Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Psychological Sciences / Clive Fullagar / Within the literature on engagement at work there has traditionally been a focus on overall work engagement. However, in recent years there has been increasing research on applying a specific form of task engagement, called flow, to the world of work. The current project details two studies that serve to differentiate and understand the relationship between overall work engagement and flow. The first study collected data on engagement and flow from several hundred working adults and used confirmatory factor analysis to explore the factor structure of the two concepts. Results indicated that flow and engagement are separate constructs, albeit related. The second study again collected data from working adults, however, the goal was to show the differential relationships both flow and engagement have with the work outcomes of job satisfaction, commitment, citizenship behaviors, and burnout. Results indicated that both flow and engagement were significant predictors of these outcomes with engagement being the stronger predictor of the two. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are also discussed in full.

Research report presented to SBL, Unisa, Midrand. / This study aims to examine how manager's leadership styles correlates with leadership outcomes and perceptions of subordinates and management in the construction industry. Leadership styles, conception and leadership outcomes in terms of effectiveness and operationalization were measured using a modified Bass and Avolio's multifactor leadership questionnaire (MLQ) and a modified Porter et al.'s organizational commitment questionnaire (OCQ).

Submitted in the fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Technology: Management, Durban University of Technology, 2012. / It has become imperative for organisations to create family-friendly work-environments, where employees can effectively balance work and family life, in order to ensure employee satisfaction and increased productivity. A critical review of the quality of work life factors and organizational commitment literature was therefore conducted, in order to ascertain their psychometric applicability to knowledge workers within the Pulp and Paper industry in the greater eThekwini Metropolitan Area. A total of 450 questionnaires were distributed to employees in the pulp and paper industry within the eThekwini metropolitan area. The employees were randomly selected, while the organisations were stratified selected. A questionnaire was used to measure the different dimensions of quality of work life factors as well as the different dimensions of organisational commitment. The gathered data was processed through an SPSS program. A number of statistical tests were then performed on the collected data, where biographical variables were compared with the independent variables. The questionnaire was considered moderately reliable because the overall coefficient alpha was 0.525. The Pearson’s value indicated that there was a positive relationship at 0.01 level of significance between the majority of the quality of work factors (organizational climate, task characteristics, job satisfaction, role behaviour, utilization and future orientation) and the organisational commitment. No relationship was found between remuneration and organizational commitment. There was no significant difference in organizational commitment across the biographical variables of marital status, age, length of service and span of control. There was, however, a significant difference in organizational commitment across different levels of education. The Analysis of variance indicated that there was no significant difference in organizational commitment across marital status group. There was however a significant difference in organizational commitment across length of service. There was a significant difference I organizational commitment across supervisory span of control. The results from the hierarchical multiple regression indicated that with the exception of age, education and experience, all other demographics variables do not have an impact on affective commitment. The results also indicated that age, education and experience had an impact on continuance commitment. Similarly, age and education contribute significantly to normative commitment. The structural equation model comparative technique was performed to all constructed models and indicated that all models had a good fit in relation to the data based on the GFI. The best-fitting model for consequences demonstrated that organisational citizenship behaviour and procedural justice were important variables. Apart from that, affective, continuance and normative commitment were also found to be part of the model.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Today's economy demands that organisations' continually change the way they do business. The agility and efficiency with which organisations can implement change are vital in ensuring their continued competitiveness. Unfortunately, people's fear of the unknown results in a natural propensity to resist change. This presents significant challenges that management must overcome in order to implement desired changes to improve organisational efficiencies and overall stakeholder value. This study investigates the importance of employee commitment in implementing workplace change through a review of related literature and the analyses of primary data collected. The data was collected by means of a questionnaire that was sent to all employees within Media24 IT. The findings indicate a strong relationship between commitment and change. Especially one type of commitment displays significant importance with respect to workplace change, i.e. commitment that deals with an employee's emotional attachment to, identification with and involvement in the organisation. Additionally, certain drivers of commitment are investigated and conclusions presented. However, it is recommended that further research might be necessary. This is mainly due to the fact that the primary data collected could be seen as merely a reflection of the situation within a single organisation at a certain period in time. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Vandag se ekonomie vereis dat organisasies vooortdurend die wyse waarop hulle besigheid doen, moet verander. Die tempo en doeltreffendheid waarmee organisasies verandering kan implementeer, is van deurslaggewende belang vir hul voortgesette kompeterendheid. Ongelukkig veroorsaak mense se vrees vir die onbekende 'n natuurlike geneigdheid om verandering teen te staan. Dit bied aan bestuur aansienlike uitdagings wanneer gewenste veranderings om organisatoriese doeltreffendheid en belanghebberwaarde te verbeter, geimplemenleer moet word. Hierdie werkstuk ondersoek die belangrikheid van werknemers se toegewydheid ten opsigte van die implementering van verandering by die werkplek deur middel van 'n literatuurstudie en die analise van primere data wat ingesamel is. Die data is deur middel van 'n vraelys wat aan al Media24 IT se personeellede gestuur is, ingesamel. Die bevindings dui 'n sterk verwantskap tussen toegewydheid en verandering aan. Veral een tipe toegewydheid wat handel oor 'n werknemer se emosionele verbintenis tot die organisasie, asook identifikasie met en betrokkenheid by die organisasie, toon 'n sterk invloed op verandering in die werkplek. Addisioneel word sekere drywers van toegewydheid ondersoek en afleidings gemaak. Daar word egter aanbeveel dat verdere navorsing moontlik nodig mag wees. Dit is hoofsaaklik weens die feit dat die primere data wat ingesamel is, gesien kan word as 'n blote weerspieeling van die situasie binne 'n enkele organisasie op 'n gegewe tydstip.

Studiens syfte var att undersöka huruvida ”Corporate Social Responsibility” (CSR) påverkar de anställdas organisatoriska engagemang och ”Organizational Citizenship Behavior” (OCB) positivt samt huruvida CSR-aktiviteterna minskar de anställdas vilja att säga upp sig. Forskningsstrategin har utgått ifrån en deduktiv ansats och grundades i en kvantitativ design där en webbaserad enkätstudie skickades ut till de anställda på ett medelstort kooperativt företag inom fastighetsbranschen under april 2016. Ett klusterurval genomfördes vilket genererade 62 enkätsvar med en svarsfrekvens på 36%. För att säkerställa mätinstrumentets reliabilitet användes Cronbachs alfa reliabilitetskoefficient där samtliga värden låg mellan α=0,81 och α=0,89. Pearsons korrelationsanalys och flera stegvisa regressionsanalyser utfördes för att analysera data. En signifikansnivå på p=0,05 tillämpades och studiens resultat visade att CSR predicerar de anställdas organisatoriska engagemang (p <0,001) och OCB (p <0,001). Slutsatsen av resultatet indikerade på att företagets CSR-arbete är relevant och har en positiv påverkan på de anställdas attityder och beteenden.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of the study is firstly to determine what the main causes are for employee turnover and turnover intention. Secondly, the study is to investigate the consequences for organisations that are unable to retain or attract talented employees. The data was collected through exit interviews and through personal interviews from the organisation. The sample was taken from a diverse group of individuals consisting of people from all departments in the organisation. In total six departments were considered. The data was categorised into five areas, namely remuneration and benefits, work-life balance, organisational culture, job satisfaction and career development. The data will be presented graphically and then analysed. The literature review was conducted on the categories as categorised from the exit and personal interview data. This was done to compare the literature findings to the data analysis results as established from the exit and personal interview data. The findings suggested that organisational culture was the biggest contributor to employee turnover or turnover intention, followed by career development and job satisfaction. While remuneration and benefits are of some significance, it does not appear to be major contributors. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van die studie is eerstens om die hoofoorsake van werknemer bedankings, sowel as die voorneme van werknemers om organisasies te verlaat, te bepaal. Tweedens, om ondersoek in te stel na die moontlike gevolge vir organisasies wat nie in staat is om werknemers te behou of nuwe talent te lok nie. Inligting vir die studie is deur middel van diensverlatings- en persoonlike onderhoude van die organisasie verkry. 'n Verskeidenheid individue uit ses verskillende departemente het aan die studie deel-geneem. Die inligting is in vyf katagorieë verdeel, naamlik vergoeding en voordele, balans tussen werk en persoonlike lewe, organisasiekultuur, werksbevredeging en loopbaanverbetering. Die data word grafies voorgestel en geanaliseer. Die literatuurstudie is saamgestel in dieselfde vyf katagorieë as die waarin inligting verkry is deur die verskillende onderhoude. Dit is gedoen ten einde die literatuurstudie-bevindings met die data- analise te vergelyk wat deur middel van diensverlatings- en persoonlike onderhoude verkry is. Die studie dui aan dat organisasiekultuur die grootste bydraende faktor is by werknemerbedankings, sowel as by werknemers wat beoog om die organisasies te verlaat. Bykomende bevindings dui op loopbaanverbetering en werksbevrediging. Terwyl vergoeding en voordele 'n faktor is, wys die studie dat dit nie 'n belangrike bydraende faktor is nie.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Employee engagement research is an emerging field of study and several models suggest that leadership is crucial in the development of work engagement. However, a gap remains in understanding what leadership behaviours could influence engagement. High levels of employee engagement, which refers to employees’ investment of physical, cognitive and emotional energy in their work, provide significant organisational benefit in almost every conceivable organisational metric. The objective of this research was to explore the impact of transformational leadership on work engagement in a mining company in South Africa from an employee point of view. This exploratory and explanatory study used a cross-sectional design focussing on middle management employees at a Paterson D-Lower level. All employees worked in a mid-sized mining company in South Africa. An online self-reporting survey was used to measure the following constructs and their respective dimensions: work engagement (vigour, dedication and absorption), transformational leadership (individualised consideration, idealised influence, inspirational motivation and intellectual stimulation) and transactional leadership (contingent reward and management by exception – active). The research questionnaire was adopted from The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale and the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire. The study indicated that transformational leadership does impact work engagement. The survey achieved a 21 per cent total response rate with a 17 per cent response rate of completed questionnaires. Work engagement showed a statistical significant positive correlation with age (r = 0.454, p < 0.05), but no significant correlation with gender, business unit, qualification or time reporting to the same supervisor. There is partial support for the impact of time in a specific job on work engagement, especially for employees who have been in the same job for less than five years. The study found that transformational leadership correlated positively with work engagement (r = 0.33, p = 0.115) as well as with vigour, dedication and absorption. Inspirational motivation showed the highest significant correlation with work engagement (r = 0.474, p = 0.019), while intellectual stimulation (r = 0.152, p > 0.2) did not seem to correlate significantly with work engagement. Individualised consideration (r = 0.296) and idealised influence (r = 0.282) seemed to correlate positively with work engagement (p < 0.2). The study found that vigour and dedication correlated positively with individualised consideration, idealised influence, inspirational motivation and intellectual stimulation. Absorption differed from vigour and dedication by correlating strongly with management by exemption – active and weakly with all other dimensions, except inspirational motivation. Inspirational motivation showed the highest correlation of all the leadership dimensions with vigour (r = 0.45, p < 0.05), dedication (r = 0.437, p < 0.05) and absorption (r = 0.404, p < 0.1). Transformational leadership’s dimensions combined explain more of the variance in vigour, dedication and absorption than transactional leadership. The impact of transformational leadership on work engagement seemed to be more complex than originally suspected, and individualised consideration, idealised influence, inspirational motivation and intellectual stimulation should all be present for the transformational leader to impact on engagement. More research is needed to explore the complex interaction between transformational leadership and work engagement, considering possible mediating factors like work environment, personal resources and job resources.

Thesis (PhD (Industrial Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2005 / South African organisations have to survive in an increasingly competitive and globalised environment. Many believe that South African organisations are ill prepared for these challenges, based on the fact that many organisations are plagued by low productivity, low levels of trust between employees and employers, as well as low levels of organisational commitment, effectiveness and efficiency. Solutions must be found for these problems and the present study offers one such solution. Organisational citizenship behaviour is essentially pro-social organisational behaviour that is characterised by going beyond what is expected in role requirements or role descriptions and is seen as a key driver of individual and organisational performance. Furthermore, an organisation’s ability to elicit organisational citizenship behaviour is believed to be a vital asset that is difficult for competitors to imitate and which provides the organisation with a competitive advantage. Having completed a literature study concerning possible antecedents of organisational citizenship behaviour, and taking into account various suggested future directions for organisational citizenship behaviour research, it was decided that the present study would focus on five variables: three variables that are characteristic of employees, and two that are characteristic of the management or leadership in the organisation. The primary goal of the present study was to design and conduct a scientific investigation that would attempt to determine the relationships between leader emotional intelligence, transformational leadership, trust, meaning intention to quit, and organisational citizenship behaviour, as well as to further determine the role that these five constructs play in influencing organisational citizenship behaviour. A study of the available literature was made to learn as much as possible about each of these six constructs and to determine what is known about the relationships that exist between them. The knowledge gained from the literature study was used to propose several hypotheses and a conceptual model explaining the relationships between these constructs. The relationships and the conceptual model were then empirically tested, using various (mostly confirmatory) statistical methods. This makes the present study confirmatory in nature. Existing measuring instruments were used to measure each of the constructs in a South African sample (n=496). This sample represented a wide range of organisations. Each of the measuring instruments (excepting the intention to quit scale) was subjected to a double cross-validation Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis procedure to test its construct validity. Internal reliability was determined for all of the instruments and their subscales. The Confirmatory Factor Analysis and internal reliability results were then compared to those obtained when the original measurement model was studied, using these same methods (i.e. Confirmatory Factor Analysis and internal reliability) and the data from the present sample. It was found, in all cases, that the derived factorial configuration differed, in some to a lesser degree and in others radically, from that proposed by the original author/s. It was also found that the EFA-derived measurement models and configurations had a better fit to the data than the original measurement model and its configuration. Once the criteria for construct validity and internal reliability were satisfied, the rest of the statistical analyses could be conducted. The next step was to test the hypotheses concerning the individual relationships that made up the conceptual model. Pearson correlations and Standard Multiple Regression was used to study these bivariate relationships. Several indirect or mediating relationships followed from these direct relationships and these were tested using Path Analysis. In a similar vein, four prediction hypotheses were formulated from the conceptual model and these were also tested, using Standard Multiple Regression. Lastly, Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used to see to what extent the conceptual model fitted the data obtained from the sample and to test the relationships between the constructs when taking the complete conceptual model into account. Both trust and meaning were found to individually mediate the relationships between transformational leadership and organisational citizenship behaviour, and leader emotional intelligence and organisational citizenship behaviour. The relationship between leader emotional intelligence and organisational citizenship behaviour was further found to be mediated by transformational leadership and trust, while this relationship was also found to be mediated by transformational leadership and meaning. No significant direct relationships could be found between leader emotional intelligence and organisational citizenship behaviour, or between transformational leadership and both organisational citizenship behaviour and intention to quit. No significant correlation was found between intention to quit and organisational citizenship behaviour either. This meant that several postulated mediating hypotheses could not be corroborated. The SEM result shows that the conceptual model did not fit the data very well, therefore an alternative model was recommended. The results in essence show that effective leaders who are emotionally intelligent and make use of the transformational leadership style can positively influence trust and meaning among followers. This, in turn, will motivate followers to display organisational citizenship behaviour and reduce their intention to quit. These are believed to positively influence organisational effectiveness and performance. Further conclusions were drawn from the obtained results and recommendations are made for future studies. New insights were gained through the results and it is believed that the present study has contributed to the field of organisational psychology and Industrial Psychology in general, on both the academic and the practioner level.

published_or_final_version / Social Work and Administration / Master / Master of Social Sciences

本研究旨在探討基層員警個人基本屬性對工作壓力知覺之差異情形、對組織承諾程度上之差異情形，及基層員警工作壓力與組織承諾之關係。期能依據研究結果提出建議，提供警政機關做為改善警察工作壓力之參考。 本研究係採用問卷調查法，以台北市政府警察局基層員警為研究母群體，採分層比例隨機抽樣法，計抽取20個單位，以10％至15％之比例為抽樣基準(為了增加女性員警之樣本，針對女子警察隊提高其抽樣人數)，總計抽取750份樣本進行施測，取得回收有效問卷612份。研究問卷內容包含員警個人基本資料、警察工作壓力量表及組織承諾量表。問卷調查所得資料運用電腦統計套裝軟體SPSS for Windows 10.0版，以描述性統計分析、t考驗、單因子變異數分析、及Person積差相關係數等統計分析方法進行資料處理： 本研究經實證分析，歸納結論如后： 一、就「工作壓力」各構面平均數比率的得分情形而言，以「生涯發展」得分最高(87.26%)，其次依序為「家庭生活與工作」(84.22%)，「工作時間」(78.30%），「角色衝突」（77.63%），「工作負荷量」75.88%），「與上級長官關係」（68.60%），而得分最低的則為「同事間工作競爭」（65.34%）。 二、就「組織承諾」各構面平均數比率的得分情形而言，以「努力承諾」得分最高(69.45%)，其次為「留職承諾」(62.73%)，而得分最低的則為「認同承諾」(58.93%)。 三、基層員警對工作壓力知覺之差異情形，因性別、年齡、警察養成教 育、工作性質、工作類別、服務年資、婚姻狀況與職稱的不同而有顯著差異。 四、基層員警對組織承諾程度上之差異情形，因性別、年齡、警察養成教育、工作類別與職稱的不同而有顯著差異。 五、基層員警工作壓力與組織承諾呈負相關。 關鍵字：工作壓力、組織承諾 / This study probes the differences resulted from police individual character towards job stress, organizational commitment, and the relations between job stress and organizational commitment of police. The author wishes to come up with a result that can help the police administration to lessen job stress of police. This study uses questionnaire survey research with Taipei Municipal Police as study population, and uses stratified random sampling method by sampling 20 police departments with 10 to 15 percents of the personnel from each sampled department as sample model (to increase the sample of policewomen, the percentage of women police division has been raised), and comes up with 750 samples for the questionnaire with 612 successful returned samples. The questionnaire includes personal status, quantifiable measurement for organizational commitment, police job stress measurement as contents. Acquired information is then processed with SPSS for Windows 10.0 for analysis of Descriptive Statistics Analysis, t-Test, One-Way ANOVA and Pearson Correlation Coefficien. After empirical analysis, we have come to the conclusion as below: 1.On the mean ratio of job stress facet, career development wins the highest points (87.26%) , with family life and work seconds to it (84.22%), followed by working hour (78.30%), role conflict (77.63%), job load (75.88%), relations with senior personnel, and peer competition (65.34%) comes at the lowest. 2.On the mean ratio of organizational commitment facet, effort commitment comes on top with 69.45%, followed by retention commitment (62.73%), and with value commitment comes at the lowest (58.93%). 3.The cognitive differences of police on job stress differ significantly according to gender, age, police education background, job description, job category, serving years, marital status and position. 4.The organizational commitment of police differ significantly according to gender, age, police education background, job category and position. 5.Job stress and organizational commitment of police show a negative relationship. Keyword：job stress；organizational commitment