Due to globalisation and resulting work mobility, organisations are forced to compete for talented people. As a result organisations are starting to realise the importance of their human capital, human capital is viewed as the greatest contributor to organisational success. This is evident through the war for talent throughout the world. All organisations are fighting to have the best people as it is believed that talented people add value to the bottom line of the business and give the business a competitive edge. In an attempt to retain talented people, the needs and expectations of these people must be taken seriously. The main research objective of the study was to investigate leadership expectations (what employees expect from their leaders), to what extent their expectations are met and the impact of these leadership expectations on work engagement and intention to leave. In the study, both qualitative and quantitative research methods were utilised to achieve the objectives. Focus groups in each department of the factory were utilised to gather information on what employees expect from their leaders. Employees were interviewed and open ended questions were utilised to give employees an opportunity to express themselves. The information gathered from the focus groups was utilised to design a new leadership expectations checklist. The aim of this checklist is to measure leadership expectations and the extent to which those expectations are met. A total sample of 156 (n =156) employees took part in the research. The result of the study indicated that employees consider the following expectations as important: Relationship with supervisor (ranked as first); Appreciation of good work and Regular feedback (both ranked second); Support from supervisor (ranked third); 2 Communication (ranked fourth) ; Studying further (ranked fifth) ; Independence (ranked sixth); and Coaching (ranked seventh). Results further indicate that leadership expectation met does predict engagement, the more the leadership expectations are met the more the engaged the employees become. Regarding turnover there was a negative relationship between leadership expectation and turnover. Recommendation to the organisation and for future research were made. / MA, Industrial Psychology, North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2011

Due to globalisation and resulting work mobility, organisations are forced to compete for talented people. As a result organisations are starting to realise the importance of their human capital, human capital is viewed as the greatest contributor to organisational success. This is evident through the war for talent throughout the world. All organisations are fighting to have the best people as it is believed that talented people add value to the bottom line of the business and give the business a competitive edge. In an attempt to retain talented people, the needs and expectations of these people must be taken seriously. The main research objective of the study was to investigate leadership expectations (what employees expect from their leaders), to what extent their expectations are met and the impact of these leadership expectations on work engagement and intention to leave. In the study, both qualitative and quantitative research methods were utilised to achieve the objectives. Focus groups in each department of the factory were utilised to gather information on what employees expect from their leaders. Employees were interviewed and open ended questions were utilised to give employees an opportunity to express themselves. The information gathered from the focus groups was utilised to design a new leadership expectations checklist. The aim of this checklist is to measure leadership expectations and the extent to which those expectations are met. A total sample of 156 (n =156) employees took part in the research. The result of the study indicated that employees consider the following expectations as important: Relationship with supervisor (ranked as first); Appreciation of good work and Regular feedback (both ranked second); Support from supervisor (ranked third); 2 Communication (ranked fourth) ; Studying further (ranked fifth) ; Independence (ranked sixth); and Coaching (ranked seventh). Results further indicate that leadership expectation met does predict engagement, the more the leadership expectations are met the more the engaged the employees become. Regarding turnover there was a negative relationship between leadership expectation and turnover. Recommendation to the organisation and for future research were made. / MA, Industrial Psychology, North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2011

For organisations in South Africa to preserve talented and skilled employees it is important that these organisations consider the psychological needs of their employees. This is particularly true for supervisors and their relationships with their subordinates. South Africans are daily engaged in working and influencing people within their workplaces. Although supervisors are not capable of addressing or changing all the problems and concerns of employees, they can intervene in order to improve the quality of their employees’ working lives. A suggested point to start with is within the supervisor’s behaviour and their relationships with employees, due to its effect on employee engagement and intentions to leave. Consequently, when employees experience a deprived relationship with their supervisors, it will contribute to lower employee engagement levels and higher intentions to leave. To possibly decrease the negative impact of supervisor behaviour, it is important that supervisors pay attention and create an environment in which satisfaction of the psychological needs of their subordinates can be maintained. The objectives of this study were to investigate the relations between supervisor behaviour (that supports psychological need satisfaction), psychological need satisfaction, employee engagement and intentions to leave. A convenience sample (N = 139) of employees working under the guidance of a leader/supervisor was taken from manufacturing companies across South Africa. Participation in the study was voluntary. A measuring battery measuring supervisor behaviour (i.e. perceptions of supervisor support, trust and competence-focused behaviour), work-related basic need satisfaction (i.e. the satisfaction of psychological needs such as autonomy, competence and relatedness) work engagement (i.e. cognitive, emotional and physical engagement) and intention to leave was used. Descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analyses, alpha coefficients, Pearson product-moment correlations, and multiple regression analyses were used to analyse the data. The results indicated that the measuring instruments used in this study were valid and reliable for further analyses. The results showed that supervisor support comprised one factor and not three factors as expected. Furthermore, the results showed that supervisor support for autonomy, competence and relatedness had a large effect on autonomy satisfaction and a medium effect on relatedness satisfaction. Supervisor relations did not impact competence satisfaction. The effect of supervisor support on autonomy satisfaction was larger than on relatedness satisfaction. Results from this study showed that supervisor support, autonomy satisfaction and competence satisfaction affected work engagement. Employees will tend to be engaged when supervisors demonstrate supportive behaviour and when they are able to regulate themselves because they feel a sense of competence and autonomy. The results also showed that supervisor support for psychological need satisfaction, autonomy satisfaction and relatedness satisfaction predicted employees’ intentions to leave organisations. Lastly, the results showed that supervisor support for psychological need satisfaction impacted employee engagement indirectly and positively via autonomy satisfaction, and indirectly and negatively impacted intention to leave via autonomy dissatisfaction. Recommendations were made for manufacturing organisations as well as for future research. Manufacturing organisations and employees should comprehend the impact of supervisor behaviour and psychological need satisfaction on outcomes such as employee engagement and intentions to leave, as both parties are similarly affected by its consequences. Interventions should be implemented to address the satisfaction of employees’ basic psychological needs. Additionally, manufacturing organisations should understand the importance of supervisor behaviour and the impact it can have on their business unit and the organisation as a whole. Recommendations for future research were made. / MA (Positive Psychology)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2015.

For organisations in South Africa to preserve talented and skilled employees it is important that these organisations consider the psychological needs of their employees. This is particularly true for supervisors and their relationships with their subordinates. South Africans are daily engaged in working and influencing people within their workplaces. Although supervisors are not capable of addressing or changing all the problems and concerns of employees, they can intervene in order to improve the quality of their employees’ working lives. A suggested point to start with is within the supervisor’s behaviour and their relationships with employees, due to its effect on employee engagement and intentions to leave. Consequently, when employees experience a deprived relationship with their supervisors, it will contribute to lower employee engagement levels and higher intentions to leave. To possibly decrease the negative impact of supervisor behaviour, it is important that supervisors pay attention and create an environment in which satisfaction of the psychological needs of their subordinates can be maintained. The objectives of this study were to investigate the relations between supervisor behaviour (that supports psychological need satisfaction), psychological need satisfaction, employee engagement and intentions to leave. A convenience sample (N = 139) of employees working under the guidance of a leader/supervisor was taken from manufacturing companies across South Africa. Participation in the study was voluntary. A measuring battery measuring supervisor behaviour (i.e. perceptions of supervisor support, trust and competence-focused behaviour), work-related basic need satisfaction (i.e. the satisfaction of psychological needs such as autonomy, competence and relatedness) work engagement (i.e. cognitive, emotional and physical engagement) and intention to leave was used. Descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analyses, alpha coefficients, Pearson product-moment correlations, and multiple regression analyses were used to analyse the data. The results indicated that the measuring instruments used in this study were valid and reliable for further analyses. The results showed that supervisor support comprised one factor and not three factors as expected. Furthermore, the results showed that supervisor support for autonomy, competence and relatedness had a large effect on autonomy satisfaction and a medium effect on relatedness satisfaction. Supervisor relations did not impact competence satisfaction. The effect of supervisor support on autonomy satisfaction was larger than on relatedness satisfaction. Results from this study showed that supervisor support, autonomy satisfaction and competence satisfaction affected work engagement. Employees will tend to be engaged when supervisors demonstrate supportive behaviour and when they are able to regulate themselves because they feel a sense of competence and autonomy. The results also showed that supervisor support for psychological need satisfaction, autonomy satisfaction and relatedness satisfaction predicted employees’ intentions to leave organisations. Lastly, the results showed that supervisor support for psychological need satisfaction impacted employee engagement indirectly and positively via autonomy satisfaction, and indirectly and negatively impacted intention to leave via autonomy dissatisfaction. Recommendations were made for manufacturing organisations as well as for future research. Manufacturing organisations and employees should comprehend the impact of supervisor behaviour and psychological need satisfaction on outcomes such as employee engagement and intentions to leave, as both parties are similarly affected by its consequences. Interventions should be implemented to address the satisfaction of employees’ basic psychological needs. Additionally, manufacturing organisations should understand the importance of supervisor behaviour and the impact it can have on their business unit and the organisation as a whole. Recommendations for future research were made. / MA (Positive Psychology)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2015.

The market of performing art is expanding rapidly; the need for volunteer workers is increasing as well. In this research, we want to explore the relationship among volunteer workers¡¦ motivations, job characteristics, job satisfaction and their intentions to leave. Two hundred and twenty questionnaires were sent to the voluntary members of twenty-four performing art organizations. The total valid questionnaires received are 142, with responding rate equal to 70%. The most important findings are as follows. (1) We found that external egolism is the strongest motivation for volunteer workers; altruism is the weakest one. (2) Although the jobs performed by the volunteers are somewhat important, the skill variety is limited. (3) With respect to the overall job satisfaction, volunteer workers are generally satisfied with their jobs; specifically, respondents are particularly satisfied with their social relationship. (4) With respect to intention to leave, most volunteer workers are willing to stay in their organizations, though the intention to leave varies with demographic attributes. (5) In additions, respondents scored high in altruism, overall job satisfaction, and growth satisfactions are less likely to depart, while perceived social obligations is negative related to intention to leave. (6) Self-interest motives are positive related to job satisfaction. (7) Job characteristic has a positive effect on job satisfaction.

The management of human capital is becoming of great importance. Research on this topic is largely based on talent shortages. In South Africa, considerable attention has been given to the issue of skills shortages, which are also evident in the education environment. The government has exerted many efforts; however, despite these efforts, skills shortages are still prevalent. A definite need for reform and change is necessary, with emphasis on a more positive and combined approach, focusing on strengths use and deficit improvement, psychological empowerment, work engagement and intention to leave. Therefore, the retention of talented employees has been identified as the most important outcome of a positive organisation. The general objective of this study was to determine if the Strengths Use and Deficit Improvement Questionnaire (SUDIQ) and Measuring Empowerment Questionnaire (MEQ) were reliable and valid to administer to educators in South Africa; and whether (a) psychological empowerment mediated the relationship between perceived organisational support for strengths use (POSSU) and work engagement, and between perceived organisational support for deficit improvement (POSDI) and work engagement; and (b) whether work engagement mediated the relationship between psychological empowerment and turnover intention. The study furthermore contributed to positive psychology research, using a combined focus on strengths use and deficit improvement in relation to psychological empowerment in the education sector. A need existed to test the reliability and validity (construct and convergent) of the SUDIQ and the MEQ among educators in the Southern Cape region. A cross-sectional survey was used to reach the objectives of this study. Convenience samples were drawn from educators in the Southern Cape region (N = 271). The results revealed that the SUDIQ scale comprised four factors, namely perceived organisational support for strengths use (POSSU), perceived organisational support for deficit improvement (POSDI), proactive behaviour towards strengths use (PBSU) and proactive behaviour towards deficit improvement (PBDI). In the same way, meaning, self-determination, competence and impact were revealed as the four distinct factors of the MEQ. In testing the relationships between the constructs, POSSU correlated practically significantly (medium effect) with all the MEQ constructs. PBSU correlated practically significantly (large effect) with meaning and competence, and practically significantly (medium effect) with self-determination and impact. POSDI, as a construct of the SUDIQ, showed to correlate practically significantly (medium effect) with meaning, competence, self-determination and impact. In the case of PBDI, practically significant correlations (medium effect) were aligned between PBDI and all the constructs of the MEQ. Through this study, it was revealed that POSSU significantly predicted psychological empowerment, but not work engagement. Significant and positive paths were found between POSDI and both psychological empowerment and work engagement. POSDI played a significant role in the prediction of psychological empowerment and work engagement. Furthermore, psychological empowerment played a significant predicting role in work engagement, but not with turnover intention. In the last instance, a significant and negative path was found between work engagement and turnover intention. In terms of the mediation analysis, POSSU indirectly impacted work engagement and intention to leave of educators in the Southern Cape region via psychological empowerment; and POSDI indirectly impacted work engagement and intention to leave of educators in the Southern Cape region via psychological empowerment. Lastly, work engagement was not revealed as a mediator in the relationship between psychological empowerment and intention to leave. A combined focus, incorporating both strengths use and deficit improvement, is a relative new concept and research field. Through this study educators could learn about the benefits of strengths use and deficit improvement and how those could be used to their advantage, especially in becoming more empowered in an education context. Also, this would indeed alert the schools and principals to the benefits of moving away from traditional approaches of focusing on only weaknesses or what was wrong with people, compared to a combined strengths and deficit focus. The results obtained would offer a valuable contribution to research and the limited literature available on this topic. In the South African context, it would be the first study in which the SUDIQ scale had been used in the education sector in the Southern Cape region, examining the extent to which strengths were used and deficits were developed by both employees and the organisation, and how it related to the well-being of educators. Recommendations were made for application and for future research. / MCom (Human Resource Management)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2015.

The management of human capital is becoming of great importance. Research on this topic is largely based on talent shortages. In South Africa, considerable attention has been given to the issue of skills shortages, which are also evident in the education environment. The government has exerted many efforts; however, despite these efforts, skills shortages are still prevalent. A definite need for reform and change is necessary, with emphasis on a more positive and combined approach, focusing on strengths use and deficit improvement, psychological empowerment, work engagement and intention to leave. Therefore, the retention of talented employees has been identified as the most important outcome of a positive organisation. The general objective of this study was to determine if the Strengths Use and Deficit Improvement Questionnaire (SUDIQ) and Measuring Empowerment Questionnaire (MEQ) were reliable and valid to administer to educators in South Africa; and whether (a) psychological empowerment mediated the relationship between perceived organisational support for strengths use (POSSU) and work engagement, and between perceived organisational support for deficit improvement (POSDI) and work engagement; and (b) whether work engagement mediated the relationship between psychological empowerment and turnover intention. The study furthermore contributed to positive psychology research, using a combined focus on strengths use and deficit improvement in relation to psychological empowerment in the education sector. A need existed to test the reliability and validity (construct and convergent) of the SUDIQ and the MEQ among educators in the Southern Cape region. A cross-sectional survey was used to reach the objectives of this study. Convenience samples were drawn from educators in the Southern Cape region (N = 271). The results revealed that the SUDIQ scale comprised four factors, namely perceived organisational support for strengths use (POSSU), perceived organisational support for deficit improvement (POSDI), proactive behaviour towards strengths use (PBSU) and proactive behaviour towards deficit improvement (PBDI). In the same way, meaning, self-determination, competence and impact were revealed as the four distinct factors of the MEQ. In testing the relationships between the constructs, POSSU correlated practically significantly (medium effect) with all the MEQ constructs. PBSU correlated practically significantly (large effect) with meaning and competence, and practically significantly (medium effect) with self-determination and impact. POSDI, as a construct of the SUDIQ, showed to correlate practically significantly (medium effect) with meaning, competence, self-determination and impact. In the case of PBDI, practically significant correlations (medium effect) were aligned between PBDI and all the constructs of the MEQ. Through this study, it was revealed that POSSU significantly predicted psychological empowerment, but not work engagement. Significant and positive paths were found between POSDI and both psychological empowerment and work engagement. POSDI played a significant role in the prediction of psychological empowerment and work engagement. Furthermore, psychological empowerment played a significant predicting role in work engagement, but not with turnover intention. In the last instance, a significant and negative path was found between work engagement and turnover intention. In terms of the mediation analysis, POSSU indirectly impacted work engagement and intention to leave of educators in the Southern Cape region via psychological empowerment; and POSDI indirectly impacted work engagement and intention to leave of educators in the Southern Cape region via psychological empowerment. Lastly, work engagement was not revealed as a mediator in the relationship between psychological empowerment and intention to leave. A combined focus, incorporating both strengths use and deficit improvement, is a relative new concept and research field. Through this study educators could learn about the benefits of strengths use and deficit improvement and how those could be used to their advantage, especially in becoming more empowered in an education context. Also, this would indeed alert the schools and principals to the benefits of moving away from traditional approaches of focusing on only weaknesses or what was wrong with people, compared to a combined strengths and deficit focus. The results obtained would offer a valuable contribution to research and the limited literature available on this topic. In the South African context, it would be the first study in which the SUDIQ scale had been used in the education sector in the Southern Cape region, examining the extent to which strengths were used and deficits were developed by both employees and the organisation, and how it related to the well-being of educators. Recommendations were made for application and for future research. / MCom (Human Resource Management)--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2015.

Globally, employees are experiencing extensive change in the workplace. Downsizing, right-sizing or restructuring have become familiar terms in difficult economic conditions and imply that rationalising of jobs is inevitable. Organisations attempt to reduce costs, which in turn places pressure on employees to modify their jobs and seek alternative employment. This increases their intention to leave (Iyo & Brotheridge, 2004). The researcher is interested in determining how satisfied employees are with their life in general, in their jobs, and whether the constructs at hand can lead to an intention to leave. This is information that an organisation might value due to high turnover costs. Employability and autonomy are linked to the above concepts. With reference to the above formulation of the problem statement, the general objective of this research is to determine the relationship between the psychological contract, employability, autonomy, job satisfaction, life satisfaction and the intention to leave of security employees in the Vaal Triangle. The primary objective of this research is to determine the relationship between the psychological contract, employability, autonomy, job satisfaction, life satisfaction and the intention to leave of security employees in the Vaal Triangle. A cross-sectional survey design was used. Constructs were measured by means of the psychological contract (employer obligations, employee obligations), a biographical questionnaire, employability questionnaire, autonomy questionnaire, job satisfaction, life satisfaction and intention to leave questionnaires. The research method for each of the two articles consists of a brief literature review and an empirical study. An exploratory factor analysis, as well as Cronbach alpha coefficients, was computed to access the reliability. Validity of the different product moment correlation coefficients and regression analysis were used to examine the relationship between the constructs employed in this research. Significant differences are found between various individual characteristics and the scores of the psychological contract (employer obligations, employee obligations and the psychological contract), the individual characteristics, employability, autonomy, job satisfaction, life satisfaction and intention to leave. Conclusions are made, limitations of the current research are discussed and recommendations for future research and the organisation are put forward. / MCom, Labour Relations Management, North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2012

The significant change that organisations must endure in order to survive, let alone prosper, has grown tremendously in the past two decades. The lack of talent, especially amongst the previously disadvantaged groups, is one of numerous challenges South African organisations are confronted with. Organisations are therefore required to determine indicators of intention to leave as it is argued to be the single most important predictor of actual quitting behaviour. Variables found to relate to intention to leave include a sense of powerlessness and a lack of engagement. The objective of this study is to determine the relationship between leadership empowerment behaviour, job insecurity, engagement and intention to leave in a petrochemical laboratory. The research method consisted of a brief literature review and an empirical study. A cross - sectional survey design was used. The entire population of employees working in a business unit of a petrochemical organisation, namely the Laboratory, was targeted. The Leader Empowering Behaviour Questionnaire, Job Insecurity Inventory, Utrecht Work Engagement Scale and two questions measuring intention to leave were used. In addition, a biographical questionnaire was administered. The statistical analysis was conducted with the aid of the SPSS programme. The statistical method employed in the study consisted of descriptive statistics, Cronbach alpha coefficients, Pearson product-moment correlation and a multiple regression analysis. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to determine the significance of differences between the experience of leadership empowerment behaviour, job insecurity, engagement and intention to leave of demograpbic groups. Results indicated that leadership empowerment behaviour was negatively correlated with cognitive job insecurity and that a negative relationship existed between leadership empowerment behaviour and intention to leave. Leadership empowerment behaviour was found to be positively correlated with engagement. A positive relationship existed between cognitive job insecurity and affective job insecurity, as well as between cognitive job insecurity and intention to leave. Cognitive job insecurity was found to be negatively correlated with engagement. A negative relationship was established between engagement and intention to leave. All these correlations were found to be statistically and practically significant with a medium to large effect. Regression analysis indicated that leadership empowerment behaviour and affective job insecurity did not show a significant amount of predictive value towards intention to leave. Cognitive job insecurity and engagement were found to be indicators of intention to leave. With regards to experiencing leadership empowerment behaviour, engagement and intention to leave, no significant differences were found between demographic groups. Participants in middle non -management positions, however, experienced higher levels of affective job insecurity than those in senior management positions. Conclusions and limitations of the current research were discussed and recommendations for future research were made. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2008.

Les nombreux modèles de turnover que l’on peut trouver dans la littérature en Gestion des Ressources Humaines illustrent l’importance de la fidélisation des salariés à l’entreprise.L’objectif de cette thèse est d’analyser l’effet de l’« étape de carrière » sur les facteurs de fidélisation et sur le niveau de fidélité des salariés. Ce travail est également l’occasion d’étudier les déterminants de l’étape de carrière et de débattre autour de l’impact de l’appartenance à la génération Y sur l’intention de quitter l’entreprise.Pour répondre à ces questions de recherche, une enquête par questionnaires a été réalisée en janvier 2011 auprès de salariés français d’une entreprise franco-américaine et de deux entreprises françaises. L’échantillon est composé de 478 répondants : 206 vendeurs, 150 techniciens, 76 salariés de fonctions support et 46 de fonctions indéfinies. La population étudiée a un niveau de qualification faible à moyen (CAP/BEP/BAC à BAC+2/BTS).Les résultats confirment (1) le rôle central de la satisfaction extrinsèque au travail et de l’implication affective organisationnelle dans un modèle de turnover et (2) l’influence du score à l’étape de carrière d’un individu à la fois sur les facteurs de fidélisation et l’intention de quitter l’entreprise.Le profil du salarié a également un impact sur les facteurs de fidélisation et sur l’intention de quitter. Le score à une étape de carrière est peu influencé par l’âge et les différentes formes d’ancienneté.L’appartenance à la génération Y, plutôt qu’à la génération X ou à celle des Baby Boomers, n’influence pas l’intention de quitter l’entreprise, du moins telle qu’elle est mesurée par l’appartenance à une tranche d’âge. / The numerous turnover models found in the Human Resource Management literature illustrate the importance of employee loyalty to the company.The objective of this thesis is to analyze the “career stage” effect on employee loyalty-building factors and on employee loyalty to the company. This work also gives the opportunity to study the determinants of the career stage and to debate the impact of belonging to generation Y on the intention to leave the company.To answer our research question, surveys have been administered in January 2011 to French employees from a Franco-American company and from two French companies. The sample is composed of 478 respondents: 206 salespeople, 150 technicians, 76 support staff and 46 undefined jobs. The studied population has a low and medium qualification level CAP/BEP/BAC to BAC+2/BTS).The results confirm (1) the central role of extrinsic job satisfaction and affective organizational commitment in a turnover model and (2) the influence of an individual’s career stage on both his loyalty-building factors and his intention to leave the company.The employee profile also has an impact on loyalty-building factors and on employee intention to leave. Moreover, age and the different kinds of tenure have little influence on the score to a career stage.Belonging to the generation Y, rather than to the generation X or to the Baby Boomers generation, does not influence employee intention to leave as far as generational belonging is measured by age groups.