations were consistent with their own personal values and how their work as described by Gabriel (2002) enhanced their sense of self esteem and self image. There were abundant examples of their organisations providing support, described in psychoanalytic terms as ‘containment’. The quantitative results, in part, supported the qualitative results by demonstrating that the employees of Depressive organisations had a better rate of recovery from psychological issues arising from personal and workplace matters. In contrast, employees from Paranoid – Schizoid organisations described their workplaces as defensive, blaming, scapegoating, rigid and concrete, where organisational behaviour was often inconsistent with the organisation’s stated values and mission statements. They described some of the competitive activity as inconsistent with their own personal values and at times giving rise to anxiety. This discord had reflections on the emotional health of individuals. This was borne out in the quantitative aspects of the study which also found that the mental health of individuals and their rate of recovery from psychological issues were adversely affected by the lack of ‘containment’ afforded to them by their organisations. The results strongly demonstrated the value of EAPs as mechanisms of support for employees and revealed differences in the impact upon health and well-being of employees between the two Kleinian organisational types in addition to differences in the levels of utilization and involvement. Keywords: Kleinian Analysis; Health Implications; Employee Assistance Programs; Containment Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classifications (ANZSRC): 150305:50%; 150311:25%; 179999:25%
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Mineralogy and geochemistry of geophagic materials from Mashau Village in Limpopo Province, South AfricaMashao, Unarine 18 May 2018 (has links)
MESMEG / Department of Mining and Environmental Geology / Literature indicated that several mineralogical identification studies have been carried out on clays but few have focused on the characterisation of geophagic materials from South Africa. Large quantities of earth materials are consumed daily in Mashau Village, however, their mineral content and geochemical compositions had not been determined. Moreover, though the consumption of geophagic materials is very common in the village, the associated health implications had not been addressed. Thus, the main aim of the research was to mineralogically and geochemically characterise geophagic materials commonly ingested in Mashau Village and infer on possible health implications that could result from their consumption. Questionnaires were administered to geophagists in the study area with the aim of generating data on the prevalence of geophagia and the motivations for the practice. Geophagic soils and their parent rocks (for determination of provenance) were sampled and analysed for mineralogical and geochemical content. Geophagic soil samples were subjected to the following physicochemical analyses: colour, particle size distribution, pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC) and electrical conductivity (EC). An x-ray diffractometer (XRD) was used for mineralogical analysis while major oxides and trace elements abundances were determined using x-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry and laser ablation inductively coupled mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), respectively. Furthermore, provenance of the geophagic materials was determined using data obtained from mineralogical and geochemical analysis. Inferred health implications were based on the physico-chemical, mineralogical and geochemical data obtained. Outcomes of the questionnaire survey revealed craving to be the motivation for geophagia in Mashau Village. Although the practice seemed to be prevalent in females of certain ages, it was certainly not limited to gender, age, educational level or socio-economic status. Out of the 20 geophagic samples, 3 samples were brown, 2 had a strong brown colour and another 2 had a light olive brown colour. Other soil colours were less common, as each colour was only observed in one sample. The sand fraction dominated the samples; the clay content was low, giving the samples a sandy clay loamy texture. The pH of the soil ranged from being slightly acidic (5.4) to being slightly alkaline. The CEC values were very high ranging from 17 t0 109 meq/100 g.
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The EC values were also high (ranging from 11.2 to 245 μS/cm) indicating a high amount of soluble salts. Mineralogical analysis of geophagic soils identified quartz, microcline, plagioclase, hornblende, dolomite, muscovite, kaolinite, smectite, talc, anatase, hematite, ilmenite, chlorite and epidote with quartz and kaolinite being the dominant minerals. Actinolite, augite, chlorite, epidote, forsterite, magnetite, muscovite, plagioclase, quartz, sepiolite and microcline were the minerals identified in rock samples. Geochemical analysis for major oxides content (SiO2, TiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3, MnO, MgO, CaO, Na2O, K2O, P2O5 and Cr2O3) indicated that both geophagic soils and parent rocks were mainly composed of silica and alumina. Trace elements geochemistry showed a depletion of LREEs and an enrichment of HREEs in geophagic soils. The results also revealed that the REEs were enriched in the bulk fraction than in the clay fraction. Relative to the Upper Continental Crust (UCC) compositions, the concentrations of trace elements in geophagic soils were generally low. Provenance determination results showed that geophagic soils in Mashau were derived from basalts and sandstones. Majority of the samples were formed as a result of intense weathering while some were as a result of intermediate weathering. The negative health implications of the studied materials could include perforation of the colon, damage of the dental enamel and anaemia. However, geophagic materials could also be a good source of mineral nutrients and beneficial for reduction of nausea during pregnancy. / NRF
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