Proefschrift Rijksuniversiteit Limburg, Maastricht. / Met lit. opg. - Met samenvatting in het Engels.

Career choice is one of the most daunting decisions one has to make, since it has implications that affect a variety of aspects in one’s life. For adolescents, career decision–making is even more challenging because it is done at a time when adolescents are going through a period of identity formation, and when their core personalities have not yet been fully formed. It is therefore essential to provide systematic career guidance programmes that will assist adolescents in their career development in order to empower them to make realistic career choices. The school, as a place where adolescents spend most of their time, can be used as a vehicle to promote meaningful career development amongst adolescent learners. However, the contribution by adolescents themselves in determining the appropriate content and career guidance services/activities that will best address their needs is vital. Senior secondary school learners, in particular, are in a position to articulate their career planning needs and to identify the deficits in existing career guidance programmes. The situation in Botswana where career guidance forms only a quarter of the public secondary school guidance and counselling programme, which, with all its four components, is allocated only one 40 minute–period per week deserves special attention. Hence, this study set out to determine: * the career planning needs of Senior Public Secondary School Learners in Gaborone, Botswana as articulated by the learners themselves; * the extent to which the current career guidance programme in Senior Public Secondary Schools meets the needs of the learners. A mixed methods design, consisting of the use of a questionnaire to collect the quantitative data and a qualitative method in the form of focus–group interviews, was used to collect the data for the study. The findings of the study highlight several challenges which hamper the provision of a systematic career guidance programme to the learners, which include limited time, lack of trained personnel and less than optimal career service delivery practices. The lack of key career exploration activities in schools, such as the use of internet resource materials and career video/audio tapes, job–shadowing, career field–trips/excursions and, in some cases, career talks, results in learners experiencing unmet career needs. This situation affects the extent to which the curriculum in place addresses the career planning needs of the learners. No significant differences were noted in the needs of the learners according to gender. The study reveals that the Career Guidance Programme provides the relevant theoretical frame–work for providing the necessary assistance to learners to make informed career decisions. However, the actual implementation of the programme in the different schools leaves a lot to be desired, with several learning outcomes for the career guidance programme in both Form 4 and Form 5 not being achieved. The effectiveness of the annual career fair as a major method of disseminating career information to learners also came into question since most learners expressed having gained minimal benefit from it. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Career choice is one of the most daunting decisions one has to make, since it has implications that affect a variety of aspects in one’s life. For adolescents, career decision–making is even more challenging because it is done at a time when adolescents are going through a period of identity formation, and when their core personalities have not yet been fully formed. It is therefore essential to provide systematic career guidance programmes that will assist adolescents in their career development in order to empower them to make realistic career choices. The school, as a place where adolescents spend most of their time, can be used as a vehicle to promote meaningful career development amongst adolescent learners. However, the contribution by adolescents themselves in determining the appropriate content and career guidance services/activities that will best address their needs is vital. Senior secondary school learners, in particular, are in a position to articulate their career planning needs and to identify the deficits in existing career guidance programmes. The situation in Botswana where career guidance forms only a quarter of the public secondary school guidance and counselling programme, which, with all its four components, is allocated only one 40 minute–period per week deserves special attention. Hence, this study set out to determine: * the career planning needs of Senior Public Secondary School Learners in Gaborone, Botswana as articulated by the learners themselves; * the extent to which the current career guidance programme in Senior Public Secondary Schools meets the needs of the learners. A mixed methods design, consisting of the use of a questionnaire to collect the quantitative data and a qualitative method in the form of focus–group interviews, was used to collect the data for the study. The findings of the study highlight several challenges which hamper the provision of a systematic career guidance programme to the learners, which include limited time, lack of trained personnel and less than optimal career service delivery practices. The lack of key career exploration activities in schools, such as the use of internet resource materials and career video/audio tapes, job–shadowing, career field–trips/excursions and, in some cases, career talks, results in learners experiencing unmet career needs. This situation affects the extent to which the curriculum in place addresses the career planning needs of the learners. No significant differences were noted in the needs of the learners according to gender. The study reveals that the Career Guidance Programme provides the relevant theoretical frame–work for providing the necessary assistance to learners to make informed career decisions. However, the actual implementation of the programme in the different schools leaves a lot to be desired, with several learning outcomes for the career guidance programme in both Form 4 and Form 5 not being achieved. The effectiveness of the annual career fair as a major method of disseminating career information to learners also came into question since most learners expressed having gained minimal benefit from it. / Thesis (M.Ed.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

English, Afrikaans and Northern Sotho summaries / Die algemene doel van hierdie navorsing was om ’n loopbaantevredenheids- en indiensneembaarheidsprofiel vir kenniswerkers saam te stel, gebaseer op die verhoudingsdinamika tussen individue se biografiese eienskappe (ouderdom, ras en indiensnemingstatus), loopbaankognisies (loopbaanaanpasbaarheid en psigososiale loopbaanpreokkupasies as voorgangers), hulle psigososiale loopbaanhulpbronne (indiensneembaarheidskenmerke, loopbaanankers en loopbaanwaardes as moderators) en hulle loopbaantevredenheid en selfwaargenome indiensneembaarheid (gevolge of uitkomste). Die einddoel van die navorsing was om gevolgtrekkings te maak oor die verhoudingsdinamika (omvang en rigting) tussen die konsepte ten einde organisatoriese loopbaanontwikkelingspraktyke vir die kenniswerker voor te stel. ’n Kwantitatiewe deursneenavorsingsbenadering is gevolg en het ’n steekproef van N = 404 kenniswerkers behels wat by professionele Suid-Afrikaanse liggame geregistreer is. Beskrywende, korrelasie- en meerveranderlike inferensiële statistiek is ingespan. Aanvullend tot die kanoniese korrelasieresultate, het regressie and strukturele vergelykingsmodellering ontledings aangetoon dat die loopbaantevredenheidsprofiel unieke beïnvloedingsfaktore het terwyl die selfwaargenome indiensneembaarheidsprofiel ook oor sy eie unieke beïnvloedingsfaktore beskik. Moderering regressie-ontleding het gewys dat individue se loopbaankognisies (dit is die vlakke van loopbaanaanpasbaarheid en loopbaanpreokkupasies) nie voorwaardelik ten opsigte van hulle psigososiale loopbaanhulpbronne was (dit is, indiensneembaarheidseienskappe, loopbaanankers en loopbaanwaardes) om hulle vlakke van loopbaantevredenheid en selfwaargenome indiensneembaarheid te verduidelik nie. Die loopbaankognisies en psigososiale loopbaanhulpbronne het individuele, bepaalde hoofgevolge om te oorweeg ten einde kenniswerkers se loopbaantevredenheid en selfwaargenome indiensneembaarheid te verstaan. Stapsgewyse regressie en hiërargies-moderering regressie-ontleding het gewys dat ouderdom, ras en indiensnemingstatus belangrike oorwegings was wat betref die loopbaantevredenheidsprofiel van kenniswerkers. Ras in die besonder het geblyk belangrik te wees om in aanmerking te neem ooreenkomstig hulle selfwaargenome indiensneembaarheid. Verskille tussen die biografiese groepe het ook aan die hand gedoen dat unieke loopbaanontwikkeling oorweeg moet word in multikulterele, diverse werkskontekste. Die loopbaantevredenheid en indiensneembaarheidsprofiel is saamgestel, gebaseer op die belangrikste insigte wat uit die essensiële, betekenisvolle bevindings bekom is. Loopbaantevredenheid en indiensneembaarheidsteorie is in hierdie navorsing uitgebrei. Aanbevelings vir organisatoriese loopbaanontwikkelingondersteuningspraktyke is gemaak, gebaseer op die voorgestelde profiel vir die professionele kenniswerker. / Maikemisetsomagolo a dinyakisiso e bile go go hlama phrofaele ye e kgotsofatsago mosomo le go thwalega mosomong go basomi ba tsa tsebo go lebeletswe seemo sa dikamano magareng ga dipharologantsi tsa dipalopalo ka ga batho (e lego mengwaga, bong, mohlobo le maemo a mosomo), go kwesisa ka ga mesomo (go tlwaela mosomo le seemo sa menagano ya setshaba ka ga mesomo bjalo ka dilo tseo di tlago peleng), methopo ya bona mosomo mabapi le menagano ya setshaba (dikokwane tsa go kgona go thwalega mesomong, dihlohleletsi tsa go hwetsa mesomo le maitshwaro a mesomong bjalo ka dilo tseo di lekolago mesomo) le go kgotsofatsa ga dinyakwa tsa mesomo le go ipona bjalo ka yo a thwalegago (seo se tlago ka moragonyana goba bjalo ka poelo). Maikemisetso ao a nepilwego a dinyakisiso e bile go tla ka dipheto mabapi le seemo sa dikamano (bogolo bja tsona le fao di lebilego gona) magareng ga kago ya maikemisetso a go sisinya ditiro tsa tlhabollo ya basomi ka dikhamphaning go mosomi yo a somago ka menagano. Mokgwa wa dinyakisiso wa bontsi wa mafapha a mantis o dirisitswe gomme sampole ya N = 404 ya basomi ba tsa tsebo o dirisitswe le go akaretsa mekgatlo ya sephrofesenale ya ka Afrika Borwa. Dipalopalo tsa go hlatholla, tsa papetso le tsa tshupetso ya makala a mantsi di dirilwe. Dipoelo tsa papetso tsa tatelano di laeditse gore go phrofaele ya go kgotsofatsa mosomo e na le dintlha tsa khuetso tsa go swana di nnosi mola e le gore phrofaele ya go ipona bjalo ka yo a thwalegago le yona e na le dintlha tsa khuetso tsa go swana di nnosi. Tshekatsheko ya poelomorago yeo e hlokometswego e laeditse gore dikwesiso tsa batho ka ga mosomo (ke gore, maemo a tsinkelo mosomong le go tlwaelo go phethagatsa mosomo) ga se tsa lebana le seemo sa methopo ya go phethagatsa mosomo wa mabapi le menagano ya setshaba (ke gore, dipharologantshi tsa go thwalega mesomong, dihlohleletsi tsa mesomo le maitshwaro a mesomong) go hlalosa maemo a bona a go kgotsofatsa phethagatso ya mesomo le go ipona o thwalega mosomong. Dikwesiso ka ga mesomo le methopo ya mesomo mabapi le menagano ya setshaba di bile le diabe tse itsego go batho tseo di swanetsego go hlokomelwa gore re kwesise go kgotsofatsa ga mesomo ka basomi ba tsa tsebo le go ipona ba thwalega mesomong. Tshekatsheko ya poelomorago ka dikgato tse mmalwa le ya poelomorago ya basomi go ya ka tatelano ya bona di laeditse gore mengwaga, morafe le maemo a mosomo di bile bohlokwa go di hlokomela mabapi le phrofaele ya go kgotsofatsa mesomo ga basomi ba tsa tsebo. Morafe o bonagala o tloga o le bohlokwa kudu go hlokomela mabapi le go ipona ba thwalega mesomong. Diphapano magareng ga dihlopha tsa merafe le mehlobo le tsona di sisintse gore go hlokega tlohabollo ya ka mesomong ye e swanago e nnosi yeo e swanetsego go dirwa ka seemong sa mesomo fao go somago batho ba ditso tse di fapafapanego. Phrofaele ya tlhabollo ya basomi le go thwalega mesomong go hlamilwe go lebeletswe tsebo ye bohlokwa ye e hweditswego go dikutollo tsa motheo tse bohlokwa. Dinyakisiso di katolositse teori ya mabapi le tlhabollo ya basomi le ya go thwalega mesomong. Go dirilwe ditshisinyo mabapi le ditiro tsa thekgo ya tlhabollo ya basomi ka dikhamphaning ka ga phrofaele ye e sisintswego ya mosomi wa tsa tsebo wa sephrofesenale. / The general aim of the research was to construct a career satisfaction and employability profile for the knowledge worker based on the relationship dynamics among individuals’ biographical characteristics (age, gender, race and employment status), career cognitions (career adaptability and psychosocial career preoccupations as antecedents), their psychosocial career resources (employability attributes, career anchors and career values as moderators) and their career satisfaction and self-perceived employability (consequences or outcomes). The end goal of the research was to draw conclusions on the relationship dynamics (magnitude and direction) between the constructs for the purpose of proposing organisational career development practices for the knowledge worker. A quantitative cross-sectional research approach was followed and involved a sample of N = 404 knowledge workers registered with South African professional bodies. Descriptive, correlation and multivariate inferential statistics were performed. Supplementary to the canonical correlation analysis, regression and structural equation modelling analysis indicated that the career satisfaction profile has unique influencing factors while the self-perceived employability profile also has its unique influencing factors. Moderated regression analysis showed that individuals’ career cognitions (i.e. levels of career adaptability and psychosocial career preoccupations) were not conditional upon their psychosocial career resources (i.e. employability attributes, career anchors and career values) in explaining their levels of career satisfaction and self-perceived employability. The career cognitions and psychosocial career resources had individually specific main effects to consider in understanding knowledge workers’ career satisfaction and self-perceived employability. Stepwise regression and the hierarchical moderated regression analysis showed that age, race and employment status were important to consider in terms of the career satisfaction profile of knowledge workers. Race seemed especially important to consider in terms of their self-perceived employability. Differences among the biographical groups also suggested unique career development needs to consider in multi-culturally diverse work contexts. The career satisfaction and employability profile was constructed based on the key insights derived from the core significant findings. The research extended career satisfaction and employability theory. Recommendations for organisational career development support practice were made based on the proposed profile for the professional knowledge worker. / Psychology / Ph. D. (Psychology)