Organisations lose a lot of money by not retaining their star performers each year. This is of great concern to top level managers, for it influences the profit of the organisations. The big question that is asked is why do people leave organisation? Factors like; job satisfaction, working climate, organisational commitment, and job alternatives are important to understand turnover of employees. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between job characteristics, job satisfaction and intentions to quit, that could assist management in retaining the skilled employees in an organisation. The theoretical research conducted in this study was on job characteristics, job satisfaction and the influence both have on quitting intention of employees to establish a good understanding of why skilled employees stay and why they intend to leave an organisation. The empirical study conducted was on a group of skilled employees of about 300, working for a multi–national petrochemical industry. A questionnaire was distributed throughout a specific group in the organisation to determine how the theoretical and empirical data compare. The study concluded that there were some variables that might have an effect on an employee's decision to leave this specific multi–national petrochemical company. The variables in this study were; work variety, ambiguities at work, lack of information and extrinsic job satisfaction. Organisations need to focus on talent retention and talent management to establish the needs and to successfully retaining their skilled employees. Recommendations for future studies and to organisations are provided in this study. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

In today's tough economic environment, companies are forced to work more efficiently and effectively with the resources they have at their disposal. At the same time companies are struggling to attract and retain good people with the necessary attributes and skills in order for them to remain competitive. The challenge today is not just retaining talented people, but fully engaging them, capturing their minds and hearts at each stage of their work lives. Employee engagement has emerged as a critical driver of business success in today's competitive marketplace. Further, employee engagement can be a deciding factor in organisational success. Not only does engagement have the potential to significantly affect employee retention, productivity and loyalty, it is also a key link to customer satisfaction, company reputation and overall stakeholder value. The purpose of this study is to determine whether job and organisational characteristics have an impact on work engagement. Weak correlation was found between the four aspects of Job and organisational characteristics namely: the Position the company holds in the industry, Own and company objectives, Environmental factors and Commitment or social responsibility position the company takes and the three aspects of Engagement namely Vigour, Dedication and practically significant correlation coefficients of large effect between Vigour on the one hand and Dedication and Absorption on the other hand. Practically significant correlation coefficients of large effect between Dedication on the one hand and Absorption on the other hand. Practically significant correlation coefficients of medium effect between Absorption on the one hand and Own and company objectives was found. After controlling for work engagement at baseline, only four of the dimensions tested between Job and organisational characteristics and Engagement were statistically significant. No positive association could be found between Job and organisational characteristics and Work Engagement. The findings are noteworthy in that all the aspects of Job and organisational characteristics do not lead to Engagement thus no evidence was found that Job and organisational characteristics could stimulate Work Engagement. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Organisations lose a lot of money by not retaining their star performers each year. This is of great concern to top level managers, for it influences the profit of the organisations. The big question that is asked is why do people leave organisation? Factors like; job satisfaction, working climate, organisational commitment, and job alternatives are important to understand turnover of employees. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between job characteristics, job satisfaction and intentions to quit, that could assist management in retaining the skilled employees in an organisation. The theoretical research conducted in this study was on job characteristics, job satisfaction and the influence both have on quitting intention of employees to establish a good understanding of why skilled employees stay and why they intend to leave an organisation. The empirical study conducted was on a group of skilled employees of about 300, working for a multi–national petrochemical industry. A questionnaire was distributed throughout a specific group in the organisation to determine how the theoretical and empirical data compare. The study concluded that there were some variables that might have an effect on an employee's decision to leave this specific multi–national petrochemical company. The variables in this study were; work variety, ambiguities at work, lack of information and extrinsic job satisfaction. Organisations need to focus on talent retention and talent management to establish the needs and to successfully retaining their skilled employees. Recommendations for future studies and to organisations are provided in this study. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Although job boredom is increasingly common in the workplace, little research has examined its’ causes. Reducing job boredom has relevance to companies looking to increase the well-being of their employees in addition to their productivity. This study examined what variables are related to and predict job boredom. The Big Five personality traits and job characteristics as defined by Hackman and Oldham specifically, skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy and feedback from the job itself were included. A regression analysis revealed that emotional stability, openness and autonomy were significant predictors of boredom. While those were the only variables predictive of boredom, there were other significant correlations as well. These findings suggest that future research should examine the relationships between the variables in this study and control for factors to further gain insight into possible causes of boredom.

I samband med Covid-19 pandemin har antalet anställda som jobbar på distans ökat drastiskt. Den största ökningen har skett i arbeten som inte kräver fysiska arbetsplatser, där arbetet främst sker via digitala lösningar. Omväxlingen från att sitta på kontor till att jobba på distans, eller i de flesta fallen hemifrån, har föranlett många studier om hur de anställda påverkas i samband med detta. Den här studien fokuserar främst på att förklara förändringen i den inre motivationen i distansarbete, och att identifiera möjliga faktorer bakom detta. Studien utgår därför från job characteristics model för att förklara och identifiera olika karaktärsdrag i själva arbetet som har en påverkan på den inre motivationen hos anställda i distansarbetet. Vidare utgår studien från ett kvalitativt perspektiv, i form av intervjuer av 11 anställda som gått över till distansarbete. Den empiriska data visade att många anställda upplever en positiv förändring i sina dagliga vanor, vissa mindre undantag förekom. Den största fördelen med distansarbete var det mer flexibla arbetsschemat. Den största nackdelen var den sociala faktorn, där en minskad gemenskap bland kollegor var mest framträdande. I analysen kunde man dra paralleller mellan JCM-modellens dimension autonomi och den ökade grad av flexibilitet i arbetet, vilket enligt modellen bidrar till en ökad inre motivation i arbetet. Vidare kunde de övriga faktorerna, som exempelvis den sociala faktorn, tänkas påverka koordinering av arbetsuppgifter, främst inom teamarbete. Slutsatsen som kunde dras var att det i samband med distansarbete fanns en viss positiv förändring i den inre motivationen i arbetet, men att vidare studier krävs för att kunna generalisera slutsatsen. / This study will put focus on and try to explain the change in intrinsic motivation for teleworkers. For this the job characteristics model is used to explain and identify different characteristics in the work itself, that could impact the intrinsic motivation with the teleworking employees. The study will further be conducted through a qualitative perspective with interviews from these employees. Through the interviews, the empirical data showed that most of our respondents experienced a positive change in their daily routine. Where the biggest advantage with teleworker was the more flexible scheduling of the workdays. On the other hand, the negative side that was brought up by most of the respondents showed a decreased socialization between the employees. In the analysis where the empirical data was analyzed through the theoretical model, there was evidence that suggested that the increase of flexibility with telework, positively affected the model’s autonomy aspect, which then should increase the intrinsic motivation. There was also strong evidence in the empirical data for the social aspects which was not found as a part of the theoretical model itself.  As a conclusion it was found that there were some positive changes due to telework for the intrinsic motivation, but that the subject requires further studies to come to a generalizable conclusion.

Within the health care sector in South Africa, the nursing profession is known as one of the four most stressful work environments, which is characterised by high workload, staff shortages and overcrowding situations. This stressful and emotionally draining environment can be the cause for large numbers of nurses experiencing symptoms of burnout and negative work-home interference. However, there seems to be a lack of research investigating specific job demands and job resources associated with burnout and negative work-home interaction in a nursing environment. The first objective of this study was to determine the construct validity and reliability of the adapted Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey (MBI-GS). The second objective was to determine which job characteristics within the nursing environment predict burnout and negative work-home interference (WHI). The last objective was to determine whether negative WHI mediated between the most prominent job characteristics and burnout within the nursing environment and whether it was a partial or full mediating effect. A cross-sectional survey design was used. Random samples (n = 300) were taken from nurses working in the Johannesburg, Klerksdorp, Krugersdorp, Pretoria and Potchefstroom areas. A job characteristics questionnaire, the 'Survey Work-Home Interaction - Nijmegen' (SWING) and an adapted version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey were administered. Cronbach alpha coefficients, exploratory factor analysis, Pearson product moment correlations, multiple regression analysis and structural equation modelling were used to analyse the data. Regarding the first objective, it was found that burnout consists of exhaustion and mental distance, whereas cynicism and depersonalisation collapse into one dimension (e.g. mental distance). Regarding the second objective, the results indicated that the most prominent job demands and job resources associated with exhaustion are pressure, autonomy, role clarity, colleague support and financial support. It seemed that mental distance is primarily predicted by role clarity, colleague support and financial support, while negative work-home interference is predicted by pressure, time demands, role clarity and colleague support. Results obtained for the last objective provided evidence for a partial mediating role of negative WHI in the relationship between the most prominent job characteristics (pressure, role clarity and colleague support) and burnout (consisting of exhaustion and mental distance). Recommendations were made for the organisation and for future research. / Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

The mining industry is one of the largest employers in South Africa in an attempt to thrive in a continuously changing environment and in line with the modem organisation's focus on the various dimensions of employee well-being, mining organisations need the services of engaged workers. The objective of this research was to establish the relationship between work engagement and demographic characteristics, job characteristics and work-home interaction of employees working in the mining industry. A random sample of 320 employees was taken from various mining companies in the Gauteng and North West Provinces. The job characteristics, UWES and SWING questionnaires were used as measuring instruments. Cronbach alpha coefficients, Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients, exploratory factor analysis, structural equation modelling and logistic regression analysis were used to analyse the data Exploratory factor analysis with target rotations confirmed the construct validity of the measuring instruments. Chi-square and t-tests indicated positive relationships between work engagement and race, autonomy, social support, instrumental support, task characteristics, positive work-home interference and positive home-work interference. Logistic regression analyses revealed that race, autonomy, task characteristics and positive home-work interference were significant predictors of work engagement. Recommendations were made for further research. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007

Nurses make up the largest group of health workers in South Africa and are likely to play an important role in the transformation of the health sector. Health caregivers, especially those dealing with people suffering h m serious illnesses and those exposed to multiple deaths, are at risk of developing work-related psychological disorders. Furthermore, long working hours, pressure, role clarity and lack of support from colleagues are the four most common work stressors reported. People are constantly faced with the challenge of simultaneously managing multiple roles in their work as well as their home-sphere. It therefore becomes increasingly important to maintain a balance in these two life spheres. Unfortunately, a gap exists between the positive and negative side of work-home interaction as most research focuses on the negative side. It also seems that, despite the importance of work-home interaction of nurses, relatively few studies investigate the role of specific job characteristics and coping strategies that could play a role in negative and positive work-home interaction. The objective of this study was to determine which job characteristics and coping strategies predict negative and positive work-home interaction in the nursing environment. A cross-sectional survey design was used. Stratified random samples (n = 300) were taken of registered nurses in the Johannesburg, Klerksdorp, Krugersdorp, Potchefstroom and Pretoria regions. A self-constructed questionnaire was used to measure job characteristics. The Coping Strategy Indicator (CSI) was used to measure coping strategies, and the 'Survey Work-home Interaction- NijmeGen' (SWING) was used to measure work-home interaction. Exploratory factor analyses and Cronbach alpha coefficients were used to determine the validity and reliability of the questionnaires. Product-moment correlation coefficients were used to determine the relationship between job characteristics, coping and work-home interaction. Multiple regression analyses were used to determine the percentage variance in the dependent variables (e.g. negative and positive WHI) that is predicted by the independent variables (e.g. job characteristics and coping strategies). The results showed that time demands, pressure, role clarity and colleague support are the main job characteristics that predict negative work-home interference. Problem-solving coping was associated with less negative work-home interference, while avoidance coping seems to predict higher levels of negative work-home interference. Time demands, autonomy and role clarity were the main predictors of positive work-home interference. Problem-solving coping was the only coping strategy associated with positive work-home interference. Recommendations were made for further research. / Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007

Team-based management is a popular contemporary method of redesigning jobs in order to more effectively utilize the human potential of employees. The use of such management techniques should result in increased satisfaction and team commitment; however, many research studies have failed to demonstrate increases in affective outcomes on the part of the employee. The research question examined in this study is, "What specific job dimensions and situational factors result in higher levels of satisfaction and team commitment?" The Job Characteristics Model (Hackman & Oldham, 1975) provided a basis for this study. The model was designed for individual contributors and has not been extensively used in team research. As expected it was found that within a team-based environment higher levels of the five core job dimensions of skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and job feedback were associated with increased satisfaction and team commitment. Organization-based self-esteem was found to mediate the relationship between the five core job dimensions and the affective outcome variables. Contrary to expectations, however, it was found that consultative team members experienced higher levels of satisfaction and commitment than substantive team members. In addition, consultative team members reported higher levels of two core job dimensions, skill variety and task significance, and on the overall Job Diagnostic Survey than did substantive team members. These findings have significant implications for companies undergoing organizational redesign and questions whether those companies should implement advanced levels of employee involvement activities if the organizational goal is to increase satisfaction and commitment. The study employed a survey research design in which data was collected using a self-report questionnaire. A heterogeneous sample of 183 team members participating in either a consultative and substantive team from four different companies in nine locations provided the data for this field survey. Multivariate analyses, including hierarchial set regression, were used to test the hypotheses.

<p>Drawing from literature on job performance, moral intensity (Jones, 1991), and job characteristics theory (Grant, Fried, & Juillerat, 2011; Hackman & Oldham, 1976; Oldham & Fried, 2016), I propose a core feature of work that is not currently recognized or studied in extant work design research: the degree of moral imperativeness and aspiration. That is, jobs differ in how much their performance (i.e., task execution) is a moral imperative or aspiration. I first distinguish the moral imperativeness and aspiration of task execution (MITE and MATE) from related concepts such as task significance (Hackman & Oldham, 1975), prosocial characteristics of work (Grant, 2007, 2008a), and moral intensity of a task (Opoku-Dakwa, 2017, 2018). I then develop and validate a scale. In Study 1, I used job incumbents to provide empirical support that moral imperativeness and aspiration of task execution is distinguishable from related constructs, converge with theoretically-relevant constructs, and predict work criteria as experienced by job incumbents. In Study 2, I used naïve raters to judge the moral imperativeness and aspiration of work tasks at the task level to provide further evidence that they tap objective aspects of occupations.</p>