published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

This study was designed to examine the relationship of Locus of Control with Teacher Stress. Research and null hypotheses were formulated and additional information was collected through the use of a subjective survey. The subjects of this study were 100 secondary school teachers who were attending summer school at The University of Arizona in 1981, in the College of Education. The I-E Locus of Control Scale and the Teacher Stress Events Inventory were administered to collect data. Four subgroups were developed from interactions of the two variables. Null hypotheses were created to examine the relationship of high and low Locus of Control with high and low Teacher Stress. A scattergram and Pierson Product Moment Correlation were used to examine each subgroup and their respective null hypotheses for statistical significance and linear directionality. No subgroups yielded statistical significance and all null hypotheses were retained. An analysis of additional information was obtained by cross-tabulations of selected items of demographic data. The analysis, by clusters, revealed that most subjects: (1) Were $25,000 from more than one income and considered themselves under little stress.

&lsquo / Human capital&rsquo / is the buzzword of the 21st century and is becoming the core value of organisations. In South Africa it is estimated that more than R500 million is lost annually through absenteeism and loss of productivity as a result of stress. Employees are key contributors to the bottom-line and should be selected, placed and applied in such a way that the company only benefits from their output. Therefore, if the human element is a crucial element it becomes essential for the organisation to nurture, protect and optimise individuals to their full potential.<br /> <br /> There is a fair degree of agreement on the variables that act as organizational stressors, however, studies on stress and salutogenic functioning in a state owned enterprise have not been found. According to the literature, salutogenic factors function as generalised resistance resources and a high score on sense of coherence, as well as an internal locus of control correlates with low scores on stress. The present research has a general aim of exploring the relationship between stress and salutogenic functioning, within a state owned enterprise. The levels of stress were correlated with the presence of high or low levels of sense of coherence and whether the individuals display an internal or an external locus of control. A sample of 240 employees (N=240) was used from the organisation.<br /> <br /> The following questionnaires were utilised to measure the range of variables. Levels of stress were measured by the Experience of Work and Life Circumstances Questionnaire (WLQ). Whereas the salutogenic construct, sense of coherence was measured by the Orientation to Life Questionnaire (OLQ) and the second salutogenic construct, locus of control, was measured by the Locus of Control Inventory (LCI). The statistical analyses included inferential (correlation, t-test and analysis of variance) and descriptive statistics. The results demonstrated significant relationships between low stress levels, sense of coherence and internal locus of control. As such, salutogenic functioning in terms of sense of coherence and locus of control, had a significant correlation with levels of stress.

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M.Com. (Industrial Psychology) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

ABSTRACT This study is a combination of the qualitative and quantitative approach using an exploratory/descriptive design conducted at the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, Northern Region. The study explored how Line Managers at Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality perceive the impact of stress and trauma on work performance among employees. The study was conducted with 29 line managers sampled through a random sampling procedure, who had been working for Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality for at least three years. A questionnaire was used to collect the required data. The study found that line managers at Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality were of the view that stress and trauma can affect work performance among employees. It was also found that line managers are uninvolved in their sub-ordinates’ personal matters that are likely to cause mental health problems like stress and trauma.

This thesis investigates production optimisation systems such as lean production and their consequences for the health and safety of workers. In particular it examines potential positive effects and adverse effects on stress and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). The thesis com-prises an extended literature survey and a field study in the manufacturing and the services sector applying lean production. It provides an extensive review of studies carried out in lean production environments in the last 20 years that aims to identify the effects of lean production (negative or positive) on occupational health and related risk factors. Thirty-six studies of lean effects were accepted from the literature search and sorted by sector and type of outcome. Lean production was found to have a negative effect on health and risk factors; the most negative outcomes being found in the earliest studies in the automotive industry. However, examples of mixed and positive effects were also found in the literature. The strongest correlations of lean production with stress were found for characteristics found in Just-In-Time production that related to reduced cycle time and reduction of resources. In-creased musculoskeletal risk symptoms were related to increases of work pace and lack of recovery time also found in Just-In-Time systems. An interaction model is developed to pro-pose a pathway from lean production characteristics to musculoskeletal and psychosocial risk factors and also positive outcomes. An examination is also made of the changing focus of studies investigating the consequences of lean production over a 20-year period. Theories about the effects of lean production have evolved from a conceptualization that it is an inherently harmful management system, to a view that it can have mixed effects depending on the management style of the organization and the specific way it is implemented. The field study was carried out in lean environments in the manufacturing and services sec-tors, namely in the electronics, beverage, and metal industry and call centres in Greece and UK. For the psychosocial factors and recording of MSD symptoms; self reported questionnaires were administrated to the workers. In total 353 workers responded to the questionnaires. Additionally qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with managers and lean officials, safety officers and workers in the sample. Finally, observation visits in the companies completed the data collection process. The lean implementation level of the companies was estimated on a five-point scale, according to a validated model (Conti et al, 2006). A follow up study to collect qualitative data was possible in one company in the sample. The research hypotheses of the field study tested the relationship between job stress and MSDs with quantitative job demands, job control, performance monitoring, and the level of lean implementation. The hypotheses were partly supported in both sectors: In the service sector findings confirm that quantitative job demands are predictors of job stress, consistent with similar studies in call centres. Stress is strongly asso-ciated with MSD development. In the manufacturing sector, quantitative job demands were not predictors of job stress, neither of MSDs. Positive challenges were a mediator of job stress. Stress was not a predictor for MSDs symptoms. Mechanical exposure increased after lean implementation in manufacturing although the opposite was aimed at. Consultation of workers on lean characteristics was another mediator to MSD development. A comparison was made between manufacturing and the services sectors. Differences be-tween sectors in job demands -with the exception of learning demands that are higher in manufacturing- were not significant. Predictability on the other hand was higher in call centres. Employees in the call centres reported statistically significant more frequent MSD symptoms compared to workers in manufacturing. Stress differences were not significant among sectors whereas job satisfaction was significantly higher in manufacturing. This can partly be explained by the positive social context, job security and management commitment to have no lay offs due to lean application; that workers enjoyed in the manufacturing companies of the sample. This was not the case in the call centres. In conclusion it was not the stressors that were higher in the call centres sample but a significant number of job support and control characteristics that were reported as being higher in the manufacturing sample of the study. Analysis of the relationship between job characteristics, stress and leanness revealed a high degree of non-linearity. The best fit was achieved with quadratic curves. At low levels of lean implementation stress was increasing. At a middle level of implementation stress reached a peak after which, with advanced implementation, it decreased. This is consistent with earlier study findings. The study demonstrates that it is not so much the level of lean implementation that is important for the health & safety effects but the lean characteristics that are employed. Characteristics linked to JIT can be critical and can be associated with increased job demands and for some cases increased stress and MSD symptoms. Moreover it is the social context (management mentality and actual workers participation) in lean application that is crucial for the implications of lean work to health. Further research is needed to compare lean effects between sectors including also other services. Finally, more research is needed on alternatives to intensive systems that would have better consequences for the health & safety of workers. Ergonomics has an obligation to pro-pose work redesign that aims at sustainability for all parties.

Yau Man Yin. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 44-57). / Abstract in English and Chinese. / Chapter CHAPTER 1. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Review on Stress and Coping --- p.1 / Coping --- p.2 / Research on Stress and Coping --- p.3 / Using SMIs to Study Stress and Coping --- p.5 / Occupational Stress --- p.6 / Table 1 --- p.9 / Reasons for Meta-Analysis --- p.10 / Content As a Moderator --- p.11 / Identification of Stressors as a Moderator --- p.12 / Massed Vs Distributed Session as a Moderator --- p.13 / Time Interval as Moderator --- p.15 / Outcomes --- p.16 / Chapter CHAPTER 2. --- METHOD --- p.18 / Literature Search --- p.18 / Inclusion Criteria --- p.18 / Meta-Analysis Procedures --- p.19 / Coding --- p.21 / Publication Bias --- p.21 / Chapter CHAPTER 3. --- RESULTS --- p.22 / Overall --- p.22 / Table 2 --- p.23 / Moderators --- p.24 / Table 3 --- p.24 / Table 4 --- p.26 / Table 5 --- p.26 / Table 6 --- p.27 / Table7 --- p.29 / Table 8 --- p.30 / Table 9 --- p.31 / Chapter CHAPTER 4: --- DISCUSSION --- p.32 / Workshop Content --- p.34 / Identification of Stress --- p.35 / Massed and Distributed Practice --- p.36 / Time interval --- p.37 / Implications --- p.38 / Limitations and Future Directions --- p.40 / Concluding Remarks --- p.42 / REFERENCES --- p.44

Occupations involve regular contacts and associations with stigmatized or degraded people (e.g, policemen, nurses, social workers) are referred to as socially dirty work (Hughes, 1951; Ashforth & Kreiner, 1999; 2014).Socially dirty workers dealing with clients who are stigmatized by the society may encounter identity threat and negative societal perceptions towards their work (Kreiner, Ashforth & Sluss, 2006). Though the clients are stigmatized by the society, professional trainings of socially dirty workers advocate treating the clients as equal and respectable individuals. Hence, socially dirty workers face a big challenge to handle conflicting perceptions towards their clients– taking the professional side or the societal side. / Drawing on the conservation of resource (COR) framework (Hobfoll, 1989; 1990), I examined the effect of work dirtiness on socially dirty worker’s job outcomes and investigated the effects of two contextual factors. In particular, I proposed a construct called the intensity of social work dirtiness (ISWD) –the extent to which clients are stigmatized by society: when the clients are more stigmatized by the society, socially dirty workers are more likely to experience resource loss and job strain. I also proposed employees’ work orientations (calling / job orientation) and professional-client relationship quality, would moderate the effect of intensity of social work dirtiness on employees’ stressful experience and work outcomes. / Data were collected at three time points from 16 hospitals in Mainland China. Results showed that the intensity of social work dirtiness was positively related to job strain and further affected employees’ job satisfaction, turnover intentions and psychological wellbeing. The moderating effects of work orientations and relationship quality were also supported in the analysis. / 现代社会有许多职业需要经常接触污名化的客户 （如警察、护士、社工），这类职业被定义为社会型厌恶性工作(Hughes, 1951; Ashforth & Kreiner, 1999; 2014)。 社会型厌恶性工作者往往会遇到自我身份认同的难题和承受社会对他们的负面印象(Kreiner, Ashforth & Sluss, 2006)。 另一方面，这类型的工作者通常都接受了职业价值观的训练:要平等对待和尊重他们的客户。因此，社会型厌恶性工作者常常面临挑战：如何看待工作中接触的污名化客户 -- 是跟随社会大众的看法还是保持职业的看法。根据资源保存理论 (Hobfoll,1989)。当客户的污名化程度越严重，这类型工作者越可能承受更大的压力。 / 我提出员工的工作导向以及员工与污名化客户的关系会调节客户污名化程度对员工压力的影响。 / 我在中国内地的医院和香港的社工组织中收集了数据并作了详细分析，模型中的部分假设得到了验证和支持。 / Wen, Shanshan. / Thesis Ph.D. Chinese University of Hong Kong 2015. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 101-117). / Abstracts also in Chinese; appendix includes Chinese. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on 06, October, 2016). / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only.

In the decade before 2005, South African organisations have had to cope with an ever-increasing rate of local and global changes. There have been considerable and ongoing socio-political changes, resulting from new Government regulations. Most organisations have experienced some type of downturn, whether due to external business factors or poor internal performance. A typical response to organisational decline is retrenchment. Retrenchment is attributed to cyclical downturns, market losses or other economic factors, which oblige the employer to reduce the labour force numbers. Though there are so many ways of responding to organisational failure, this study focused only on retrenchment. A number of psychologists and human sciences researchers have studied the results of job loss due to retrenchment. Retrenchment brings loss of skills, loss of morale and commitment, as well as physical and mental health degradation, including stress that results in employees withdrawing physically and emotionally. The main purpose of this study was to outline the employees’ perceptions of the effects of retrenchment on job stress and organisational commitment in a mining company. The research methodology used in this study is a combination of a literature review and an empirical study. The probability sampling technique, which entails using simple random sampling, was used to select the sample of the study. The primary data were collected using a questionnaire. The measuring instrument contained 43 items. The measuring instrument was pilot-tested with 50 respondents three weeks before the main survey; the questionnaire was self-administered to the participants. For the main survey, data from 294 respondents were collected and analysed. Participants in the study involved surface employees, including management, administrators, engineers and artisans. Data were analysed with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficients of the various sections of the measuring instrument were computed to establish construct validity. Content validity was ascertained by pre-testing the questionnaire with the employees in the mine in question. Correlations were used to establish convergent validity of the constructs. Convergent validity was assessed to measure the degree of linear association of variables using Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Discriminant validity was achieved by using regression analysis to show items loaded onto different factors in various sections which had more than one factor. Analysis was done using descriptive statistics on the demographic information of respondents. The results were also interpreted through correlation and regression analysis. The results showed that the effects of retrenchment did not have a negative impact on job stress (time stress and anxiety). This may be due to the mine in question planning and consulting with the employees prior to the retrenchment process. The results also showed that job stress (time stress and anxiety) is negatively associated with organisational commitment. Subsequent to these findings, it is recommended that employees (survivors) be updated on their future in the company in question. This could be done through regular workshops and counselling of employees. In order to motivate and engage employees, and thereby contribute to employee commitment, it was also recommended that organisations create open, supportive and fair organisational and team cultures, and ensure jobs are clearly aligned with organisational goals and have appropriate levels of autonomy, support and career development. Given that job satisfaction plays a huge role in organisational commitment, it was further recommended that managers need to actively improve their organisation’s job satisfaction to employees in order to achieve a higher level of organisational commitment. The study concludes by recommending that communication between employees and management should take place on a regular basis which can serve as a fundamental tool to retrenchment in the following manner: • Survivors will feel more committed to the organisation when the basis of retrenchment addresses the circumstances in the external environment, rather than the enrichment of shareholders or top management. • Communicating a clear vision of how retrenchment will benefit stakeholders, increases commitment since survivors can see a clear future for the organisation. • When survivors are treated with dignity and respect, they will feel more committed to the organisation because they feel appreciated.