Text in English / This research explores the meaning of the first and second-order therapeutic stances with reference to the therapist's professional and personal development. The dominant positivist paradigm was reflected in the therapist's initial position of expert observer, outside of the observed. The observed phenomena were a group of children suffering from thalassemia major, a terminal genetic disease, and their mothers. The initial idea of short-term intervention and focus on the observed evolved into six-year journey where the observer and the observed became an interconnected unit of observation, understanding and change. A first-order stance led to therapeutic stuckness, where the therapist's confrontation with her therapeutic failure and the limitations of the dominant paradigm provoked a deconstruction of the expert position and promoted a self-reflexive therapeutic stance. The author's self-searching process took her back to her personal self, her family of origin and the ''wounded healer". The researcher moved from an initial disconnection between her professional and personal selves to an awareness of the interface between the two and, ultimately, to a unification of her professional and personal selves. Such development involved an individuation process moving from a narcissistic belief in her objective stance towards a therapeutic stance where she sees herself less as a powerful agent of change and moves to an increasingly higher order of integration of the professional and personal selves (Skovholt & Ronnestad, 1992). The process with the children and mothers shifted from a focus on compliance and medical issues to more personal and emotional stories. The therapist's participation and collaborative stance created a context for change, where greatly improved medical compliance was just one of the many transformations experienced by all the participants. The researcher speculates that development of a second-order stance requires second-order change, which comes "at the end of long, often frustrating mental and emotional labor" (Watzlawick et al., 1974, p. 23), promoting integration between the professional and personal selves of the therapist. The researcher therefore contends that this process has important implications for psychotherapy training, supervision and continuing education. / Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Psychology)

It is argued that key to gender empowerment and the success of women in leadership is the exploration of the work-family interface which serves to enhance the understanding of issues faced by women leaders as they navigate through their domestic and management roles. It is also contended that work-family scholarship move beyond the study of objective characteristics, and the overt conscious level of functioning of the interface, to an understanding of the intra-psychic experiences of individuals. Recognising the preoccupation with the role strain perspective, it is argued that work-family scholarship adopts a more balanced view and considers the positive and negative effects of participating in multiple roles. Hence the general aim of this qualitative study was to understand the systems psychodynamics underlying the work-family interface that influence the processes of enrichment and conflict among managerial women in the public sector. In the empirical study, data was gathered using the organisational role analysis method, and analysed by means of systems psychodynamic discourse analysis. Six themes and their related subthemes were identified, namely anxiety and conflict, identity, boundary management, authority, role and task. The findings explored the manner in which these behavioural dynamics of participants, and their family and organisational systems interacted, mutually influencing each other, and shaping the way managerial women found, made and took up their domestic and management roles at the work-family interface. This led to resource generation and role enhancement, or resource depletion and role strain in the role (domestic or management). Through relatedness, projection and introjection between the systems and roles, the quality of life in one role influenced the other role, promoting enrichment and conflict at the interface. This study concluded that both enrichment and conflict occur at the interface. While participants oscillated between experiencing enrichment and conflict, some participants experienced more enrichment than conflict, while others experienced more conflict than enrichment at the work-family interface. The extent to which enrichment or conflict occurred between the systems was mediated by participants’ ability to self-contain, and/or the receiving system’s ability to serve as a “good enough” holding environment containing the anxieties experienced in the other role. / D. Litt et Phil. (Industrial & Organisational Psychology)

Balancing the work and family domains is an ongoing concern for men and women in dual-earner relationships. However, most of the research studies that have explored work-family balance, have been conducted within the North American context using highly educated middle-class couples. Furthermore, no known South African studies have explored work-family balance experiences and strategies based on the couple as a unit. The aim of this study is therefore to understand how middle-class South African dual-earner couples experience and pursue work-family balance. A sample comprising ten multi-racial, middle-class, heterosexual dual-earner couples with children, who work in different employment sectors, and reside in Cape Town, South Africa, were selected purposefully through the use of convenience and snow-ball sampling techniques. The interpretive approach located within the qualitative paradigm was employed to understand the subjective experiences of couples through the method of semi-structured conjoint interviews. All conjoint interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed for later analysis. Patterns and themes within the data were identified using thematic analysis and later organised through the use of thematic networks. Two organising themes were uncovered for the global theme "subjective experiences of work-family balance amongst dual-earner couples", namely that work-family balance is a unique experience, and that work-family balance is a dynamic process. Furthermore, the data analysis revealed ten organising themes for the global theme "strategies dual-earner couples use to pursue a work-family balance", namely that striving towards an egalitarian marital relationship helps to promote couples' experience of work-family balance; proactively structuring opportunities for time with family contributes to a balanced work and family life; accessing familial and paid support promotes feelings of being successful in balancing work and family roles; shared planning and organisation facilitates a better balance of work and family roles; living within means relieves couples of unnecessary financial stress; creating opportunities for "alone time" supports couples' work-family balance; work validation and satisfaction encourages greater experiences ofwork-family balance; having the ability to control one's schedule ensures greater freedom to transition between work and family domains; setting boundaries around work and family domains helps couples maintain their balance; and relying on faith to cope with work and family stressors leads to a more balanced life. Each organising theme contained several basic themes which were discussed in relation to previous literature and/or research studies. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

Fertility level and labour force participation of women in selected countries Abstract The objective of this thesis is to analyze the position of women in the family and in the labour market in selected countries representing different models of family policy. More countries were selected within some models in connection with the specific features related to these states. The analyzed countries are the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Thesis focuses on comparing the position of countries with regard to the fertility level and female employment, to the conditions for the reconciliation of work and family life and to the attitudes and opinions of respondents concerning issues of gender equality, equal opportunities and mothers' employment. The first part presents the changes in the position of women and in family behaviour that took place in the 20th century and factors that influence fertility and labour force participation of women. The second part deals with analysis of fertility, female employment and the relationship between them and also deals with the comparative analysis of the conditions for reconciliation of work and family life. Subsequently, on the basis of data from the survey European Values Study and Eurobarometer,...

It is argued that key to gender empowerment and the success of women in leadership is the exploration of the work-family interface which serves to enhance the understanding of issues faced by women leaders as they navigate through their domestic and management roles. It is also contended that work-family scholarship move beyond the study of objective characteristics, and the overt conscious level of functioning of the interface, to an understanding of the intra-psychic experiences of individuals. Recognising the preoccupation with the role strain perspective, it is argued that work-family scholarship adopts a more balanced view and considers the positive and negative effects of participating in multiple roles. Hence the general aim of this qualitative study was to understand the systems psychodynamics underlying the work-family interface that influence the processes of enrichment and conflict among managerial women in the public sector. In the empirical study, data was gathered using the organisational role analysis method, and analysed by means of systems psychodynamic discourse analysis. Six themes and their related subthemes were identified, namely anxiety and conflict, identity, boundary management, authority, role and task. The findings explored the manner in which these behavioural dynamics of participants, and their family and organisational systems interacted, mutually influencing each other, and shaping the way managerial women found, made and took up their domestic and management roles at the work-family interface. This led to resource generation and role enhancement, or resource depletion and role strain in the role (domestic or management). Through relatedness, projection and introjection between the systems and roles, the quality of life in one role influenced the other role, promoting enrichment and conflict at the interface. This study concluded that both enrichment and conflict occur at the interface. While participants oscillated between experiencing enrichment and conflict, some participants experienced more enrichment than conflict, while others experienced more conflict than enrichment at the work-family interface. The extent to which enrichment or conflict occurred between the systems was mediated by participants’ ability to self-contain, and/or the receiving system’s ability to serve as a “good enough” holding environment containing the anxieties experienced in the other role. / D. Litt et Phil. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

Firefighters providing emergency services to the public are involved with some of the most tragic aspects of the boundary between life and death, often in a context over which they have little or no control. The outcome of this may be that stress at work and at home are without doubt the reason that highly qualified and loyal firefighters give themselves over to alcohol or drug abuse, extramarital relationships and suicidal thoughts. The general aim of the research is to evaluate job and family stress amongst firefighters in the South African context, and to use the results in developing a developmental/counselling programme for firefighters and their families. The research is quantitative and qualitative, consisting of a survey design and a phenomenological design. Three measuring instruments were used, namely the Biographical questionnaire, the Experience of Work and Life Circumstances questionnaire, and the Stress questionnaire. Task characteristics, organisational functioning, physical working conditions and job equipment, career and social matters, remuneration, fringe benefits and personnel policy were identified as causes of job stress originating within the work situation. Interviews were conducted to determine how these firefighters experience job and family stress. Marital dysfunction and divorce, limited time with the family, problems with children, alcohol and drug abuse, lack of exercise, suicide, anger aimed at family members, physical and emotional exhaustion, lonely marital partners, unavailability to help the family when needed and depression were identified as causes of family stress arising outside the work situation. The main recommendation is to implement a developmental/counselling job and family stress programme. The programme can be instituted to enhance the wellness and psychological health of firefighters and their families, or for counselling of firefighters and their families who are experiencing job and/or family stress. The multi-dimensionality and flexibility make this programme unique and one of its kind in the South African context. / Indust and Org Psychology / DLITT ET PHIL (IND & ORG PS)

Employee engagement has been conceived as one of the “hottest topics in management” (De Cieri, Holmes, Abbott, & Pettit, 2002; Saks, 2006). Therefore, the need to further understand factors that enhance the level of employee engagement is of utmost importance if organisations are to successfully increase their competitive edge. The purpose of the present study was to develop a model of personality traits and work-life balance as determinants of employee engagement among employees in the various industries in South Africa. In particular, the present study investigated relationships between personality traits adapted by Martins (2000) which include five robust factors: agreeableness, extraversion, conscientiousness, resourcefulness and emotional stability and work-life balance as measured by the Survey Work-home Interaction/NijmeGen (SWING) which consists of four dimensions, namely, negative work-home interaction, positive work-home interaction negative home-work interaction and positive home-work interaction. The study utilised Schaufeli’s (2002) Utrecth Work Engagement Scale (UWES) which consists of three interrelated dimensions: vigour, dedication and absorption. A quantitative cross-sectional survey was followed and the data was collected from a population of 1 063 working adults through a Web-based survey. The results revealed significant relationships between the variables. Specifically, the results revealed that positive work-home interaction and positive home-work interaction appeared to be stronger correlated to engagement than the five dimensions of personality traits. For instance, a Pearson correlation analysis revealed that positive work-home interaction (r = .33) and positive home-work interaction (r = .30) had the highest correlation with employee engagement. In the same vein, the canonical correlation analysis revealed that positive work-home interaction, positive home-work interaction, agreeableness, conscientiousness and emotional stability exhibited the highest correlation with the canonical employee engagement construct variate. The results of the structural equation modelling further confirmed that the interaction of three personality traits, namely, agreeableness, conscientiousness and emotional stability and two of the work-life balance constructs, which are positive work-home interaction and positive home-work interaction, significantly and positively predicted employee engagement. The outcomes can be useful in informing employee engagement strategies, particularly in the recruitment, selection and retaining of highly skilful talents. Specifically, the study provided practical recommendations for employee engagement practices, based on the literature review and empirical results. This study highlighted the manner in which the personality traits and work-life balance variables impacted on employee engagement behavior. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / D. Litt. et. Phil. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

Working mothers face various challenges today, one of which is to be a mother, wife,caretaker and employee all at the same time. Fulfilling these challenging and sometimes demanding roles can contribute to role overload and conflict, which can have a negative impact on organisational effectiveness, as well as the overall wellbeing of the working mother. This dissertation outlines the relationship between personality dimensions, sense of coherence and the coping styles of working mothers from a salutogenic perspective. The Occupational Personality Questionnaire (OPQ), Orientations to Life Questionnaire (OLQ) and the Coping Orientations to the Problems Experienced (COPE) Questionnaire were used to measure the relationship between personality dimensions, sense of coherence and the coping styles of working mothers. The study was conducted with 102 working mothers representing different ethnic groups and occupational levels in different occupational fields and organisations. A theoretical relationship was established. The empirical investigation provided evidence of such a relationship and it seems that coping styles can be predicted from considering personality dimensions and sense of coherence. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Industrial Psychology)

Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Industrial Psychology)

Text in English / This research explores the meaning of the first and second-order therapeutic stances with reference to the therapist's professional and personal development. The dominant positivist paradigm was reflected in the therapist's initial position of expert observer, outside of the observed. The observed phenomena were a group of children suffering from thalassemia major, a terminal genetic disease, and their mothers. The initial idea of short-term intervention and focus on the observed evolved into six-year journey where the observer and the observed became an interconnected unit of observation, understanding and change. A first-order stance led to therapeutic stuckness, where the therapist's confrontation with her therapeutic failure and the limitations of the dominant paradigm provoked a deconstruction of the expert position and promoted a self-reflexive therapeutic stance. The author's self-searching process took her back to her personal self, her family of origin and the ''wounded healer". The researcher moved from an initial disconnection between her professional and personal selves to an awareness of the interface between the two and, ultimately, to a unification of her professional and personal selves. Such development involved an individuation process moving from a narcissistic belief in her objective stance towards a therapeutic stance where she sees herself less as a powerful agent of change and moves to an increasingly higher order of integration of the professional and personal selves (Skovholt & Ronnestad, 1992). The process with the children and mothers shifted from a focus on compliance and medical issues to more personal and emotional stories. The therapist's participation and collaborative stance created a context for change, where greatly improved medical compliance was just one of the many transformations experienced by all the participants. The researcher speculates that development of a second-order stance requires second-order change, which comes "at the end of long, often frustrating mental and emotional labor" (Watzlawick et al., 1974, p. 23), promoting integration between the professional and personal selves of the therapist. The researcher therefore contends that this process has important implications for psychotherapy training, supervision and continuing education. / Psychology / D. Litt. et Phil. (Psychology)