Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Psychology / Clive J. A. Fullagar / Research on occupational well-being, commonly conceptualized as job satisfaction or the opposite of burnout, is criticized for its lack of theoretical basis. Danna and Griffin (1999) point out the need to refine this construct as well as develop measures to assess well-being in the workplace. This study proposed a scale of occupational well-being based on the work of Ryff (1989). Ryff's (1989) model of psychological well-being was designed to address similar concerns plaguing research on general well-being. The scales derived from Ryff's (1989) research are theoretically based on a variety of converging theories of optimal well-being that had previously been ignored. Unfortunately, the support for the psychometric properties of the psychological well-being scale is mixed. Researchers have either been able to produce longer, more reliable scales with a poor factor structure or shorter, less reliable scales with strong factorial validity. The results of this study are consistent with general research on well-being. Of the multiple first order models (with six independent factors) produced, the only acceptable fit was from a scale with 4 item sub-scales. Though acceptable by some, the reliability of these subscales was not as strong as it was for longer versions. The fit of the first order model was then compared to that of a second order model (where the 6 dimensions loaded onto occupational well-being). While both models had an acceptable fit to the data, preference was given to the second order model. While they had similar REMSA values, the PGFI was higher for the second order model; researchers have suggested that PGFI be used to help interpret the REMSA value. In addition, the second order model was cross validated, producing results similar to the original findings. This model was then used to assess the relationship between occupational well-being and the context of work; previously, this has been ignored. Partial support was found for a mediated relationship between psychological climate and occupational well-being. Composite psychological climate scores influenced job satisfaction; this in turn, affected occupational wellbeing. The limitations, contributions, and meaning of the study are then discussed.

現今對於幸福感此一主題的測量，主要採用自陳量表的方式。然傳統量表無法精確描述人類多元行為，為期能更正確的瞭解受訪者的內在感受與想法，因此本研究提出模糊統計模式，期能針對過去傳統自陳量表之不足予以改進。而校長身為一間學校的領導者與管理者，其幸福感之程度，必會對學校的氣氛與發展產生直接或間接地影響。雖目前對於教師幸福感及學生幸福感的研究頗多，但針對校長職業幸福感之研究迄今仍尚付闕如，是故此主題值得深究。 本研究採用問卷調查法，以北北基地區國中校長共50位為對象，採用「中學校長職業幸福感量表」為工具，並以敘述統計、偏最小平方法、曼－惠特尼 U 檢定、克－瓦單因子等級變異數分析、Pearson積差相關分析、模糊統計等統計方法進行分析。主要研究結果如下： 1. 北北基地區中學校長對職業幸福感的知覺與感受程度屬中高程度，以「內心滿足感」最高，「職業成就感」居次，最後為「職業滿意感」構面。 2. 服務年資在1-8年的校長的「職業幸福感」高於服務8年以上之校長。 3. 任職「國民中學」的校長其「職業幸福感」高於任職「完全中學」的校長。 4. 模糊語意尺度所得之信度與建構效度均優於傳統問卷尺度所得。 本研究根據資料分析結果進行討論，並提出數點建議供後續相關工作及研究參考。 / Well-being of principals is one of the most important indicators of a school. Principals as leaders and managers in schools, their condition of well-being can directly or indirectly affect the atmosphere and development of schools. The most common measurement regarding the topic is self-report inventory, However, traditional inventories cannot reflect human’s behaviors. In order to clearly understand interviewees’ feelings and thoughts, the study provided fuzzy statistics model in the hope of improving insufficiencies of traditional inventories. In the study, a questionnaire survey method is used, and 50 principals from Taipei-Keelung metropolitan area are surveyed with stratified sampling. Data analysis includes descriptive statistics, PLS-SEM, Mann–Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis one-way ANOVA by ranks, Pearson product–moment correlation analysis, and fuzzy statistics. The main conclusions are as follows: 1. The occupational well-being of principals from Taipei-Keelung metropolitan area was above the medium level. “Inner satisfaction” factor was the highest score on “occupational well-being”. 2. The principals with 1-8 years of service, their occupational well-being was better than the principals who have 8 or more years of service. 3. The occupational well-being of principals in junior high school was better than the principals in complete high school. 4. The reliability and construct validity calculated by fuzzy scales were better than by traditional scales. This research mainly focuses on the data analysis and discussion, and provides some suggestions for future studies.

Agile work practices have been adopted by most software development organizations and by many large organizations from other industries. The introduction of agile work practices is assumed to positively affect work characteristics and, in turn, well-being of employees. So far, there is only very little and methodologically limited empirical research on this topic. Based on job demands–resources theory, we developed and tested a model on the direct and indirect relationships between agile work practices, job demands and resources, and occupational well-being. Data were provided by 260 employees working in agile development teams who participated in two surveys that were approximately six weeks apart. Results of structural equation modeling provided support for the hypothesized model, suggesting that agile work practices have a negative indirect effect on emotional fatigue through lower job demands. At the same time, agile work practices also had a positive indirect effect on emotional engagement through higher job resources. Our research contributes to the literature by integrating agile work practices with job demands–resources theory, bridging an important gap between research and practice. Overall, the findings suggest that the implementation of agile work practices may have a positive impact on occupational well-being by improving employees’ perceptions of key work characteristics.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-15T19:26:32Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Leticia Seicenti Silva.pdf: 431373 bytes, checksum: 68aa2b2764ceeaa83f8c174061bf5ad9 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007-08-14 / Fundo Mackenzie de Pesquisa / Studies point values as antecedents of many kinds of attitudes and behaviors. In the work context, the values influence employees´ satisfaction and commitment, resulting in lower levels of absenteeism and turnover and more effectiveness for the organization. This study aimed to investigate the organizational and personal values impact on occupational wellbeing, contributing to human resources management in organizations and employees´satisfaction, an important stakeholder. The instruments of measures used were the Profiles of Organizational Values Inventory (IPVO), the Portrait Values Questionnaire (PVQ) and the Occupational Well-Being Scale (EBEO) already validated. The sample was composed by 102 employees of a food company and the results were analyzed by hierarchical multiple regression using the software SPSS v.13. The results pointed that organizational values impact on occupational well-being and personal values moderate this relation. / Estudos apontam valores como antecedentes de vários tipos de atitudes e comportamentos e, no ambiente de trabalho, influenciam a satisfação e o comprometimento dos empregados, o que ocasiona níveis mais baixos de absenteísmo e rotatividade e mais eficácia para a organização. Este estudo buscou investigar o impacto dos valores organizacionais e pessoais no bem-estar ocupacional, a fim de apresentar contribuições às organizações para melhor compreensão do nível de bem-estar dos empregados em função dos valores da organização e, assim, adotar uma gestão de pessoas que proporcione a satisfação dos empregados, considerados um dos importantes stakeholders das organizações. Como instrumentos de medida foram utilizados o Inventário de Perfis de Valores Organizacionais (IPVO), o Questionário de Perfis de Valores (QPV) e a Escala de Bem-Estar Ocupacional (EBEO) já validados. A amostra foi composta por 102 empregados de uma organização do ramo de alimentação e os dados foram analisados por meio de regressão hierárquica múltipla com uso do software SPSS v.13. Os resultados apontaram que os valores organizacionais impactam no bem-estar ocupacional e que os valores pessoais moderam essa relação.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2006.

The information technology industry is considered to be one of the most demanding industries, with significant social, physical and psychological consequences for the wellbeing of the information technology professional. Work wellness and general psychological well-being plays an important role in the well-being of the information technology professional. The measurement of work-related wellness requires valid, reliable and culturally fair measuring instruments. However research on work wellness and occupational well-being in South Africa is lacking, especially in the information technology context. A lack of norms for work-related wellness in South Africa makes the identification of work-related wellness in the information technology industry difficult. Consequently, investigating the reliability, validity, equivalence and bias of work-related well-being measuring instruments would result in the standardisation of work wellness (consisting of burnout and engagement) and occupational well-being, suitable for use in the multicultural information technology industry setting. Moreover, the operationalisation of work wellness, as well as an inclusive model regarding the work-related wellness of information technology professionals that includes work wellness and occupational wellbeing are lacking in the South African literature. The objectives of this research were to standardise the measurement of work wellness for information technology professionals in South Africa, to develop and test a model of occupational well-being for information technology professionals in South Africa, to develop and test a comprehensive model of work-related wellness for information technology professionals in South Africa (consisting of work wellness and occupational well-being), and to test for moderating effects of affectivity in the experience of mark related well-being of information technology professionals in South Africa. The research consists of three separate articles, each consisting of a brief literature overview and an empirical study. A cross-sectional survey design with a snowball sample (n = 214) of information technology professionals in South Africa was used. Adapted versions of the Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey (MBI-GS) and Gtrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), as well as the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), Affectometer 2 (AFM-2), Life Orientation Test - Revised (LOT-R), Organisational Commitment Questionnaire (OC-Q), Information Technology Job Characteristics Inventory (ITJCI), as well as the Health scale of the Organisational Screening Evaluation Tool (ASSET) and a biographical questionnaire were used. Descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, correlations, exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were used. Exploratory factor analysis confirmed a two-factor model for the MBI-GS consisting of a combined Burnout factor and Professional Efficacy, while a one-factor model was found for the UWES, namely Engagement, with acceptable internal consistencies. Exploratory second-order factor analysis confirmed a two-factor, culturally fair model of work wellness for information technology professionals in South Africa, consisting of burnout and work engagement. Item bias analysis revealed no evidence of bias for the MBI-GS, while uniform bias was found for two items (Items 7 and 12) of the UWES. Construct equivalence in terms of work wellness was obtained for the different language groups in the sample. The results confirmed a four-factor model of occupational well-being for information technology professionals in South Africa, namely negative and positive work wellness, organisational commitment and general psychological well-being. The model of occupational well-being was found to be equivalent across language groups, except for general psychological well-being, which seemed to differ for the non-mother-tongue English language speakers. In terms of work-related wellness, a model consisting of work wellness and occupational well-being was constructed and uccessfully tested. Structural equation analysis confirmed main effects for negative affectivity in terms of burnout and engagement, while main effects were confirmed for burnout, ill-health and engagement in terms of positive affectivity. Interaction effects for affectivity were not confirmed in the model of work-related wellness of information technology professionals in South Africa. Recommendations for the organisation and future research were made / Thesis (Ph.D. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2006.

The information technology industry is considered to be one of the most demanding industries, with significant social, physical and psychological consequences for the wellbeing of the information technology professional. Work wellness and general psychological well-being plays an important role in the well-being of the information technology professional. The measurement of work-related wellness requires valid, reliable and culturally fair measuring instruments. However research on work wellness and occupational well-being in South Africa is lacking, especially in the information technology context. A lack of norms for work-related wellness in South Africa makes the identification of work-related wellness in the information technology industry difficult. Consequently, investigating the reliability, validity, equivalence and bias of work-related well-being measuring instruments would result in the standardisation of work wellness (consisting of burnout and engagement) and occupational well-being, suitable for use in the multicultural information technology industry setting. Moreover, the operationalisation of work wellness, as well as an inclusive model regarding the work-related wellness of information technology professionals that includes work wellness and occupational wellbeing are lacking in the South African literature. The objectives of this research were to standardise the measurement of work wellness for information technology professionals in South Africa, to develop and test a model of occupational well-being for information technology professionals in South Africa, to develop and test a comprehensive model of work-related wellness for information technology professionals in South Africa (consisting of work wellness and occupational well-being), and to test for moderating effects of affectivity in the experience of mark related well-being of information technology professionals in South Africa. The research consists of three separate articles, each consisting of a brief literature overview and an empirical study. A cross-sectional survey design with a snowball sample (n = 214) of information technology professionals in South Africa was used. Adapted versions of the Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey (MBI-GS) and Gtrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), as well as the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), Affectometer 2 (AFM-2), Life Orientation Test - Revised (LOT-R), Organisational Commitment Questionnaire (OC-Q), Information Technology Job Characteristics Inventory (ITJCI), as well as the Health scale of the Organisational Screening Evaluation Tool (ASSET) and a biographical questionnaire were used. Descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, correlations, exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were used. Exploratory factor analysis confirmed a two-factor model for the MBI-GS consisting of a combined Burnout factor and Professional Efficacy, while a one-factor model was found for the UWES, namely Engagement, with acceptable internal consistencies. Exploratory second-order factor analysis confirmed a two-factor, culturally fair model of work wellness for information technology professionals in South Africa, consisting of burnout and work engagement. Item bias analysis revealed no evidence of bias for the MBI-GS, while uniform bias was found for two items (Items 7 and 12) of the UWES. Construct equivalence in terms of work wellness was obtained for the different language groups in the sample. The results confirmed a four-factor model of occupational well-being for information technology professionals in South Africa, namely negative and positive work wellness, organisational commitment and general psychological well-being. The model of occupational well-being was found to be equivalent across language groups, except for general psychological well-being, which seemed to differ for the non-mother-tongue English language speakers. In terms of work-related wellness, a model consisting of work wellness and occupational well-being was constructed and uccessfully tested. Structural equation analysis confirmed main effects for negative affectivity in terms of burnout and engagement, while main effects were confirmed for burnout, ill-health and engagement in terms of positive affectivity. Interaction effects for affectivity were not confirmed in the model of work-related wellness of information technology professionals in South Africa. Recommendations for the organisation and future research were made / Thesis (Ph.D. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2006.