La notion de Sentiment d’Employabilité est imbriqué dans le concept de l’employabilité et est peu évoquée au niveau des pratiques managériales modernes. Les travaux académiques sur le sujet sont limités à l’heure où les individus, évoluant sur le secteur privé, connaissent des difficultés de repositionnement en avançant dans l’âge. Cette situation se vérifie aussi pour les cadres. Une revue de littérature étayée des concepts permet de livrer une conceptualisation en lien, à la fois, avec l’individu, les variables socio-démographiques et le marché du travail. Une étude qualitative a été menée auprès de plus d’une trentaine d’acteurs. Ensuite, sur la base de plusieurs échelles validées portant sur l’employabilité et la perception individuelle de l’employabilité (et de nouveaux items issus de la recherche exploratoire), nous avons bâti un questionnaire. L’étude quantitative a ainsi permis d’opérationnaliser le Sentiment d’Employabilité comme un construit avec six dimensions : Compétence, Formation Continue, Sentiment d’Efficacité Personnelle, Réseau , Techniques de Recherche d'Emploi, Connaissance de la Réalité du Marché. L' outil montre l’influence du Sentiment d’Employabilité sur la situation professionnelle. Le modèle montre que le fait d’être en activité a aussi une influence sur ce sentiment. Cette étude a vocation à être transposée à d’autres publics (les juniors) et à d’autres contextes culturels / Self-perceived employability as an integrated element of employability…nor has it been really mentioned in modern-day managerial practices. Academic research on the topic is quite limited. It’s almost non-existent when individuals are confronted with difficulties in changing jobs: a tricky context when they get older. An extensive literature review backs up these concepts and delivers an operationalization of the idea linked to the individuals versus socio-demographic variables and employment status. The suggested results are from a qualitative study carried out on more than 30 people. The results then led to a quantitative research on the operationalization of Self-perceived employability. Based on several confirmed scaled (with items linked to employability, and to a lesser extent, Self-perceived employability…and new items from the exploratory research), we built a questionnaire keeping in mind that this way could contribute to a new and innovative measurement of employability. The streamlined scale leads to a new construct with six statistical dimensions: Skills, Training, Sense of Self Efficacy, Networking (internal and external), Job Search Tools and realistic knowledge of the job market. All in all, the research offers a way which could forecast professional situations and allows a realistic evaluation of Self-perceived employability. This study also suggests that self-employability is linked to professional status (ie to be hired). This research could be used for other vulnerable groups (like junior workers) and also on different cultural contexts

The general aim of the study was to assess the relationship between the graduateness, employability and satisfaction with retention factors of individuals and whether graduateness moderates the relationship between employability and satisfaction. The study used a quantitative, cross-sectional research design on a purposive, non-probability sample (N = 100) of predominant black (93%), male (49%) and female (51%) trainees between the ages of 17-29 years (early career). Presenting/applying information skills significantly and negatively predicted compensation while ethical/responsible behaviour significantly and positively predicted satisfaction with job characteristics and organisational commitment. Graduateness related positively to self-perceived general employability. General employability did not significantly predict the participants’ satisfaction with retention factors. Graduate skills and attributes did not significantly moderate the relationship between self-perceived employability and satisfaction with retention factors. Males had significantly stronger perceptions of employability compared to females while females had higher levels of work–life balance satisfaction compared to males. Overall, the results suggest that general self-perceived employability is more a function of graduateness than of retention, while graduateness positively relates to retention factors. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

This research focuses on the relationship between self-esteem, graduateness skills and attributes and career adaptability among young adults in the school-to-work transition phase to assist them in dealing with the transitions they are faced with during the school-to-work transition phase in the hopes of making them more career adaptable and employable. A cross-sectional quantitative research approach was followed, and a non-probability convenience sample (N = 332) of undergraduate black (98.5%) and female (62%) young emerging adults (18 to 29 years) at a Further Education and Training (FET) college in South Africa participated in the study. A canonical correlation analysis indicated a significant overall relationship between the graduateness/self-esteem canonical variate and the career adaptability canonical variate. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that the relationship between graduateness skills and attributes and career adaptability was moderated by self-esteem. Tests for mean differences revealed that males and females differed significantly regarding their personal self-esteem and lie items. Recommendations are suggested for use by human resource professionals in terms of career development practices. / Human Resource Management / M. Com. (Human Resource Management)

M. Tech. (Department of Information and Communication Technology, Faculty of Applied and Computer Sciences), Vaal University of Technology. / The work-integrated learning (WIL) concept was introduced to enhance the employability of students completing their IT qualification at universities of Technology (UoTs) in South Africa. Employability is defined as a combination of characteristics that make a person a useful and thereby desirable employee. WIL is defined as a component of a curriculum to improve the value of student learning by integrating academic training and practical workplace exposure. However, a large cohort of students registered for the IT qualification at UoTs do not find company placement for WIL, resulting in these students having to complete this final qualifying module of their qualification by undertaking a group project on campus. The group project entails developing a software system for a client. The overall sentiment expressed by employers, lecturers and students in this study is that students who remain on campus for the group project are not as well-prepared as those who find placement at a company for their in-service training. This study aimed to develop and propose an approach to a creative pedagogy in the form of a simulated working environment on campus within a tertiary educational setting to contribute towards enhancing the learner-content relation of WIL students, in order to improve the employability of students by providing the on-campus project students with an equal opportunity to those going into industry for their in-service training. The philosophy adopted for this research is interpretivism, with the Vaal University of Technology as the case of the research. The investigation adopted a mixed-method approach where respondents were requested to complete questionnaires focusing on their perceptions of on-campus group work vs. in-service training at companies for the WIL component of the IT qualification. Five respondent groups were identified for participation in the study, namely: i) In-service training students, i.e. WIL students who found placement in a company; ii) Project students, i.e. WIL students who remained on campus to do a group project; iii) Graduates, i.e. students who already completed WIL and graduated; iv) Employers of WIL students who found placement at a company; and v) Lecturers involved in WIL training on campus. The responses of the various respondent groups were analysed qualitatively and quantitatively. Comparisons of the perceptions of the respective groups were made to explore the possibility of a viable solution to the on-campus group work challenges that were identified. Based on reviewing recent literature, analysing the data collected from the completed to questionnaires by different role players, and adapting and the institutional strategy framework for WIL developed by Jacobs in 2015, an approach to a creative pedagogy in the form of a virtual company on campus for WIL students is presented to provide students who cannot find placement in industry for their in-service training with an equal experience to the in-service training company students. The proposed pedagogical approach incorporates the five standards defined by Tharp in 2018 as requirements for an effective and successful curriculum in the development of the actual virtual company. These include: contextualisation, challenging activities, joint productive activity, intellectual conversation and language development. The proposed approach adopts a three-layered approach to a creative pedagogy, with the aim of improving the employability of on-campus WIL students. The first layer lays the basis for implementing a virtual company on campus and includes aspects such as the objective for a simulated working environment on campus, employer preferences, and the skills set students should possess for employers to offer them a placement in their company for in-service training. The second layer focuses on the details that should be in place for a virtual company to be successfully implemented. This practical layer in the implementation of the virtual company focuses on infrastructure, Finance, HR, legislative approval, and appropriate assessments. The third layer only follows when the second layer has been put into place. This layer deals with how academic content can be included in the proposed pedagogical approach. The study also revealed that in addition to adopting the concept of a virtual company on campus for WIL students, a substantial focus should be on soft skills training. The exit level outcomes (ELOs) related to a simulated working environment for the WIL module of the IT are specified in the HEQF (Higher Education Qualifications Framework) document as set out by the South African Qualifications Authority.

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)

The purpose of the research was to determine whether personality and measures of ability would significantly predict job performance of call centre operators in a South African communications company. The Customer Contact Styles Questionnaire (CCSQ7.2), the Basic Checking (CP7.1) ability test and the Audio Checking (CP8.1) ability test were completed by operators as the predictors. Supervisors completed the Customer Contact Competency Inventory (CCCI) for 140 operators as a measure of job performance. Performance statistics were obtained for the sample as additional criterion data. Correlations and multiple regression analysis revealed statistically significant small to moderate correlations between the criteria and the predictors. The research was conducted from a concurrent validity perspective. Further research from a predictive validity perspective is suggested in order to substantiate the findings and to improve the generalisability thereof. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Industrial Psychology)

This study investigated whether skills development learning programmes specifically internship programme in the public service sector are effective in improving interns’ emotional intelligence competences. A convenience sample of 66 interns was obtained. The interns, two peers and a mentor assessed the intern’s emotional intelligence competencies twice, at the beginning and towards the end of the internship programme with the aid the 360° Emotional and Social Intelligence Inventory (ESCI). A total of 264 participants completed the inventory. Mean competency ratings were compared to determine if there were differences between the first and the second assessments. There were statistically significant differences for Organisational Awareness, Adaptability, Influence, Teamwork, Empathy, Emotional Self Awareness, Conflict Management and Inspirational Leadership. No statistically significant differences were found in the overall development of emotional intelligence based on gender. However, female interns improved more in Emotional Self-Awareness while males improved more in Inspirational Leadership and Coaching. Skills development internship learning programme in the public service appear to be effective in furthering interns’ emotional intelligence competencies at work. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology with Specialisation in Research Consultation)

Globalisation, technological advancements and changing social needs result in virtual work arrangements becoming more prominent. Virtual work is conducted away from the traditional office setting and usually occurs in employees’ personal home environments. Virtual work has been called virtualling in this study, and virtual employees are referred to as virtuallers. A phenomenological orientation was adopted in studying completely virtual workers in a completely virtual context; sourcing of participants and data collection were also conducted completely virtually. This study presented new ways of conducting research in the modern, virtual world of work. An autoethnography was included, as the researcher is also a virtualler and insider of virtualling. Four key case studies are presented to provide a holistic picture of virtualling and virtuallers. Thematic results indicate key influencing factors that originate from virtualling, as well as factors and mindset requirements that pertain to the virtualler personally. It was further found and proposed that the resulting virtual environment changes virtuallers’ ways of doing things and viewing the world, hence results in changes in their lifestyle and career identity. The abstract psychological structure as it resulted from the thread of meanings was presented as virtualness. Authentic psychological identification with virtualling and adopting a boundarylessness employability mindset oriented towards psychological success are highlighted as key requirements in order to experience virtualness. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / MCOM (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

University education is ideally expected to significantly expand higher education capabilities among students. Yet, if left unchecked, university education processes can under-equip students in terms of higher education capabilities. In the last one and a half decades, public university education in Uganda has been rapidly growing in terms of student enrolment and course completion. However, the higher education capability levels among students and consequently new graduates (2001-2010) have apparently been declining, especially in terms of practical reason, sociality and participation, learning dispositions, and science and technology. The current study analyses why the new graduates of public universities in Uganda are seemingly deficient in higher education capabilities. Data for analysis were mainly collected from 221 stakeholders of two public universities, namely Makerere University and Mbarara University. The analysis focused on respondents’ perceptions of the three sub-variables of university education, namely curriculum content, teaching processes, and learning processes. Through regression analysis, it was established that these sub-variables jointly predict higher education capability expansion among students in Uganda by 81.2%. Meanwhile, results from qualitative analyses suggest that the curriculum content of public university education is at an acceptable standard and, therefore, a minor cause of higher education capability deficiency among students. However, the teaching processes are perceived as ineffective since lecturers mainly use non-participatory approaches, teach fewer sessions than timetabled, and engage ‘liberal’ quality assurance measures that are open to abuse. Moreover, the learning approaches of some students seem to be surface in nature and the students’ levels of research learning and practice are low. Hence, the study conclusions suggest that low levels of higher education capabilities among students or new graduates in Uganda are largely due to ineffective teaching and learning processes at the two public universities studied. Consequently, the study recommends that, in a bid to enhance higher education capability expansion among students, public universities should focus on improving teaching processes and learning processes, particularly on staff pedagogical skills, commitment, quality controls, and reducing the number of students enrolled in most university courses. / Development Studies / D. Litt et Phil. (Development Studies)

Syftet med avhandlingen är att beskriva akademikers bana mot att bli professionella då de kommer ut i arbetslivet med en magisterexamen i psykologi eller statsvetenskap. The study has a longitudinal design where Political Science and Psychology graduates’ have been interviewed on three consecutive occasions; the last semester before graduation, the first year and then, in the third year of professional work. The theoretical frame of reference comprises a situated and social learning theory and a gender perspective. These theories were chosen since they elaborate on concepts such as identity, practice, participation and learning. The results indicate that becoming a professional is not an isolated phenomenon merely learned and nurtured in higher education and/or in working life. It is emphasised as a dynamic learning process between a reflective individual, the interaction with a professional practice as well as a relationship between other spheres of life, e.g. the personal and the private. The graduates’ professional trajectories can be characterised by a movement from appropriating new knowledge to a need to change direction, e.g. new work tasks or professional fields. This is also a process of professional identity formation. The graduates’ professional identity is emphasised as being both closely related to a gender identity and influenced by the individuals’ belonging to and participation in other practices. The results thus indicate that professional identity formation is an interplay between different spheres of life that changes over time. By using a longitudinal design, it can be claimed that becoming a professional requires balancing one’s whole life situation. / Syftet med avhandlingen är att beskriva akademikers bana mot att bli professionella då de kommer ut i arbetslivet med en magisterexamen i psykologi eller statsvetenskap. Avhandlingen baserar sig på en longitudinell studie där statsvetare och psykologer har blivit intervjuade vid tre olika tillfällen; sista terminen innan examen samt efter första och tredje året i arbetslivet. Den teoretiska referensramen utgörs av begrepp från situerat och social lärteori samt från ett genusperspektiv. Dessa teorier valdes då de fokuserar på begreppen identitet, praktik, deltagande och lärande.Resultaten visar att utvecklingen mot att bli professionell inte är ett isolerat fenomen förvärvat och underhållet i högre utbildning och/eller arbetslivet. Det uttrycks snarare som en dynamisk lärprocess mellan en reflekterande individ, interaktion med en professionell praktik samt med olika sfärer i livet, den professionella, den personliga och den privata. Akademikernas professionella bana kan karakteriseras som en rörelse mellan att utveckla ny kunskap och göra den till sin, till ett behov av förändring i form av nya arbetsuppgifter eller byte av professionellt fält. Att bli professionell innebär även en utveckling av en professionell identitet. Statsvetarnas och psykologernas professionella identitet skapas i relation till en genusidentitet och är influerad av individernas tillhörighet och medverkan i olika praktiker. Resultatet visar därför utveckling av professionell identitet som ett samspel mellan olika sfärer i livet som är föränderligt över tid. Utifrån den utförda longitudinella studien är det möjligt att hävda att utvecklingen mot att bli professionell är ett sätt att skapa ett samspel och balans i individens livssituation.