Thesis (M.Comm. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

Aim: The aim of the study was to analyse the psychosocial factors in work- and private life and its correlation with various stress-related symptoms and ill health among employees at a faculty at the Linnaeus University. The goal was also to analyze whether there was a gender difference in these health parameters associated with a difference in psychosocial work and home conditions between women and men. Method: Data were collected through a questionnaire were the responders answered questions about demand, control and social support which emanated from Karasek's demand control model. Their professional position was determined by their pay-and educational level in accordance with the theory of the social gradient of health. Stress was measured using "SCGP scale" and mental illness with the help of the ”General Health Qestionnarie.” Two regression analyses were conducted, the first to analyze the correlation between psychosocial factors and stress-related symptoms and the other to analyze the correlation between psychosocial factors and mental ilness. Results: High demand, low control, low social support and lower professional position had a strong relationship (p<0,000)  with both stress-related symptoms ( R = 0,49) and mental illness ( R = 0,56) even after controlling for confounders.The strongest own relationship (when the overlap effects between different variables was taken into account) were found between high demands and stress-related symptoms (standardized beta 0.35) and high demands and mental illness (standardized beta 0.38). Conclusion: Due to the cross-sectional nature of the study causal inferences cannot be made. However the results showed that high demand, low control and low social support together had a strong correlation with stress-related ill-health. Furthermore, the study showed no gender differences in the psychosocial factors which is a likely explanation for the fact that there was no difference between men and women in neither stress related symptoms or mental illness. This is an important and positive finding because of the fact that the result indicates that differences in health between men and women is reduced when they have equal opportunities in work and private life. / Mål: Målet med studien var att analysera psykosociala faktorer i arbets- och privatliv och dess samband med stressrelaterad ohälsa bland de anställda på en fakultet vid Linnéuniversitetet. Målet var även att analysera huruvida det fanns en könskillnad i dessa hälsoparametrar kopplad till en skillnad i psykosociala förutsättningar mellan kvinnor och män. Metod: Data samlades in via en enkätstudie där de anställda fick svara på frågor kring krav, kontroll och socialt stöd vilka utgick från Karasek´s krav kontroll modell. Individernas plats i yrkeshierarkin avgjordes av deras lön samt utbildningsnivå i enlighet med teorin kring hälsans sociala gradient. De frågor som berörde hemarbete utgick ifrån tidigare forskning på området. Stress mättes med hjälp av ”SCGP scale”, en skala som mäter olika stressrelaterade symtom och psykisk ohälsa mättes med hjälp av ”General Health Qestionnarie”. Två regressionsanalyser genomfördes, den första regressionen analyserade samband mellan psykosociala faktorer och stressrelaterade symtom och den andra regressionen analyserade samband mellan psykosociala faktorer och psykisk ohälsa. Resultat: Höga krav, låg kontroll, lågt socialt stöd samt lägre yrkesposition hade tillsammans ett starkt samband, (p <0,001) med både stressrelaterade symtom (R = 0,49) och psykisk ohälsa (R = 0,56), även efter kontroll för confounders. Det starkaste egna sambandet (när överlappningseffekter mellan olika variabler tagits hänsyn till) återfanns mellan höga krav och stressrelaterade symtom (standardiserad beta 0,35) respektive höga krav och psykisk ohälsa (standardiserad beta 0,38). Konklusion: Resultatet visade att höga krav, låg kontroll, lågt socialt stöd samt lägre plats i yrkeshierarkin tillsammans hade ett starkt samband med stressrelaterade symtom samt psykisk ohälsa. På grund av studiens tvärsnittsdesign kan dock inte orsak och verkan säkerställas. Vidare visade studien inga könsskillnader i ovannämnda psykosociala faktorer vilket är en trolig förklaring till att det inte heller fanns någon skillnad mellan kvinnor och män i stressrelaterade symtom samt psykisk ohälsa. Detta är ett viktigt och positivt fynd då resultatet indikerar på att skillnader i ohälsa mellan kvinnor och män går att utjämna genom att skapa lika förutsättningar i arbets- och privatliv.

Syftet med vår studie var att undersöka hur organisatoriska faktorer som krav i arbetet och stödfunktioner kan påverka grundskolans mellanchefers förutsättningar att vara tillgängliga för medarbetare enligt medarbetarnas förväntningar. För att får svar på vårt syfte använde vi oss av en kvalitativ metod med semistrukturerade intervjuer. Resultatet från vår kvalitativa undersökning analyserade vi med hjälp av teorier kring krav i arbetet, kontrollspannetsbetydelse, mellanchefers behov av stöd och chefen som stötdämpare. Resultatet visar att medarbetarna förväntar sig att chefen är nåbar och tar sig tid genom att faktiskt lyssna aktivt när medarbetaren behöver det. Hur stödet ser ut påverkar hur mycket tid chefen kan lägga på att vara tillgänglig enligt medarbetarnas förväntningar. Ett stöd som fungerar frigör tid med medarbetarna medan ett ofungerande stöd istället tar tid från medarbetarna. Kraven på cheferna ökar, möjliga faktorer handlar om att omvärlden förändras och då ändras även arbetets förutsättningar som exempelvis fler uppgifter att hantera. / The aim of our study was to examine how organizational factors such as job demands and support can influence primary school middle managers opportunities to be available to subordinates under subordinates' expectations. To answer our purpose, we used a qualitative approach with semi structured interviews. The results was analyzed using theories of job demands, span of control, middle managers need for support and a theory about middle managers acting as a shock absorber between subordinates wishes and the managements demands. What kind of support the manager have affects how much time the manager can spend on being available for the subordinates. If the support isn´t adapted for the managers situation, the result will be more unnecessary duties for the manager and less time for the subordinates. The results show that subordinates expect the middle manager to be reachable and to take time to priority the subordinate when the subordinate needs it. Even if the manager can prioritize subordinates needs today, changes inside and outside the organization leads to higher demands on the managers.

Universities worldwide are developing a disturbing imbalance with their environments. In recent years, academic working conditions in South African universities have changed dramatically as a result of the country's post-apartheid policies and the accelerating globalisation of knowledge. Academic staff are continually confronted with an overload of job demands without corresponding increases in job resources. These prolonged job stressors that academic staff are subjected to over lengthy periods of time coupled with inadequate job resources can lead to the development of a pathogenically defined construct, namely burnout. The objective of this research was to investigate the relationships between burnout, strain, job characteristics and dispositional optimism in universities in the North-West Province. A cross-sectional design was used. The study population (N = 279) consisted of academic staff of universities in the North-West Province. The Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey (MBI-GS), The Life Orientation Test - Revised (LOT-R), Job Characteristics Scale (JCS) and General Health Questionnaire (GHQI9) were used as measuring instruments. Descriptive statistics (e.g. means, standard deviations and kurtosis) were used to analyse the data. Exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modelling were used to confirm the structure of the measuring instruments and to test theoretical models. The results showed that the stressors of overload was associated with high levels of exhaustion and low professional efficacy. Job resources (i.e. social support, task characteristics) were related to low levels of exhaustion and cynicism and higher levels of professional efficacy. Exhaustion and low professional efficacy were significantly related to physical and psychological health problems. Exhaustion and cynicism were negatively related to optimism, whereas professional efficacy were positively related to the latter. Optimism moderated the effects of a lack of resources on exhaustion and the effects of job resources on professional efficacy. / Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.

Call centre employees in the insurance industry constantly interacts and negotiates with strangers, and are confronted with the unknown, unfamiliar and the unpredictable. They use interactive display terminals during telephone calls and thus perform multiple-tasks with frequent interruptions. Their jobs are also characterised by repetitive movements, while complex information is processed. In addition, call centre employees often work in noisy environments under time pressure, and their performance is usually monitored on line. Job demands and job resources can influence the well-being of call centre employees. Emotional intelligence is deemed to aid in the conceptualisation of psychological well-being and can be applied as a means to successfully cope with daily demands and pressures. The objective of this research was to determine the relationship between job demands, job resources, emotional intelligence (EQ) and work-related well-being of call centre employees. A cross-sectional survey design was used. The study population (n = 141) consisted of call centre employees in a corporate insurance environment in Gauteng. The Bar-On EQ-i, Maslach Burnout Inventory-General survey, UWES, Job characteristics scale and a biographical questionnaire were used as measuring instruments. Cronbach alpha coefficients, inter-item correlation coefficients, factor analysis, Pearson product moment correlation coefficients and structural equation modelling were used to analyse the data. Principal component analysis resulted in a fifteen factor model of emotional intelligence namely emotional self-awareness, assertiveness, self-regard, self-actualisation, independence, empathy, interpersonal relationship, social responsibility, problem-solving, reality testing, flexibility, stress tolerance, impulse control, happiness and optimism. Regarding the Job Characteristics Scale, eight factors were extracted, namely role clarity, supervision, pay and benefits, workload, job security, colleague support, opportunity to grow and social contact between the call centre agents. For the MBI-GS two factors were extracted namely: exhaustion and cynicism and for the UWES one factor was extracted, namely vigour/dedication. The correlation coefficients indicated that exhaustion was statistically a significant positive correlation (practically significant, large effect) with cynicism and a statistically significant positive correlation (practical1y significant, medium effect) with workload. Exhaustion was also a statistically significant negative correlation (practical1y significant, large effect) with engagement and a statistically significant negative correlation (practically significant, medium effect) with role clarity, col1eague support, self-regard, self-actualisation, flexibility, stress tolerance, impulse control, and happiness. Cynicism showed a statistically significant negative correlation (practical significant, large effect) with engagement and a statistically significant negative correlation (practical significant, medium effect) with role clarity, supervision, opportunity to grow, engagement, emotional self-awareness, self-regard, self actualisation, flexibility, and happiness. The results indicated that EQ directly influences the experience of burnout (main effect), however, no results could be obtained supporting the moderating effect of EQ between emotional demands and burnout. Recommendations were made for cal1 centre management in the insurance industry and for future research purposes. / Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

A growing economy demands a skilled workforce, and the reality of the situation in South Africa is that, due to former apartheid policies and job reservation, there are large numbers of unemployed people with little hope of employment in the formal sector because they lack skills and experience. The National Skills Development and the Skills Development Levy Act gave rise to the development of the National Skills Development Strategy (NSDS). The NSDS is now entering its second five-year cycle with the scoreboard reflecting both gains and challenges for Sector Education Training Authorities (SETAs) as the primary delivery institutions of the NSDS. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between job demands and job resources and the work wellness of employees in SETAs, using a cross-sectional survey design. The survey consisted of 159 SETA employees in South Africa. The Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey, the Utrecht Work engagement Scale, the ASSET (An Organizational Stress Screening Evaluation Tool) and the Orientation to Life Questionnaire, were administered. Descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analyses, Pearson correlations and structural equation modelling were used to analyse the data. The results of this study confirmed the construct validity and reliability of the scales which were employed to measure work-related well-being. Furthermore, the results showed that overload predict exhaustion. Cynicism was best predicted by a lack of resources (specifically growth opportunities and lack of organisational support) and a weak sense of coherence. Vigour and dedication were predicted by growth opportunities, organisational support and a strong sense of coherence Exhaustion predicted physical ill-health, while both exhaustion and cynicism contributed to psychological ill-health. Affective organisational commitment was predicted by vigour and dedication, while behavioural organisational commitment was predicted by high vigour and low exhaustion. Recommendations for SETAs and future research were made / Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

Stress and burnout among workers are reaching epidemic proportions, resulting in loss of millions in revenue due to absenteeism and corresponding reduction in productivity. The question as to whether the participants of this study experience low levels of work wellness (i.e., low burnout and high work engagement) or not, is not easy to answer. Therefore, research is needed regarding the understanding of how burnout manifests itself, as well as underlying factors contributing to the work engagement of managers and their relationship with job demands and resources thereof. The objective of this study was to investigate which job demands and job resources will predict burnout and work engagement of managers in the packaging manufacturing sector and how different job characteristics will affect their levels of engagement. A cross-sectional survey design was used. The study population (N = 90) consisted of managerial staff from various divisions of a national packaging manufacturing company in South Africa. The Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, the Job-Demands-Resources Questionnaire and a biographical questionnaire were administered. The reliability of the measuring instruments was assessed with the use of Cronbach alpha coefficients. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data. Pearson correlations and multiple regression analyses were used to assess the relationships between burnout, job demands, job resources and work engagement. The results showed that exhaustion was positively related to job demands (work overload). Both exhaustion and cynicism were negatively related to a lack of job resources such as organisational support and growth opportunities. Managers with low opportunities to learn, little work independence, poor relationship with colleagues, poor relationship with immediate supervisor, limited access to information, poor communication, insufficient participation, lack of contact possibilities, poor remuneration and limited career possibilities were found to experience high burnout and less work engagement, presumably because stimuli from the environment did not promote growth, self-development, personal accomplishment and meaning for the manager. The results showed that both job demands and job resources contributed to burnout and work engagement. Recommendations for future research have been made. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

Stress among correctional officers is widespread, according to research studies and anecdotal evidence. The threat of inmate violence against correctional officers, actual violence committed by inmates, inmate demands and manipulation and problems with co-workers are conditions that officers have reported in recent years that can cause stress. These factors, combined with understaffing, extensive overtime, rotating shift work, low pay, poor public image, and other sources of stress, can impair officers' health, cause them to bum out or retire prematurely, and impair their family life. Despite these weaknesses and malfunctioning in correctional settings, many officers are still committed in their work, until they reach their set pension dates. Such officers show intense focus and high levels of enthusiasm. With the upcoming positive paradigm in Occupational Health Psychology, "positive" trends such as work engagement, organisational commitment and individual commitment are also common among correctional officers. The first step in the enhancement of total spectrum of work-related well-being, from unwell-being (burnout) to well-being (work engagement) is the successful diagnosis of stress, burnout and work engagement. However, it is important to use reliable and valid instruments to measure these constructs. The objective of this study in the Department of Correctional Services was to standardise an Organisational Stress Screening Tool (ASSET), an adapted version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey (MBI - GS) and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) for correctional officers in South Africa, in order to determine their levels of occupational stress, burnout, work engagement, organisational commitment and ill health (based on their biographical characteristics), and to test a structural model of work wellness. A cross-sectional survey design was used, with stratified random samples (N = 897) taken of correctional officers in the 48 prisons in South Africa. An Organisational Stress Screening Tool, the Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, the Job - Demands Resources Questionnaire, the Health and Organisational Commitment subscales of the ASSET, and a biographical questionnaire were administered. Cronbach alpha coefficients, exploratory factor analyses, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), T-tests and multiple regression analysis were used to analyse the data. Structural equation modelling was used to test a structural model of work related well-being. Significant differences in stress levels based on biographical characteristics revealed a statistically significant difference regarding how correctional officers of different age groups experience stress as a result of job overload and commitment from the organisation towards its own employees. A practically significant difference between correctional officers aged 20- 30 and 50-60 years of age, concerning the experience of stress as a result of job control, was also found. Another statistically significant difference was found concerning how correctional officers with different years of experience in the current job experienced stress as a result of job overload and work relationships. Work relationships contributed to a statistically significant difference between correctional officers with different years of experience in the current prison. Statistically significant differences also existed with regard to the experience of stress between correctional officers with different ranks as a result of job overload and work/life balance. Lastly, no statistically significant gender differences were found among male and female correctional officers in South Africa. This finding on gender, is in contrast with most of the empirical research on gender differences, which suggests that women appear to experience higher levels of stress in comparison to males. Exploratory factor analyses with target rotations resulted in a three-factor model of burnout consisting of Exhaustion, Cynicism and Professional Efficacy. The scales showed acceptable internal consistencies and construct equivalence for two language groups (Afrikaans/English and African). Regarding the differences in the burnout levels between language groups, a significant effect of language on the combined dependent variable Burnout was revealed. Analysis of each individual dependent variable showed that there were no significant differences between the levels of Exhaustion and Cynicism in the two language groups. The two groups differed in terms of the level of Professional Efficacy, where the English/Afrikaans group showed higher levels of Professional Efficacy. No significant effect of qualification and rank on the combined dependent variable Burnout was found. However, the language groups (English/Afrikaans) and (Africans) differed in terms of the level of Exhaustion where the Africans showed higher levels of Exhaustion. Furthermore, there was a significant effect of job on the combined dependent variable Burnout. Significant differences existed between language groups as a result of the levels of Exhaustion, Cynicism and Professional Efficacy. Finally, compared to the normative sample, 32,4% of correctional officers experience high levels of Exhaustion, while 38,6% experience high Cynicism and 32,1% show low Professional Efficacy. Exploratory factor analyses with target rotations resulted in a one-factor model of work engagement, consisting of Vigour/Dedication. The scales showed acceptable construct and internal equivalence for two language groups (Afrikaans and English). Although no practically significant differences between language groups of correctional officers in South Africa were found, it did reveal statistically significant higher levels of work engagement for Africans as compared to the Afrikaans/English language group. Furthermore, regarding differences in engagement levels based on qualifications and ranks, the findings revealed a statistically significant difference based on qualifications, and not on rank. No significant gender differences were found. With regard to aspects that enervated work-related well-being, the model showed that job demands (overload) and lack of job resources had an impact on burnout. Burnout, furthermore, mediated the relationship between job demands and ill health among correctional officers. The structural model revealed that work-related well-being mediated the relationship between job resources and organisational commitment. Correctional officers were likely to be victims of burnout and consequently ill health when an increase in job demands is not matched with an increase in job resources. The availability of job resources lead to work-related wellbeing, which will turn into organisational commitment. Recommendations for future research were made. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

Over the last five decades, there has been an increase in the number of immigrants coming to and settling in the United States (U.S.). Limited research has explored the job and workplace characteristics that contribute to work-family conflict among immigrant workers. To fill this gap in knowledge this study examines the relationship of job demands, social support and worker characteristics to work-family conflict among immigrant and native workers in the U.S. Using the 2002 National Study of Changing Workforce (NSCW), this exploratory study identifies the job demands, social support and socio-demographic factors related with time-based, and strain-based, work-family conflict among immigrant (n=157) and native workers (n=165). Four research questions were posited to examine the differences between the immigrant and native workers’ experiences of job demands, workplace social support, and work-family conflict; the relationship between job demands, workplace social support and time-based and strain-based work-family conflict; and the job demands, workplace social support and socio-demographic characteristics that predicted time-based, and strain-based work-family conflict. Independent sample t-tests, cross-tabulations, and stepwise multiple regressions via backward elimination method were used to address specific research questions. Findings indicate that only two job demands, work schedule and learning requirements, are significantly different between immigrant and native workers. Multivariate analysis suggests that among immigrant workers, workload pressure, total hours worked, and lack of co-worker social support are significantly associated with time-based, work-family conflict; being married, lack of supervisor social support, lack of learning requirements, increased work hours and workload pressure are associated with strain-based, work-family conflict. Among native workers childcare responsibilities, lower levels of income, a job with rotating or split shifts, high workload pressure, increased work hours, and lower learning requirements are associated with time-based work-family conflict. Being younger, having lower supervisor social support, lower learning requirements, higher workload pressure, working at rotating/split shift, and having work role ambiguity are significant predictors of strain-based, work-family conflict among native workers. Drawing on person-in-environment perspective, this study has implications for social work practice at individual, organizational, and policy levels, and also for work-life research among immigrant working populations.