Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Since the 1970s, economic recession, industrial restructuring, technological changes, and intensified global competition has changed the nature of work. Consequently, employees have changed, many organisations are changing and jobs are minimized to keep up with global demands. However, military organisations and jobs seem to be lagging behind. Although the military is recruiting young generations, many of its jobs are still traditional military jobs that pose heavy demands and dangerous circumstances on the soldiers, hence, the purpose of this particular study. The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between subjective career success (SCS), work circumstances (WC) and personality factors (PF) of soldiers in the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). The existence of the relationship between the variables was explored through a non-experimental controlled inquiry. The variables under study were defined as follows: subjective career success is characterised by increase in the level of skills, increase in self-esteem, increased autonomy and responsibility in the position the person holds, and working with interesting colleagues; WC is defined as working conditions in which physical, mental, and emotional activities are directed towards accomplishing a specific task. Work circumstances encompass job demands, job characteristics, salary, and job security of soldiers; and PF includes locus of control in the workplace, self-efficacy and assertive behaviour in the workplace. A sample of 57 participants was selected from officers (Second Lieutenant – Captain and equivalent rank) studying at the South African Military Academy (here referred to as SAMA), Faculty of Military Sciences, Stellenbosch University. Another sample of 113 Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) (Leading-Seamen – Chief Petty Officers) was selected from SAS SALDANHA (South African Naval Gymnasium). In total, a sample of 170 was drawn for this research. Correlation analysis was used to determine the relationship between independent variables and dependent variable; and multiple regression analysis was used to determine factors that explain SCS of soldiers in the SANDF. The results showed a significant partial relationship between job characteristics and SCS. Furthermore, a significant correlation emerged between salary satisfaction and satisfaction with job security. Insignificant relationship emerged between job demands and SCS. Insignificant results also emerged in the relationship between locus of control, self-efficacy and assertive behaviour (PF) and SCS respectively. As a result, it was concluded that WC have a partial relationship with SCS; and PF does not have any relationship with SCS. However, the results of the multiple regressions analysis provided that only job security satisfaction, salary satisfaction, locus of control and self-efficacy explain SCS, concluding that WC and PF in this research partially explain SCS of soldiers. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: geen opsomming

Thesis (MComm (Industrial Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The choice of career path could create a stressful situation for many individuals. Researchers seem to agree that if a person is able to find fit between what they would like to do and what a job (work environment) involves then a person is likely to perform their chosen occupation well. Interest assessment is a method that assists in making personal and organisational career related decisions. The Campbell Interest and Skill Survey (CISS, Campbell, Hyne & Nilsen, 1992) is a well-known interest assessment instrument that can be used for such decisions. Even though interest assessment can assist, these instruments have been criticised for being gender biased and typically forcing people into stereotypical gendered type occupations. Bias is indicated as nuisance factors that threaten the validity of cross-group (cultural) comparisons (Van de Vijver & Leung, 1997). These nuisance factors could be due to construct bias, method bias and/or item bias. Therefore, due to the importance of the decisions made, it would seem essential that the information provided by test results apply equally across different reference groups – this would imply equivalent measurement. Equivalence is achieved at three levels: Configural, metric and scalar (Vandenberg & Lance, 2000; Vandenberg, 2002). Full measurement invariance (achieved when scalar invariance is found) implies the ability to compare observed scores directly. By making use of confirmatory factor analytic techniques suggested by Vandenberg and Lance (2000), increasing constraints of equivalence were proposed for the CISS measurement model. While adequate model fit was found for the CISS Basic scales, the sample size did not afford independent gender sample confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) and consequent measurement invariance tests to be conducted on the Basic scales. The CISS Orientation scales were then subjected to CFA on the combined gender sample and then were subjected to independent CFAs on the separate gender samples. Unfortunately poor model fit was found at this global level of measurement in the CISS. This prevented the researcher from completing the necessary measurement invariance tests on the Orientation scales for the CISS. The implications of the results are discussed, limitations are indicated and areas for further research are highlighted. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die maak van ‘n loopbaankeuse kan spanning veroorsaak in baie mense. Dit wil voorkom of navorsers saamstem dat indien ‘n person se werklike beroep ooreenstem met dit wat hy/sy graag sou wou doen – dan sal die persoon waarskynlik goed presteer in die gekose beroep. Die benutting van belangstellingsvraelyste kan individue help om effektiewe persoonlike en beroepsgerigte keuses te maak. Die “Campbell Interest and Skill Survey” (CISS, Campbell, Hyne & Nilsen, 1992) is ‘n bekende belangstellingsvraelys wat gebruik kan word om ondersteuning te bied om bogenoemde keuses te maak. Alhoewel belangstellingsvraelyste oor die algemeen waardevolle hulpbronne is in die maak van beroepskeuses, is hierdie vraelyste al gekritiseer dat hulle sydig kan wees op grond van geslag en as sulks mense kan lei om geslagsgetipeerde beroepskeuses te maak. “Sydigheid” in toetse kan beskryf word as “lastige” faktore wat die geldigheid van kruiskulturele vergelykings bedreig (Van de Vijver & Leung, 1997). Hierdie faktore kan veroorsaak word deur konstruksydigheid, metodesydigheid en/of itemsydigheid. Dit is dus noodsaaklik dat die informasie wat verskaf word deur die toetsresultate dieselfde betekenis moet hê oor al die verskillende verwysingsgroepe en dit noodsaak ekwivalente meting. Ekwivalensie kan bereik word op drie vlakke: konfiguraal, metries en skalêr (Vandenberg & Lance, 2000; Vandenberg, 2002). Volle invariansie van meting (wat bereik word wanneer skalêre invariansie bevind word) impliseer dat waargenome metings direk met mekaar vergelyk kan word. Deur gebruik te maak van bevestigende faktoranalitiese tegnieke voorgestel deur Vandenberg en Lance (2000), is toenemende ekwivalensiebeperkinge voorgestel vir die “CISS” metingsmodel. Alhoewel ’n bevredigende passing gevind is vir die “CISS Basic scales” model, het die grootte van die steekproef nie toegelaat dat die “CISS Basic scales” model onafhanklik op die twee geslagsgroepe gepas word nie en ook nie toegelaat dat die metingsinvariansie van die model oor die twee geslagsgroepe ondersoek word nie. Die “CISS Orientation scales” is toe blootgestel aan bevestigende faktorontleding op die gekombineerde geslagsteekproef en asook op die onderskeie geslagsgroepe. Op hierdie globale vlak kon daar egter nie bevredigende modelpassing gevind word nie. Die gebrekkige modelpassing het gevolglik die navorser verhoed om enige verdere metingsvariansie toetse op die “Orientation scales” te doen. Die implikasies van die resultate word bespreek, beperkinge word aangedui en verdere moonlike navorsingsgebiede word uitgelig.

Thesis (MA(Industrial Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / Increased globalisation and competition have implications for organisational renewal and change and increasingly cost cutting, by retrenching employees, is part of the search for competitive advantage and sustainability. Within the South African context, retrenchments are no exception. The study explored the experiences of those who are tasked with the role of implementing the retrenchment, the so-called retrenchment implementers. Despite implementers being key to ensuring organisational success and profitability in the aftermath of retrenchment, research on their experiences is limited not only internationally, but also locally. The study was conducted amongst participants employed at various South African organisations. Qualitative data was obtained via semi-structured interviews with the implementers of retrenchments. Following content analysis, three key themes emerged: implementers’ experiences of procedural aspects as per s189 and s189A of the Labour Relations Act 66, of 1995 (as amended); implementers’ personal experiences of performing the retrenchment act and organisational and personal enabling strategies to assist with preparing implementers for the retrenchment task. Results indicate mixed responses in terms of complying with the relevant legislation. Insofar as their personal experiences are concerned, results indicate that while some implementers had found ways to adjust to their managerial function of implementing retrenchments, others experienced discomfort with their role, suffering from amongst others guilt and feelings of responsibility, role conflict, role overload, decreased emotional well being, a sense of isolation, negative self-perceptions and feelings of job insecurity. In the majority of cases, implementers experienced limited organisational emotional support and assistance in dealing with their emotions during the retrenchment conversation. These results support the limited non-South African literature. The results from the present study also added insight into the ways in which implementers are personally prepared for their role as well as ways in which organisations can assist them emotionally for their task.

Thesis (MComm (Industrial Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010.

Thesis (MA) -- University of Stellenbosch, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: South African organisations, just as in other countries, are fighting to gain a competitive advantage over their competitors. In this struggle, human resources have become the focus point of debate and intervention in organisations. The task-related competencies of employees have suddenly become central with regard to the performance of organisations. This new-found importance with which human resources have been labeled, also has a spill-over effect on the importance of the human resources function in organisations, especially the manager and leader thereof. The aim of this study is to shed light on the strategic partnership role that senior human resource managers currently play in South African organisations. Furthermore, a theoretical framework through which the concept of strategic partnership can be understood and explored, is introduced. The data was collected by utilising a survey and consisted of adapted versions of the Human Resources Role-assessment Survey (strategic partner), the Human Resources Competencies Scale as well as scales that measured the dimensions of strategic role motivation and strategic role opportunity. The results of this study showed that on average, the senior human resource (HR) managers in South Africa rated themselves significantly higher on the strategic partnership dimension than senior line managers rated them. Additionally, it seems that senior HR managers reported higher levels of professional competencies than of business-related competencies. A significant positive relationship exists between professional competencies and business-related competencies. There seems to be a significant positive relationship between strategic partnership and strategic role motivation as well as strategic partnership and strategic role opportunities within South African organisations. Conclusions are drawn from the results and recommendations are made for future research. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: DIE ONTLUIKENDE ROL VAN DIE MENSLIKE HULPBRONBESTUURDER AS IN STRATEGIESE VENNOOT IN SUID-AFRIKAANSE ORGANISASIES Net soos in ander lande, veg Suid-Afrikaanse organisasies vir die verkryging van 'n kompeterende voordeeloor hul mededingers. In hierdie stryd het die menslike hulpbron die fokuspunt van debat en intervensies in organisasies geword. Die taak-verwante bevoegdhede van werknemers het skielik sentraal geword in die ontleding van die prestasie van organisasies. Hierdie nuutgevonde belangrikheid waarmee die menslike hulpbron geëtiketteer word, het gelei tot die toenemende belangrikheid van die menslike hulpbronfunksie in organisasies, en spesifiek die bestuurder en leier van hierdie funksie (menslike hulpbronbestuurder). Die doel met hierdie studie is om die strategiese vennootskapsrol van menslike hulpbronbestuurders in Suid-Afrikaanse organisasies op te klaar. Verder word 'n teoretiese modelook ontwikkel waarmee die konsep van strategiese vennootskap beter verstaan en verder verken kan word. Die data is ingesamel deur gebruik te maak van 'n opname wat die vorm van 'n vraelys aangeneem het. Hierdie vraelys het bestaan uit aangepaste weergawes van die Menslike Hulpbron Rol-assesseringsopname (strategiese vennootskap), die Menslike Hulpbron Bevoegdheidskaal, sowel as vrae oor die dimensies van strategiese rolmotivering en strategiese rolgeleenthede. Die resultate van hierdie studie toon dat senior menslike hulpbronbestuurders in Suid-Afrikaanse organisasies hulself gemiddeld beduidend hoër tellings toeken op die dimensie van strategiese vennootskap as senior lynbestuurders. Dit blyk dat senior menslike hulpbronbestuurders ook oor hoër vlakke van professionele bevoegdhede as besigheidsverwante bevoegdhede beskik. Daar bestaan In beduidende positiewe verband tussen professionele bevoegdhede en besigheidsverwante bevoegdhede. Daar blyk ook In beduidend positiewe verband tussen strategiese vennootskap en strategiese rolmotivering, sowel as strategiese vennootskap en strategiese rolgeleenthede in organisasies te wees. Op grond van hierdie resultate is daar bepaalde gevolgtrekkings gemaak asook aanbevelings vir verdere navorsing.

The main objective of this study was to determine the relationships between sets of key variables, as portrayed in the theoretical model. This model suggested inter alia, that selected personality variables are the mediators of the relationship between job satisfaction and organisational culture. The final empirical predictive model revealed that the selected personality variables were not the mediators of the relationship between job satisfaction and organisational culture. The methodology of the study has been designed to answer the research questions. The research design is a quantitative design and the application of measuring instruments generated primary data. Five different questionnaires have been applied, namely the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire, Five Factor Personality Inventory, Sense of Coherence Questionnaire, Self-Efficacy Scale and the Organisational Culture Scale. An ex post facto approach to data analysis has been used for retrospectively exploring the inter-relationships between the data sets. A two-stage process of data analysis has been followed. The objective of the first phase is to establish scale reliabilities before proceeding to the second phase. The objective of the second phase is to establish the nature of the relationships between key variables in applying multi-variate statistical techniques (e.g. multi factor analysis of variance (ANOVA) and General Linear Modeling (GLM) and to develop an empirical theoretical model for predicting organisational culture. In phase one, the statistical procedures applied include descriptive statistics, tests for sampling adequacy and tests for sphericity, in order to establish if the inter-correlation matrices were suitable for further factor analysis. The factor analyses are followed by iterative item analyses. From the descriptive scale one can infer that conscientiousness, agreeableness, goal-directedness, imposed personal demands, internal climate and intrinsic satisfaction are the best answered items. Three dimensions of the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire, two dimensions of the Organisational Culture Scale, five dimensions of the Five Factor Personality Inventory and one scale each of the Sense of Coherence Questionnaire and Self-Efficacy Scale have been identified. These scales all presented high and acceptable Cronbach Alphas and the total score distributions indicate that parametric (normal distribution) inferential statistical procedures can be applied. In the second phase, inferential statistical procedures have been conducted to test the hypotheses. In applying bi-variate analyses (i.e. analyses of variance) the relationship between biographical variables, job satisfaction and organisational culture has been established. The main findings of this part of the research can be summarised as follows: • Significant differences in the mean scores between the race groups – Blacks compared to the Coloured/Asians and Whites - and imposed personal demands were found. • Significant differences in the mean scores between the education groups – Basic diploma and specialised diploma and Basic diploma with additional qualifications – and intrinsic satisfaction were found. • Significant differences in the mean scores between the home language groups and job satisfaction dimensions – personal demands and extrinsic satisfaction -- were found. A similar statistical procedure has been applied by using the GLM, in which all the biographical variables and personality variables were included in the equation to predict job satisfaction. The findings are: • Selected personality variables (Five Factor Model) predicted job satisfaction and, in certain cases, the personality variables were moderated by a biographical variable, namely hospital type. In applying the GLM to determine job satisfaction as predictor of organisational culture, the following results have been obtained: • Imposed Personal Demands did predict organisational culture – with regard to goal-directedness, however, a negative regression line was shown. • Extrinsic Satisfaction predicted organisational culture – goal-directedness and internal climate depended on diploma and specialised diploma. In applying the GLM to determine the selected personality variables as the mediators of the relationship between job satisfaction and organisational culture, no empirical significant results have been achieved. With regard to the relationship between biographical variables, selected personality variables and organisational culture, it has been found that personality variables did predict organisational culture (goal-directedness and internal climate). The biographical variables acted as moderators of the personality variables. The hypothesised difference between the five-work units’ organisational cultures revealed no statistical significant differences in the mean scores. In applying the GLM, it was found that the CTICU was a moderator of conscientiousness in the prediction of the internal climate. It was found that the biographical variables, hospital type, educational level and unit of work, were the moderators of selected personality variables in the prediction of job satisfaction and organisational culture. It was found that the job satisfaction dimensions explained more variance in the prediction of organisational culture, opposed to the selected personality variables that primarily predicted job satisfaction and secondarily perceived organisational culture. However, a moderating effect was present in this prediction. The findings have some theoretical value as the nursing professionals were included for the first time in a study of this nature. A more sophisticated multi-variate General Linear Model (GLM) was applied for the prediction of job satisfaction and organisational culture. Different predictors explained the variance in job satisfaction and organisational culture, which resulted in a parsimonious predictive empirical model. The model also illustrates possible significant moderating effects between the different predictor variables. The model serves as a good point of departure for understanding and explaining organisational culture. A final review of the research indicated clearly that all the literature and empirical objectives, as set out in the beginning of the study, have been met at the end of this research. A final integrated multivariate empirical model for subjective organisational culture was the result. / Prof. G. Roodt

A research report submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MA by Coursework and Research Report in the field of Organisational Psychology in the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, on 8 February 2016 / The aim of the current study was to investigate two possible mechanisms that might facilitate thriving in the workplace, namely implicit person theories and psychological capital. These variables were chosen because of their potential to operate in accordance with Barbara Fredrickson’s broaden and build hypothesis, with implicit person theories working to broaden thought-action repertoires, and psychological capital working to build personal resources. The study employed a quantitative, non-experimental, correlational, and cross sectional design. A sample of 226 working adults living in South Africa volunteered to participate in the study. They completed four online questionnaires: a demographic questionnaire; the Thriving at Work Scale; the Implicit Person Theories Scale; and the Psychological Capital Questionaire-24 (PCQ-24). To test the hypothesis that implicit person theories and psychological capital jointly facilitate the experience of workplace thriving, a series of correlations, regressions, and mediation analyses were conducted. The results indicated that psychological capital does indeed mediate the relationship between implicit person theories and workplace thriving.

The purpose of this study was to empirically examine two empirically examine two main areas of concern in selecting criteria for validation studies: the development of the criterion and the multiple criteria versus composite criterion debate. Evidence was found for the ability of the various weighting schemes used to generate composites that were statistically and conceptually different from one another. Knowledge of the nature of each composite, along with the multiple criteria approach, proved essential to understanding the composite criterion to the validation process. Selection and treatment of the criterion apparently consist of judgment and individual estimations.

The present study was conducted to examine power use patterns and general power use strategies in organizations multidimensionally (i.e., downward, upward, and lateral directions of power use), to extend and explain previous findings by Kipnis et al. (1980), with reference to situational effects on multidimensional power use. The samples in this study consist of 230 full-time managers who were from eight local businesses, and a second sample of 140 college students who worked over 15 hours a week at the time of the study. Two exploratory factor analyses resulted in five commonly used power patterns and two general power use strategies based on the eight factors found from Kipnis et al. (1980) factor analysis. Significant differences between the manager's level and manager's power tactics use were not found in downward, upward, or lateral power tactics use when three corresponding MANOVA analyses were conducted. Two different measures of work unit size were used, and the relationship between the work unit size and manager's power tactics use was significant when tested by a stepwise multiple regression analysis. A final multivariate analysis with repeated measures found no significant difference between the two response formats used on the questionnaires given to the college student sample. The important implications and contributions of the present study are discussed as well as future research directions.

<p>Diss. Stockholm : Handelshögskolan, 1991. Sammanfattning på engelska med titeln: Work motivation : a study of engineers. Spikblad saknas</p>