Perceived organisational support and organisational commitment plays a vital role in determining turnover intention. When employees feel that their organisation supports them levels of commitment can increase. Thus, employees feel more obligated because of favourable benefits such as organisational effectiveness and reduced turnover. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect perceived organisational support and organisational commitment have on turnover intention. The study followed a descriptive survey method. A questionnaire, measured on a Likert Scale was used to collect data from respondents. The sample comprised 98 academic staff at the University of Fort Hare and the response rate was 56.6 percent. The results indicated that perceived organisational support and organisational commitment are negatively and significantly related to turnover intention. The study also revealed perceived organisational support and organisational commitment on turnover intention did not account for a higher variance when put together, however moderate variance was found. Perceived organisational support in this study was identified as the most effective predictor of turnover intention. In addition to managerial implications and limitations of the study, direction for future research is also suggested at the end of this study. The findings of this study will help in terms of understanding the state of organisational commitment of academics and its relationship with their intentions to leave.

Employee commitment is one of the most important aspects that help an organisation achieve its desired goals. This study investigates the possible effects of gender and age differences between managers and employees on organisational commitment among lower-level employees in selected factories in the Buffalo City Metropolitan area. The organisational commitment instrument used in this research is the Meyer and Allen (1997) organisational commitment questionnaire which contains 18 items (6 items for each scale: affective commitment, continuance commitment and normative commitment). For this purpose, a sample of 100 lower-level employees was used. The results indicated significant differences in the unexpected directions in affective commitment and continuance commitment between male employees supervised by male managers and male employees supervised by female managers; male employees were found to have higher levels of affective and continuance commitment when supervised by female managers. Female employees were found to have a higher level of normative commitment when supervised by male managers than when supervised by female managers which was also in the unexpected direction. In addition, the study showed surprising results in terms of the social or cultural hypothesis where employees supervised by male managers and older managers were not significantly different in organisational commitment to those managed by female and by younger or same-age managers.

Motivation is critical to the effective management of social workers in an organisation. A literature study of the concept motivation and an empirical study on the motivational function of the social work manager were conducted. This exploratory/descriptive study aimed to set scientifically grounded guidelines for the implementation of motivation as management function of social work managers. The literature indicated that motivating employees is the responsibility of social work managers. Research showed that social workers, social work managers and the organisation do benefit from motivation. The respondents indicated that motivation as a management function is important. They highlighted that intrinsic motivation and internal and external motivators influence their motivation positively. Organisational policies and a leadership style characterised by autocracy and a laissez-faire approach are demotivating. Social work managers should apply the principles of motivation theories, motivational strategies and guidelines to maintain and sustain motivation. Conclusions and recommendations were made regarding the motivational function of the social work manager. / Social work / M. Diac. (Social Work)

Over the past five decades, universities across the globe have been subjected to powerful forces of change that have impacted their definition, governance and funding structures, and managerial practices. In South Africa, the reform process was amplified by the country’s apartheid legacy and the political and socio-economic realities. Consequently, the transformation has resulted in the corporatisation of universities and the re-engineering of the academic profession into a managed profession that brought about a changed work environment with less secure conditions of employment, more expectations and increased work pressure, with diminished autonomy. The changed and changing South African higher education environment has had and continues to have its effects on academic employees’ well-being, health and morale. Limited research has investigated the sense of purpose and meaning and psychological health of academic employees. Moreover, there is an absence of empirical studies that have reported on the development and evaluation of a brief group-based meaning-centred intervention that focuses on both the sense of purpose and meaning, and psychological health of academic employees. The primary aim of the study was to first explore the meaning and/or meaning frustration embedded in the academic employee experience, in order to develop and empirically assess a brief group-based meaning-centred intervention in a higher education setting. The intervention was articulated from a logotherapy perspective of Viktor Frankl’s system of psychotherapy. An intervention mixed methods design, consisting of four interdependent phases, was used to pursue the aim of the study. The phase one qualitative single case study was used to explore and describe the sense of meaning and/or meaning frustration embedded in academic employees’ experiences. This was used as a means of developing and supporting the intervention that was implemented in the phase three quantitative quasi- experimental single-group pre/post test study. Phase two was thus an applied phase where the intentional mixing of the qualitative and quantitative phases took place. Likewise, phase four was an applied phase since it was used to draw conclusions based on the integration of the phase one findings and the phase three results. The results of the quantitative study indicated that the majority of academic employees who participated in the study had a sense of definite purpose and meaning (MPIL-post = 114.59, SDPIL-post = 18.04) and psychological health, despite the changed and changing HE landscape. The main finding suggests that a logotherapy brief group-based intervention, with a strong cognitive restructuring component, may have a positive impact on the sense of purpose and meaning of academic employees, whilst reducing the presence of symptoms of depression, post traumatic stress, binge eating and panic. The experience of purpose and meaning in work, and adaptive psychological coping, was related to academic employees’ sense of making a difference in students’ development, the appreciation they have received from students, their freedom of choice, their view of work as a calling, the unique benefits of working in HE, meaning beyond the meaning in the moment (ultimate meaning) and making a difference in colleagues’ (staffs’) lives. Llimitations in the study are noted and recommendations are made to formalise existential analysis as a research method of meaning informed organisational assessment. / Psychology / Ph. D. (Counselling Psychology)

This qualitative study investigated the influences of psychosocial meta-capacities on learning capacity development in a foreign government agency that is undergoing extensive organisational change. The data was obtained through semi-structured interviews with seven participants, who are employees of a foreign visa-processing unit based in South Africa. The participants shared their experiences during the organisational change process, and how different aspects impacted on their learning capacity development. The study highlighted self-efficacy and emotional intelligence as key meta-capacities that can be enhanced to aid learning capacity development. Furthermore, the study recommended that organisations intending to introduce significant changes should be aware of the psychosocial meta-capacities that can be exploited to enhance employee learning capacity development, thereby ultimately ensuring organisational success. This study seems to suggest that the positive influences on learning capacity development are: self-efficacy in the form of self- beliefs about one’s performance ability; the ability to take initiative; and learning orientation - for example, a sense of exploration; emotional intelligence in the form of self-awareness in relation to what needs to happen, and the positive impact of social support systems, for example, supervisors, role models and fellow colleagues. Negative influences on learning capacity development seem to include the following: the inability to manage performance anxiety; high levels of self-doubt, the lack of technical expertise, and learning paralysis in the form of procrastination and the lack of self-motivation. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

This dissertation focuses on investigating the relationship between organisational culture and employee engagement in a Public Service department. In this quantitative study, undertaken in a South African Public Service department (North West province), dimensions of organisational culture (measured by the South African Culture Instrument) were correlated with the dimensions of employee engagement (measured by the South African Engagement Measurement). Correlational analyses revealed a statistically significant positive relationship between each of the dimensions of organisational culture and employee engagement, respectively. ANOVA statistical technique was used to determine whether significant differences exist between groups. Regression analyses revealed that leadership, employee needs and objectives, vision and mission, management processes and internal relationships would predict employee engagement. Leadership made the most significant predictor of employee engagement. The means to achieve objectives dimension showed no effect in predicting employee engagement. This indicates that positive perceptions of organisational culture are likely to be related to higher levels of employee engagement. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

Foreign exchange banking organisations afford individuals great career opportunities, and therefore endeavour to attract high-caliber employees who are self-motivated and create the dynamic, innovative and professional culture characteristic of the organisation. Retaining key talent characterised by skills shortages has become an imperative for sustaining competitive business performance in a fast-changing economic environment. The general aim of this research was to develop a model of employee motivation and job satisfaction for staff retention practices in a foreign exchange banking organisation. The concepts of employee motivation, job satisfaction and employee retention were discussed with regard to their history, conceptual foundation, theoretical approaches, types, variables and consequences. The theoretical model was developed accordingly on the basis of the literature review, and revealed the factors that could influence employee retention. The main purpose of the empirical research was to operationalise the theoretically derived motivation and job satisfaction concepts, statistically determine the underlying variables of motivation and job satisfaction that influence employee retention and develop a structural equation model to verify the theoretical model. A quantitative empirical research paradigm using the survey method was followed. Explanatory and descriptive research was used in this study, with a sample of 341 foreign exchange banking individuals drawn from a financial institution. Three questionnaires and a biographical questionnaire were adapted and administered to employees. The Work Preference Inventory (WPI) measured employee motivation, the Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS) measured job satisfaction, and the Employee Retention Questionnaire (ERQ) measured employee retention intention. A structural equation model development strategy produced a new best-fitting retention model based on the new constructs postulated in the factor analysis. The model indicated that job satisfaction explained the highest variance of retention when compared to motivation. The research should contribute towards a comprehensive understanding of the factors that influence employee retention. The new model of employee motivation and job satisfaction for staff retention practices in a South African foreign exchange banking organisation could assist organisations in retaining skilled and talented staff. The study should encourage practitioners to take cognisance of the fact that organisations are different and that the motivation and job satisfaction factors for employee retention need to be considered. / Public Administration and Management / D. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

Motivation is critical to the effective management of social workers in an organisation. A literature study of the concept motivation and an empirical study on the motivational function of the social work manager were conducted. This exploratory/descriptive study aimed to set scientifically grounded guidelines for the implementation of motivation as management function of social work managers. The literature indicated that motivating employees is the responsibility of social work managers. Research showed that social workers, social work managers and the organisation do benefit from motivation. The respondents indicated that motivation as a management function is important. They highlighted that intrinsic motivation and internal and external motivators influence their motivation positively. Organisational policies and a leadership style characterised by autocracy and a laissez-faire approach are demotivating. Social work managers should apply the principles of motivation theories, motivational strategies and guidelines to maintain and sustain motivation. Conclusions and recommendations were made regarding the motivational function of the social work manager. / Social work / M. Diac. (Social Work)

Text in English with abstracts in English, isiZulu and isiXhosa / The purpose of the current study was to determine the relationship between personality and employee engagement (EE) within a financial institution in South Africa. A quantitative correlational research approach was utilised and random sampling from a population of 516 identified 200 participants for whom personality scores as measured by the Occupational Personality Questionnaire (OPQ32r) already existed as secondary data. A sample of 124 employees responded to the request to participate in the study. The participants were subsequently requested to complete a self-compiled biographical questionnaire and an employee engagement questionnaire (EEQ) as the measurement of EE. Reliability scores obtained in the current study for the OPQ32r was 0.95 and for the EEQ 0.97 (both p ≤ 0.5), indicating acceptable internal consistency. Results indicated a statistically significant relationship between an Overall OPQ32r Score and an Overall EE Score of 0.186 (p ≤ 0.5), but only one of the three core personality domains measured by the OPQ32r, namely feelings and emotions, had a statistically significant relationship with an Overall EE Score and four of the six EE subdimensions of EE. Results also indicated that the three core personality domains as measured by the OPQ32r are a statistically significant predictor of EE, predicting 4% of the variance of EE (r2 = 0.04, F (3; 120) = 2.72, p ≤ 0.05). Although all relationships obtained in the current study were statistically significant, all had a weak effect size and were thus of limited practical significance, indicating limited practical usefulness. The limitations of this study were the small sample size utilised (n = 124) due to the utilisation of secondary data and a survey sent out concurrent to this study, impacting employees’ willingness to fill in an additional survey. The fact that this study was done in only one division of a financial institution in South Africa, made the generalisation of results to other organisations problematic. There were limited studies measuring personality utilising the OPQ32r while the EE studies utilised different assessments to measure the construct, complicating the comparison of results. As personality and EE are important constructs for Industrial and Organisational Psychology, it was also recommended that additional research be undertaken to increase the knowledge base regarding these two constructs. / Inhloso yesifundo socwaningo samanje kwaye kukuthola ubudlelwano obuphakathi kobuntu kanye nendlela yokusebenzisana phakathi kwesisebenzi kanye nenhlangano (EE) ngaphakathi kwenhlangano yezezimali eNingizimu Afrika. Kwasetshenziswa indlela yocwaningo eqhathanisa izinga lokusebenzisana kwezinto (quantitative correlational research approach) kanye nendlela yocwaningo i-random sampling kwinani lonke labantu abayi 516 abakhethwe kwi-200 labadlalindima abahlolwe izinga lobuntu obulinganiswe ngokusebenzisa Umbhalo weMibuzo emayelana noBuntu (Occupational Personality Questionnaire) (OPQ32r) okuwulwazi olukade luvele lugcinwe njengedatha yesigaba sesibili. Isampuli yabasebenzi abayi-124 iphendule ngokuthi ivume ukuzibandakanye kucwaningo. Ngemuva kwalokho abadlalindima baye bacelwa ukuba bagcwalise umbhalo wemibuzo ebuza ngempilo yomuntu kanye nombhalo wemibuzo ebhekiswe kuhlobo lobudlelwano obuphakathi kwesisebenzi kanye nenhlangano (EEQ), lokhu kusetshenziswe njengophawu lokulinganisa izinga lokusebenzisana phakathi kwesisebenzi kanye nenhlangano (EE). Amaphuzu akhombisa ukwethembeka atholwe kucwaningo lwamanje kwi-OPQ32r ayekhombisa inani le 0.95 kanye ne EEQ 0.97 (zombili lezi zinto i-p ≤ 0.5), zikhombisa izinga lokungashintshi kwezinto ngaphakathi. Imiphumela yamanani iye yaveza ubudlelwano obuhle kakhulu phakathi kwamaPhuzu onke e-OPQ32r kanye namaPhuzu onke e-186 (p ≤ 0.5), kodwa-ke uwodwa kuphela umkhakha obalulekile kwezobuntu emikhakheni emithathu elinganiswe nge-OPQ32r, yona yimizwa kanye nommoya, lezi zimpawu zinobudlelwano bamanani obubaluleke kakhulu obukhombisa Amaphuzu onke kanye nezigatshana ezine kwizigatshana eziyisithupha ze-EE. Imiphumela nayo ikhombise ukuthi imikhakha ebalulekile yobuntu njengoba ilinganiswa nge-OPQ32r ngokwamanani iyisibikezeli esisemqoka kakhulu se-EE, ibikezele 4% yezinga lokwehluka kwi-EE (r2 = 0.04, F (3; 120) = 2.72, p ≤ 0.05). Yize zonke izinhlobo zobudlelwano ezitholakele kwisifundo socwaningo samanje ngokwamanani sasibalulekile, kodwa zonke lezi zinhlobo zobudlelwano zonke zikhombise ukuba nomthelela ongenamandla kanti ngokunjalo ubumqoka bazo obuphathekayo buncane kakhulu, bukhombisa izinga elincane lokusebenziseka ngendlela ephathekayo. Imingcele yalolu cwaningo kuye kwasetshenziswa amasampuli amancane (n = 124) ngenxa yokusetshenziswa kwedatha yesigaba sesibili kanye nesaveyi ethunyelwe kanye kanye kulolu cwaningo, iye yaba nomthelela kwizinga lesifiso sabasebenzi sokugcwalisa enye isaveyi eyengeziwe. Udaba lokuthi lolu cwaningo lwenziwe kwisigaba esisodwa kuphela kwiziko lezezimali eNingizimu Afrika, lokhu kuye kwenza ukuthi ukucaban ukuthi imiphumela isebenza kuzo zonke izinhlangano kube yinkinga. Kuye kwacaca ukuthi lincani kabi inani lezifundo zocwaningo ezisetshenziswa ukuhlola izimpawu zobuntu ngokusebenzisa i-OPQ32r kanti izifundo zocwaningo lwe-EE studies zisebenzise izinhlelo ezahlukene zokuhlola ukulinganisa izinga lokwakha, kanti lokhu kudidanisa indlela yokuqhathanisa imiphumela. Njengoba izimpawu zobuntu kanye ne-EE ziyizimpawu ezisemqoka kwisifundo seSayikholoji yezeZimboni kanye neNhlangano, kuye kwanconywa ukuthi futhi ukuthi kudingeka ukuthi kwenziwe olunye ucwaningo ukukhulisa umthombo wolwazi mayelana nalezi zinhlelo zokwakha ezimbili. / Injongo yesi sifundo yayikukuqonda ngolwalamano olwenzeka phakathi kwesimo adalwe esiso umqeshwa/ubuyena nendlela athatha ngayo inxaxheba okanye indlela azibandakanya ngayo nokwenzekayo kwiziko lezoqoqosho eMzantsi Afrika. Uphando luqhutywe ngokusebenzisa indlela yokuthelekisa amanani kwaye kwenziwa ukhetho lwabathathi nxaxheba olungalandeli migaqo itheni, kubantu abangama-516 nekwachongwa kubo abangama-200 ababesele benamanqaku abawafumana xa babebuzwa uluhlu lwemibuzo yesimo sendalo, iOccupational Personality Questionnaire (OPQ32r). Isampulu yabaqeshwa abali-124 yavuma ukuthatha inxaxheba kwesi sifundo. Aba bathathi nxaxheba bacelwa ukuba babhale imibuzo abazenzele ngokwabo, nemalunga nembali yobomi babo kunye neyendlela abazibandakanya ngayo (EEQ), oko kusenziwa njengomlinganiselo we-EE. Amanqaku okuthembeka e OPQ32r awafunyanwa kwesi sifundo aba li-0.95 aze awe-EEQ ali-0.97 (omabini enza p ≤ 0.5), nto leyo ikhombisa uzinzo. Iziphumo zadiza ulwalamano olubalulekileyo phakathi kwenqaku elongameleyo okanye iOverall OPQ32r Score kunye neOverall EE Score, lwalamano olo lwaba li-0.186 (p ≤ 0.5), kodwa linye qha inqanaba lesimo sendalo yomntu elalinganiselwa ngeOPQ32r, nqanaba elo ileleemvakalelo nesimo somphefumlo. Eli nqanaba laba nolwalamano olumandla nenqaku eliyiOverall EE Score kunye namacandelwana amathandathu e-EE. Iziphumo zaphinda zadiza ukuba amacandelo angundoqo amathathu obuyena nalinganiselwa ngeOPQ32r, aluqikelelo olubalulekileyo lwe-EE, eqikelela i-4% yogungqagungqo lwe-EE (r2 = 0.04, F (3; 120) = 2.72, p ≤ 0.05). Nangona zazibaluleke kakhulu zonke iindidi zolwalamano ezafumaneka kwesi sifundo, zonke zazinefuthe elibuthathaka, ngoko ke uncedo lwazo aluzange lube lukhulu kwaye zingenakusetyenziswa kangakanani. Ubuthathaka besi sifundo yaba bubuncinane besampulu eyasetyenziswayo (n = 124) ngenxa yokusetyenziswa kwedatha yomjikelo wesibini (isecondary data) nohlolo zimvo olwaqhutywa ngaxeshanye nesi sifundo, nto leyo yabatyhafisa abaqeshwa kuba babengathandi ukuphendula imibuzo yezifundo ezininzi. Into yokuba esi sifundo senziwa kwicandelo elinye kuphela kwiziko loqoqosho eMzantsi Afrika yenza ukuba kube yingxaki ukuthatha izigqibo ngamanye amaziko. Zazinganelanga izifundo ezilinganisela ubuyena bomntu, zisebenzisa iOPQ32r lo gama izifundo ze-EE zisebenzise iindidi zohlolo ezahlukeneyo ukulinganisela isimo esifanelekileyo, zibe ke zidala ingxaki ekuthelekiseni iziphumo. Njengokuba ubume bendalo/ubuyena kunye ne-EE buzizimo ezibalulekileyo kwiZifundo zeSimo Sengqondo Emsebenzini Nakulungiselelo (Industrial and Organisational Psychology), kwacetyiswa ukuba kuphinde kwenziwe olunye uphando ukuze kwandiswe isiseko solwazi malunga nezi zimo zibini. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

Text in Afrikaans / The purpose of this research study was to determine whether social workers at ground-level experience job satisfaction in their current job situations, as well as to determine the motivational factors that play a role in this regard. Eleven non-governmental welfare organisations in the Boland Region were included in this investigation. Forty-seven social workers participated in this investigation. Based on this investigation into the experiences relating to job satisfaction of ground-level social workers, the following conclusions became evident: Younger social workers experience more job satisfaction then there counterparts in mid-life, while the social in the age bracket of 50 years and above seem to experience more job satisfaction. There seems to be a great deal of job dissatisfaction amongst social worker in the Boland Region as two thirds of the respondents indicated the intention to change their current places of employment. Based on theses conclusions, it is recommended that supervisors within region should establish a forum at which they can deliberate about their management role as supervisors in order to promote job satisfaction amongst social workers. / Social work / M.Diac.