The sharp increase in the number of older persons (60 years and older) is a distinctive demographic feature of the 20th century. Ageing populations and the unique challenges they pose have obliged countries worldwide to reflect on the problems relating to older persons. In 2002 the United Nations convened the Second World Assembly on Ageing at which the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (MIPAA) was drafted and adopted. This plan sought to meet the challenges associated with ageing populations. In South Africa the elderly population is also increasing dramatically. The fact that older persons are starting to constitute a proportionally larger segment of the total population while they are, at the same time, amongst the poorest people in the country and dependent on others for support and care holds serious implications for South Africa. In post–apartheid South Africa (after 1994) residential care facilities were opened to all South Africans regardless of race or colour. Apart from dealing with diversity, residential care facilities have to manage the long–term care needs of older persons and their lack of the financial or human resources to sustain themselves. Against this background the South African government promulgated legislation in line with the recommendations of the MIPAA. The legislation seeks to lighten the burden placed on residential care facilities while, at the same time, emphasising the importance of enhancing the well–being of older persons. Despite the legislation and the policy frameworks, the circumstances in most residential care facilities in South Africa are challenging and call for action and psychosocial interventions. Given that racial segregation still exists in residential care facilities and the importance of the relational well–being of older persons, it was decided to explore the sense of community of older persons in South Africa who reside in a diverse and economically challenged residential care facility. A purposive sample was drawn of the male and female, and black and white older persons living in the facility. The study used the Mmogo–methodTM, interviews, focus groups, observations and reflective notes to collect qualitative data from the research participants. A possible limitation of the study is that some participants – being older persons – might experience some degree of being cognitively challenged or might struggle to express themselves. To counter this limitation and to ensure the trustworthiness of the findings, a variety of data collection methods were used in order to be able to cross–check the information gathered. Apart from this, specific data collection methods were used that make provision for cognitively challenged older persons. As the study involved older persons as a vulnerable group, special attention was paid to ethical considerations. Ethical approval was granted by the Ethics Committee of the North–West University, Potchefstroom Campus, as part of a larger project, being: “An exploration of enabling contexts (05K14).” The main finding of the study is the low sense of community that the older persons in this particular residential care facility experience. This is supplemented by two themes that emerged throughout the study, being the lack of social interaction between the residents and the residents' need to have a sense of purpose. The occurrence of these two themes is supported by findings in community psychology and sense of community theories, and some of the findings of the study are consistent with findings reported in the literature. The study concludes with recommendations on how the residents' sense of community could be enhanced. / Thesis (M.A. (Research Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

The sharp increase in the number of older persons (60 years and older) is a distinctive demographic feature of the 20th century. Ageing populations and the unique challenges they pose have obliged countries worldwide to reflect on the problems relating to older persons. In 2002 the United Nations convened the Second World Assembly on Ageing at which the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing (MIPAA) was drafted and adopted. This plan sought to meet the challenges associated with ageing populations. In South Africa the elderly population is also increasing dramatically. The fact that older persons are starting to constitute a proportionally larger segment of the total population while they are, at the same time, amongst the poorest people in the country and dependent on others for support and care holds serious implications for South Africa. In post–apartheid South Africa (after 1994) residential care facilities were opened to all South Africans regardless of race or colour. Apart from dealing with diversity, residential care facilities have to manage the long–term care needs of older persons and their lack of the financial or human resources to sustain themselves. Against this background the South African government promulgated legislation in line with the recommendations of the MIPAA. The legislation seeks to lighten the burden placed on residential care facilities while, at the same time, emphasising the importance of enhancing the well–being of older persons. Despite the legislation and the policy frameworks, the circumstances in most residential care facilities in South Africa are challenging and call for action and psychosocial interventions. Given that racial segregation still exists in residential care facilities and the importance of the relational well–being of older persons, it was decided to explore the sense of community of older persons in South Africa who reside in a diverse and economically challenged residential care facility. A purposive sample was drawn of the male and female, and black and white older persons living in the facility. The study used the Mmogo–methodTM, interviews, focus groups, observations and reflective notes to collect qualitative data from the research participants. A possible limitation of the study is that some participants – being older persons – might experience some degree of being cognitively challenged or might struggle to express themselves. To counter this limitation and to ensure the trustworthiness of the findings, a variety of data collection methods were used in order to be able to cross–check the information gathered. Apart from this, specific data collection methods were used that make provision for cognitively challenged older persons. As the study involved older persons as a vulnerable group, special attention was paid to ethical considerations. Ethical approval was granted by the Ethics Committee of the North–West University, Potchefstroom Campus, as part of a larger project, being: “An exploration of enabling contexts (05K14).” The main finding of the study is the low sense of community that the older persons in this particular residential care facility experience. This is supplemented by two themes that emerged throughout the study, being the lack of social interaction between the residents and the residents' need to have a sense of purpose. The occurrence of these two themes is supported by findings in community psychology and sense of community theories, and some of the findings of the study are consistent with findings reported in the literature. The study concludes with recommendations on how the residents' sense of community could be enhanced. / Thesis (M.A. (Research Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

Abstracts in English, Afrikaans and Zulu / This research investigated work as a calling, the relationship with work engagement and the effect on burnout in the Namibian health care sector. A quantitative survey was conducted on a convenient sample of nurses (N = 261) employed by government and private hospitals in Namibia. Kendall's tau_b correlation analysis indicated a positive correlation between job/calling orientation and total work engagement, and a negative correlation with the burnout sub-dimensions of exhaustion and cynicism/ depersonalisation. The results of this study also suggest that both job/calling and work engagement are statistically related to the respondents’ positive world view, which is an important attribute for quality of life. Additionally, the study revealed that burnout had a partial mediation effect on the interaction between job/calling and work engagement. Selected demographic characteristics had a partial moderation effect on the relationship between job/calling orientation, work engagement and burnout. These findings may provide new knowledge for the design of workplace practices that assess calling orientation, and may enhance work engagement. The study provided a deepened understanding of the interrelationships between work as a calling, work engagement and burnout. On a practical level, the recommendations provided can be used by human resource management practitioners, nurse managers and health care providers to motivate health care workers to become more productive in the provision of quality health care, and to improve the management of employees throughout their employment life cycle. / In hierdie studie is werk as ʼn roeping en die verband tussen werkverbintenis en die uitwerking van ooreising in die Namibiese gesondheidsorgsektor ondersoek. ʼn Kwantitatiewe opname is onder ʼn geriefsteekproef van verpleegsters (N = 261) by private en staatshospitale in Namibië gedoen. Volgens Kandall se tau_b-korrelasieanalise is daar ʼn positiewe korrelasie tussen pos/roepingsgerigtheid en totale werkverbintenis, en ʼn negatiewe korrelasie met die ooreisingsubdimensies van uitputting en sinisme/ontpersoonliking. Die uitslag van hierdie studie dui daarop dat sowel pos/roeping as werkverbintenis statisties met die respondente se positiewe wêreldbeskouing, ʼn belangrike kenmerk vir lewenskwaliteit, verband hou. Afgesien hiervan dui die uitslag daarop dat ooreising ʼn gedeeltelike mediasie-effek op die wisselwerking tussen pos/roeping en werkverbintenis het. Die gekose demografiese kenmerke het ʼn gedeeltelik matigende effek op die verband tussen pos/roepingsgerigtheid, werkverbintenis en ooreising. Hierdie bevindings is nuwe kennis vir die ontwerp van werkplekpraktyke wat roepingsgerigtheid evalueer en dit kan werkverbintenis verbeter. Hierdie studie bied groter insig in die onderlinge verbande tussen werk as ʼn roeping, werkverbintenis en ooreising. Op ʼn praktiese vlak kan mensehulpbronbestuurders, verpleegsterbestuurders en gesondheidsorgverskaffers die aanbevelings gebruik om gesondheidsorgwerkers te motiveer sodat hulle produktiewer in die lewering van goeie gesondheidsorgdienste raak. Dit kan eweneens gebruik word om gesondheidsorgwerkers hulle hele werkslewensiklus deur beter te bestuur. / Lolu cwaningo beluphenya umsebenzi njengobizo lomsebenzi, ubudlelwano bokuzibandakanya emsebenzini kanye nomthelela wokukhathala kakhulu kwabasebenzi emkhakheni wezempilo eNamibia. Isaveyi eyencike kumanani iye yenziwa ngokuthi kuthathwe isampuli efanele yabahlengikazi (N = 261) abaqashwe yizibhedlela zikahulumeni kanye nezibhedlela zangasese eNamibia. Uhlaziyo lukaKendall lwe-tau_b luveze ubudlelwano obuhle obuphakathi kobizo/kokufundiswa umsebenzi kanye nokuzibandakanya ngokugcwele emsebenzini, kanye nobudlelwano obubi bokukhathala kwezigatshana ezincane zokudangala kanye nokwenza into ngesizathu sokuzinceda wena wedwa/ukuqeda ukuzibheka wena wedwa. Imiphumela yalolu cwaningo nayo iphakamisa ukuthi kokubili umsebenzi/nobizo lomsebenzi kanye nokuzibandakanya emsebenzini ngokwamanani kuhlobene nombono omuhle wabaphenduli bemibuzo mayelana nomhlaba, okungumthelela obalulekile kwizinga elihle lempilo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ucwaningo luveze ukuthi ukukhathala kakhulu ngakolunye uhlangothi kunomphumela omuhle wokuxazulula kahle lapho kuhlangana khona umsebenzi/ubizo lomsebenzi kanye nokuzibandakanya emsebenzini. Izimpawu ezikhethiwe zedemografi ngakwenye ingxenye zinomthelela wozinzisa kahle ubudlelwano obuphakathi kohlelo lokungeniswa emsebenzi/obizweni lomsebenzi, kokuzibandakanya emsebenzini kanye nokukhathala kakhulu emsebenzini. Lolu lwazi olutholakele lungaletha ulwazi olusha olumayelana nedizayini yezingqubo zendawo yomsebenzi, okuyizingqubo ezihlola ukufundiswa ngobizo lomsebenzi kanti lokhu kungaqinisa ukuzibandakanya emsebenzini. Empilweni yangempela, izincomo zingasetshenziswa abasebenzi bomnyango wezokuqhashwa kwabasebenzi, abaphathi babahlengikazi kanye nabahlinzeki bezempilo ngesizathu sokukhuthaza abasebenzi bezempilo ukuba babe abasebenzi abaqotho mayelana nokunikezwa kwezinsiza zempilo zezinga eliphezulu, kanyenokuthuthukisa nohlelo lokuphathwa kwabasebenzi empilweni yabo yonke yokusebenza. / Business Management / D. Com. (Business Management)