The mining industry has been the bedrock of South African economy for more than a century, making an important contribution to employment opportunities, the gross domestic product and export earnings in the South African economy. Globally the mining industry is faced with a shortage of qualified talent to meet its production needs. Every year there are more people leaving than entering the mining industry to pursue job and career opportunities. The mining industry has to focus a lot on safety and health, training and development programmes, team building initiatives, and the recruitment and retention of affirmative action candidates in order to retain their valued staff. The mining industry also has to achieve production targets while at the same time assure that its employees are safe and happy workers. Therefore happy, productive and motivated employees are an important contributor to the stability and development within the mining industry. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between job demands, job resources, burnout and engagement of employees in the mining industry. The research method consisted of a literature review and an empirical study. A cross-sectional survey design was used to collect the data. An availability sample (JV=199) from employees in the mining industry was taken. The Job Demands and Resources Scale (JDRS) (was used to measure job demands and job resources), the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (was used to measure engagement) and the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (was used to measure burnout). Descriptive statistics, product-moment correlation coefficients and multiple regression analyses were used to analyse the data. The statistical analysis was carried out with the help of the SPSS programme. The results of this study indicated that job resources, namely organisational support (including the relationship with superiors, role clarity, information, communication, and participation) are positively related to growth opportunities (including variety, opportunities to learn, and autonomy), advancement and social support. Multiple regression analysis showed that the best predictors of engagement were organisational support, growth opportunities and work-life balance. The best predictors of disengagement were lack of resources, including growth opportunities and social support, and demands of overload and a lack of work-life balance. The predictors of burnout were overload and a lack of advancement opportunities Recommendations for future research are made. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

Although numerous and divergent stressors are inherent to the professional life of a psychologist, research regarding burnout and its antipode, work engagement in psychologists is sparse. The current research sought to investigate the nature of and the relationship between job demands, job resources, burnout and work engagement in a group of South African psychologists. The Job Demand-Resources (JD-R) model was employed as the foundation from which to understand and explain the process of burnout development, as well as the process of maintaining work engagement. Personal interviews were conducted and qualitatively analysed to determine occupation-specific themes which were used to develop the Job Demands-Job Resources Scale for Psychologists (JD-JRSP). A group of South African psychologists in private practice (N =105) completed the JD-JRSP, the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI) and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES). The statistical analyses of these instruments reflected that the JD-R model provides a meaningful basis for research into burnout and work engagement. The participants in this study reported low to moderate job demands with moderate to high job resources. In accordance with the underpinnings of the JD-R model, burnout scores were shown to be low, whilst the participants retained high levels of work engagement. The results suggest that job resources mitigate the debilitating effects of job demands and therefore protect against burnout, whilst promoting work engagement. The present study makes a unique contribution to the field as no other South African or international research has, to date, investigated these four constructs in psychologists. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

An individual has the ability to project feelings and emotions onto someone else, to the extent that the other person reacts to them, whether in a similar or opposite manner. These are known as crossover effects. Crossover research investigates the influential relationship and behavioural changes between partners. It sheds light on the occurrence of similar reactions that develop across work and home domains because of interpersonal relations between partners. However, previous crossover research primarily focused on negative symptoms, disregarding the positive. This one-sided approach caused a disparity in crossover research, because one can only gain a holistic understanding of the significance and effects of working if research is extended to include positive aspects. The general objective of this study was to test a structural model of job resources, work engagement and life satisfaction, and to determine the crossover effects of work engagement and life satisfaction among dual-earner parents in South Africa. A cross-sectional survey design was used. A convenience sample of 125 couples (N = 250) was taken in the North West and Gauteng Provinces. A job resources questionnaire, the 'Utrecht Work Engagement Scale' (UWES) and the 'Satisfaction with Life Scale' (SWLS) were administered. Cronbach alpha coefficients, Pearson product-moment correlations, and structural equation modelling were used to analyse the data. Results indicated positive relationships between job resources (autonomy, support and development), work engagement and life satisfaction for both partners. Job resources explained variances of 62% for males and 72% for females in work engagement. A variance of 12% with regard to life satisfaction of males was explained by their work engagement, whilst a combination of female work engagement and their spouse's life satisfaction explained 10% of the variance in female life satisfaction. Unfortunately, expectations about crossover effects of work engagement between partners were not met. The final structural model only confirmed a crossover effect of life satisfaction between partners from male to female. Recommendations were made for the organisation and for future research. / Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

The mining industry has been the bedrock of South African economy for more than a century, making an important contribution to employment opportunities, the gross domestic product and export earnings in the South African economy. Globally the mining industry is faced with a shortage of qualified talent to meet its production needs. Every year there are more people leaving than entering the mining industry to pursue job and career opportunities. The mining industry has to focus a lot on safety and health, training and development programmes, team building initiatives, and the recruitment and retention of affirmative action candidates in order to retain their valued staff. The mining industry also has to achieve production targets while at the same time assure that its employees are safe and happy workers. Therefore happy, productive and motivated employees are an important contributor to the stability and development within the mining industry. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between job demands, job resources, burnout and engagement of employees in the mining industry. The research method consisted of a literature review and an empirical study. A cross-sectional survey design was used to collect the data. An availability sample (JV=199) from employees in the mining industry was taken. The Job Demands and Resources Scale (JDRS) (was used to measure job demands and job resources), the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (was used to measure engagement) and the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (was used to measure burnout). Descriptive statistics, product-moment correlation coefficients and multiple regression analyses were used to analyse the data. The statistical analysis was carried out with the help of the SPSS programme. The results of this study indicated that job resources, namely organisational support (including the relationship with superiors, role clarity, information, communication, and participation) are positively related to growth opportunities (including variety, opportunities to learn, and autonomy), advancement and social support. Multiple regression analysis showed that the best predictors of engagement were organisational support, growth opportunities and work-life balance. The best predictors of disengagement were lack of resources, including growth opportunities and social support, and demands of overload and a lack of work-life balance. The predictors of burnout were overload and a lack of advancement opportunities Recommendations for future research are made. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

Although numerous and divergent stressors are inherent to the professional life of a psychologist, research regarding burnout and its antipode, work engagement in psychologists is sparse. The current research sought to investigate the nature of and the relationship between job demands, job resources, burnout and work engagement in a group of South African psychologists. The Job Demand-Resources (JD-R) model was employed as the foundation from which to understand and explain the process of burnout development, as well as the process of maintaining work engagement. Personal interviews were conducted and qualitatively analysed to determine occupation-specific themes which were used to develop the Job Demands-Job Resources Scale for Psychologists (JD-JRSP). A group of South African psychologists in private practice (N =105) completed the JD-JRSP, the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI) and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES). The statistical analyses of these instruments reflected that the JD-R model provides a meaningful basis for research into burnout and work engagement. The participants in this study reported low to moderate job demands with moderate to high job resources. In accordance with the underpinnings of the JD-R model, burnout scores were shown to be low, whilst the participants retained high levels of work engagement. The results suggest that job resources mitigate the debilitating effects of job demands and therefore protect against burnout, whilst promoting work engagement. The present study makes a unique contribution to the field as no other South African or international research has, to date, investigated these four constructs in psychologists. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

An individual has the ability to project feelings and emotions onto someone else, to the extent that the other person reacts to them, whether in a similar or opposite manner. These are known as crossover effects. Crossover research investigates the influential relationship and behavioural changes between partners. It sheds light on the occurrence of similar reactions that develop across work and home domains because of interpersonal relations between partners. However, previous crossover research primarily focused on negative symptoms, disregarding the positive. This one-sided approach caused a disparity in crossover research, because one can only gain a holistic understanding of the significance and effects of working if research is extended to include positive aspects. The general objective of this study was to test a structural model of job resources, work engagement and life satisfaction, and to determine the crossover effects of work engagement and life satisfaction among dual-earner parents in South Africa. A cross-sectional survey design was used. A convenience sample of 125 couples (N = 250) was taken in the North West and Gauteng Provinces. A job resources questionnaire, the 'Utrecht Work Engagement Scale' (UWES) and the 'Satisfaction with Life Scale' (SWLS) were administered. Cronbach alpha coefficients, Pearson product-moment correlations, and structural equation modelling were used to analyse the data. Results indicated positive relationships between job resources (autonomy, support and development), work engagement and life satisfaction for both partners. Job resources explained variances of 62% for males and 72% for females in work engagement. A variance of 12% with regard to life satisfaction of males was explained by their work engagement, whilst a combination of female work engagement and their spouse's life satisfaction explained 10% of the variance in female life satisfaction. Unfortunately, expectations about crossover effects of work engagement between partners were not met. The final structural model only confirmed a crossover effect of life satisfaction between partners from male to female. Recommendations were made for the organisation and for future research. / Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2010.

Remote work has become a popular topic within organizations and the popular press. However, academic research has been inconclusive as to whether remote work is related to benefits of increased job performance and lessened work-family conflict. This study examined remote work resources to gain an in-depth understanding of how remote work relates to job performance and work-family conflict. One hundred fifty-one salespeople participated in two time-lagged surveys regarding remote work resources (autonomy, feedback, access to information and interaction with one’s supervisor), outcomes (subjective and objective job performance and work family-conflict) and demographics. Remote work resources were not significantly related to job performance. Contrary to hypotheses, more control over work schedule and control over work process were related to more FIW. In support of hypotheses, more interaction with one’s supervisor was related to less FIW and more access to information was related to less WIF. There was no support for hypothesized mediation or moderation but exploratory analyses revealed that proactive personality moderated the relationship between interaction with one’s supervisor and objective job performance such that the relationship was stronger for less proactive employees than for more proactive employees. Overall, findings support the value of fine-grained analysis of remote work’s resources to provide a nuanced look into their relationships with outcomes.

This study seeks to determine which job demands (role ambiguity, role conflict, and role overload) and work or job resources (training, rewards, supervisory support, and service technology) are most closely associated with the three major components of burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment). A related objective of the study is to ascertain which coping mechanisms seem to be relied on by frontline employees in dealing with the dysfunctional effects of burnout. Frontline bank employees in New Zealand serve as the study setting. Results and their implications are discussed and suggestions for future research are offered.

Magister Commercii (Industrial Psychology) - MCom(IPS) / The financial industry revolves around organisations that provide financial services to people in the community. The largest contributor is the banking sector followed by the insurance sector. Financial services organisations face an ever-changing working environment that is constantly increasing in its complexity. New market entrants such as banks provide insurance products, customer preferences change, technology changes quickly, and ever-changing legislation governs the way in which insurance organisations conduct business with customers. Having to continuously contend with the losses, regulatory changes, and risk management, while having to increase the shareholders’ value, all impact on the global financial services industry. They in turn increase the job demands on employees.

The mining industry plays an important role in the economy of South Africa. This industry is an employer of thousands of people and the development of South Africa has depended on the development of the mining industry in more than one way. However, working conditions in the mining industry is poor, harsh and dangerous and employees are also faced with job insecurity. This may lead to stressors in the working environment and these stressors, which are closely related to work characteristics, may have negative effects on employees as well as on their productivity levels. Studies relating organisational resources to work-related flow have provided additional evidence for the motivational potential of resources. The focus of this study is on job characteristics, consisting of job demands and job resources and whether these characteristics can foster work-related flow. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between job demands, job resources and work-related flow and to determine whether the availability of job resources and the lack of job demands foster the experience of work-related flow. The research method consisted of a literature review and an empirical study. A cross-sectional survey design was used o collect the data. An availability sample (N = 326) from employees in the mining industry was taken. The Job Demands and Resources Scale (JDRS) (which was developed for the purpose of this study to measure job demands and job resources for employees in the mining industry) and the Work-Related Flow scale (WOLF) and a biographical questionnaire were also administered The statistical analysis was carried out with the help of the SPSS programme and AMOS programme. The statistical methods utilised in the article consisted of descriptive statistics, Cronbach alpha coefficients , Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients and structural equation modelling methods. Pearson product moment correlation in this study showed that Supervision correlated positively with Task Freedom, Support, Pay and Benefits, Opportunities for Growth and Resources Availability. Workload correlated positively with Working Conditions. Working Conditions correlated positively with Working Hours and negatively with Resources Availability. Task Freedom correlated positively with Opportunities for Growth and Intrinsic Motivation, and Support correlated positively with Opportunity for Growth Pay and Benefits correlated positively with Opportunity for Growth and Resource Availability, whereas Opportunity for Growth correlated positively to Work Enjoyment. Resources Availability correlates negatively with Working Hours, and Absorption indicates a positive correlation to Work Enjoyment and Intrinsic Motivation. Work Enjoyment correlates positively to intrinsic Motivation A structural model of work-related flow for employees in the mining industry comprising of job demands, job resources and work-related flow was tested. Job Resources (i.e. Supervision, Task Freedom, Support, Pay and Benefits, Opportunity for Growth, and Resource Availability) may have a positive impact on Work-Related Flow and could increase the levels of work-related flow of employees in the mining industry. Job Demands (i.e. Workload, Working conditions, Job Security, and Working Hours) has a negative impact on Work-Related Flow, thus job demands may negatively influence the experience of work-related flow in employees in the mining industry. Recommendations for future research were made. / Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.