This dissertation presents three article manuscripts investigating contemporary human resource management issues in the United States (US) federal government. Drawing on the behavioral public administration approach, the three articles hypothesize and test theoretical models using data from the US Office of Personnel Management's employee surveys. Chapter 1 introduces the motivation of this dissertation, theoretical backgrounds, and a summary of the three research studies conducted. Chapter 2 presents the first article manuscript, looking at the generational difference issue and its implications for theories and practices. Drawing on generational theories, this study empirically compares affective commitment of federal Millennials and Generation Xers. This study uses time-lag data from the 2011 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) and the 2004 Federal Human Capital Survey (FHCS). The results show no statistically significant differences between the two generations in terms of their affective commitment levels and how several work experiences influence the two generations' attitude. As such, this study provides evidence to reduce generational stereotypes in the public sector. Chapter 3 draws on conservation of resources theory to address perceptions of workload in the public workplace. Using structural equation modeling method with data from the 2019 FEVS, this study finds that supervisor support can sequentially help enhance coworker support, perceived reasonable workload, and job satisfaction, while tangible job resources moderate the above relationship. This study deepens scholarly understandings and points to appropriate practical strategies to enhance employees' perceptions of reasonable workload and job satisfaction in public workplaces. Chapter 4 looks at the issue of trust in different levels of management and its effects on employees, building on the trickle effects models and job demands-resources model. Analysis of 2019 FEVS data finds that employee trust in senior leaders and direct supervisors are positively related to as well as interact with each other to influence public employees. This research also finds trust in senior leaders and direct supervisors indirectly affects extra-role behavior through psychological well-being, and that workload moderates these effects. Chapter 5 concludes this dissertation with summaries of research findings, theoretical and practical implications, research limitations, and future research directions. The quantitative empirical methods used in this dissertation contribute to a community of inquiry using diverse data and methods. / Doctor of Philosophy / This dissertation investigates issues related to managing people in the US federal government. Chapter 1 introduces the motivation of the study, lays out the theoretical background, and presents a brief summary of the three research studies conducted. Chapter 2 examines whether federal employees belonging to the Millennial generation (those born between 1982 and 1999) differ from those of the Generation X (those born between 1965 and 1981) in their affective commitment and how job experiences influence the attitude of these generations. The findings show no substantial differences between the two generations, providing evidence to reduce generational stereotypes in the public sector. Chapter 3 investigates the ways to help employees feel their workload as more reasonable and enhance their job satisfaction. It found that supervisor support can sequentially help enhance coworker support, perceived reasonable workload, and job satisfaction, while tangible job resources moderate the above relationship. As such, this study suggests appropriate management strategies to enhance employees' perceptions of reasonable workload and job satisfaction in public workplaces. Chapter 4 looks at the issue of trust in different levels of management and its effects on employees. It found that employee trust in senior leaders and direct supervisors can influence as well as enhance the effect of each other on employees. Also, trust in senior leaders and direct supervisors indirectly affects extra-role behavior through psychological well-being. Meanwhile, reasonable workload enhances the effect of trust in senior leaders on employees but decreases the effect of trust in supervisors on employees. Chapter 5 concludes this dissertation with summaries of research findings, the contributions of this dissertation, research limitations, and future research directions.

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically altered job demands and resources for international sales professionals, who faced unprecedented challenges such as the inability to travel and increased isolation due to remote work. According to the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) theory, changes in job demands and resources significantly impact well-being, often leading to burnout. Given that international sales are already considered a highly stressful occupation understanding these changes is not only crucial for academic research but also for providing practical support to these professionals. Despite the critical importance of this issue, previous studies have yet to extensively explore the post-pandemic shifts in job demands and resources for international salespeople. This thesis presents qualitative research investigating these changes and their impact on the well-being of international sales professionals during the pandemic. Using semi-structured interviews with six international sales professionals in Japan and Sweden, the study uncovered a surprisingly positive impact of the pandemic on their overall well-being, challenging the traditional JD-R theory. This paradox has brought attention to the oversimplification of the JD-R theory.

Studiens syfte var att undersöka om graden av work engagement kan prediceras utifrån aspekter av job crafting bland människor som arbetar i projektform. Det har gjorts genom en kvantitativ undersökning där en tvärsnittsstudie genomförts för att besvara studiens frågeställning och att uppfylla dess syfte. Data har samlats in som enkätsvar och analyserats. Enkäten har utformats med hjälp av befintliga instrument som översatts till svenska. Totalt har 74 svar inkommit. Resultatet visar på ett signifikant samband mellan job crafting och work engagement. Inga koefficienter för de enskilda aspekterna av job crafting visade sig signifikanta i regressionsanalysen. Använda begrepp definieras och problematiseras och tänkbara anledningra till erhållet resultat diskuteras. / The aim of the study was to investigate whether the degree of work engagement can be predicted from aspects of job crafting among people working in project form. This has been through quantitative research where a cross-sectional study has been conducted inb order to answer the research question and fulfill the purpose of the study. Data has been collected through a questionnaire and analyzed. The questionnaire has been designed based on existing instruments that has been translated into Swedish. A total of 74 answers were received. The results indicate a statistically significant relationship between job crafting and work engagement. No coefficients for the for the individual aspects of job crafting proved significant in the regression analysis. The concepts and terms used are defined and problematized and possible reasons for the obtained results are discussed.

Ministers have a very unique occupation with designated job demands and incongruous resources at their disposal. Over the past few years numerous studies have been undertaken different occupations’ regarding job demands and job resources. In contrast, limited studies were done among ministers of religion, particularly in the context of the three Reformed sister churches in South Africa. This is the case even though these ministers play such a key role in the current social and religious sphere. Results from previous studies have shown that job demands and the lack of resources have a major impact on the experience of work-nonwork interference among individuals (Koekemoer & Mostert, 2006; Mostert, 2009, Mostert & Oosthuizen, 2006; Tshabalala, 2007; Van Aarde & Mostert, 2008).This trend, however, has not been researched amongst ministers before – particularly how ministers cope with this interference. The overall objective of the present study was to investigate job demands and job resources as significant predictors of work-nonwork interference for ministers of the three sister churches. The focus also was on coping strategies that are significant in dealing with work-nonwork interference. The possible moderation brought about by these coping strategies was also investigated. Various hypotheses related to the overall objective were tested in the empirical study. The design used for this study was a cross-sectional survey design undertaken among ministers of the three sister churches mentioned. Various job demands, job resources, worknonwork interference and coping strategies were measured. This was done by employing the instruments of Peeters, Montgomery, Bakker and Schaufeli, (2005); Buys and Rothmann (2009); Koekemoer, Mostert and Rothman, 2010; Geurts et al. (2005) and Carver, Scheier and Weintraub (1989). Construct validity of all the instruments were proven with the CFA (Confirmatory Factor Analysis) in the SPSS program. Descriptive statistics, cronbach alpha coefficients, Pearson and Spearman product-moment correlations and multiple regression analyses were used to analyse the data. Moderation regression analyses were also done to test for possible moderation of specific coping strategies. Results indicated that cognitive demands were related to the dimension of work-parent interference. Emotional demands and pace and amount of work had a relation with all the various dimensions of the work-nonwork interference. Congregational support related work-home interference as well as work-religion/spirituality interference. Financial support, lack of autonomy, as well as social support, related to all three dimensions of work-nonwork interference. Job significance related work-religion/spirituality interference, whereas job accomplishment predicted work-home interference and work-religion/spirituality interference. The results of the predictors on work-parent interference included the following: cognitive demands, pace and amount of work, financial support and turning-to-religion. Work-home interference was predicted by the variables pace and amount of work and financial support. Work-religion/spirituality interference were predicted by pace and amount of work, job significance and turning to religion. The various coping strategies (turning-to-religion, seeking-emotional-support, active coping, acceptance coping, planning and avoidance coping) functioned as moderators between certain specific job demands, job resources and dimensions of work-nonwork interference. Limitations of the study were discussed and recommendations were put forward for future studies on this topic. / MCom (Industrial Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Ministers have a very unique occupation with designated job demands and incongruous resources at their disposal. Over the past few years numerous studies have been undertaken different occupations’ regarding job demands and job resources. In contrast, limited studies were done among ministers of religion, particularly in the context of the three Reformed sister churches in South Africa. This is the case even though these ministers play such a key role in the current social and religious sphere. Results from previous studies have shown that job demands and the lack of resources have a major impact on the experience of work-nonwork interference among individuals (Koekemoer & Mostert, 2006; Mostert, 2009, Mostert & Oosthuizen, 2006; Tshabalala, 2007; Van Aarde & Mostert, 2008).This trend, however, has not been researched amongst ministers before – particularly how ministers cope with this interference. The overall objective of the present study was to investigate job demands and job resources as significant predictors of work-nonwork interference for ministers of the three sister churches. The focus also was on coping strategies that are significant in dealing with work-nonwork interference. The possible moderation brought about by these coping strategies was also investigated. Various hypotheses related to the overall objective were tested in the empirical study. The design used for this study was a cross-sectional survey design undertaken among ministers of the three sister churches mentioned. Various job demands, job resources, worknonwork interference and coping strategies were measured. This was done by employing the instruments of Peeters, Montgomery, Bakker and Schaufeli, (2005); Buys and Rothmann (2009); Koekemoer, Mostert and Rothman, 2010; Geurts et al. (2005) and Carver, Scheier and Weintraub (1989). Construct validity of all the instruments were proven with the CFA (Confirmatory Factor Analysis) in the SPSS program. Descriptive statistics, cronbach alpha coefficients, Pearson and Spearman product-moment correlations and multiple regression analyses were used to analyse the data. Moderation regression analyses were also done to test for possible moderation of specific coping strategies. Results indicated that cognitive demands were related to the dimension of work-parent interference. Emotional demands and pace and amount of work had a relation with all the various dimensions of the work-nonwork interference. Congregational support related work-home interference as well as work-religion/spirituality interference. Financial support, lack of autonomy, as well as social support, related to all three dimensions of work-nonwork interference. Job significance related work-religion/spirituality interference, whereas job accomplishment predicted work-home interference and work-religion/spirituality interference. The results of the predictors on work-parent interference included the following: cognitive demands, pace and amount of work, financial support and turning-to-religion. Work-home interference was predicted by the variables pace and amount of work and financial support. Work-religion/spirituality interference were predicted by pace and amount of work, job significance and turning to religion. The various coping strategies (turning-to-religion, seeking-emotional-support, active coping, acceptance coping, planning and avoidance coping) functioned as moderators between certain specific job demands, job resources and dimensions of work-nonwork interference. Limitations of the study were discussed and recommendations were put forward for future studies on this topic. / MCom (Industrial Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Cette thèse a testé un modèle explicatif de santé psychologique au travail, intégrant comme variable bipolaire, l'épuisement professionnel et le bien-être psychologique. Sur la base du Job Demands-Resources Model, des facteurs d'exigences (conflits de rôles et charge de travail) et de ressources organisationnelles (justice organisationnelle, autonomie au travail et soutien social) ont été catégorisés. Le postulat de base de ce modèle a été de prédire des effets directs et indirects des exigences et des ressources sur la santé psychologique par l'intermédiaire de l'assertivité. L'objectif était la validation prévisionnelle et transculturelle du modèle, à travers une modélisation par équations structurelles, auprès de deux échantillons comprenant des enseignants et des infirmiers français et gabonais. L'effectif total de la première vague de données regroupait 273 participants (France : N = 90 enseignants, N = 45 infirmiers ; Gabon : N = 93 enseignants, N = 45 infirmiers) et celui de la deuxième vague s'élevait à 400 participants (France : N = 108 enseignants, N = 96 infirmiers ; Gabon : N = 141 enseignants, N = 55 infirmiers). En France, les résultats démontrent que les exigences au travail agissent directement sur la santé psychologique et que leurs effets sont aussi médiatisés par l'assertivité. Les ressources, pour leur part, influencent directement la santé psychologique. Quant aux résultats du Gabon, les exigences et les ressources organisationnelles prédisent directement la santé psychologique, sans effet médiateur de l'assertivité. De plus, au sein des deux populations, l'assertivité s'est avérée être non seulement une variable salutaire au regard des conditions de travail, mais aussi un fort prédicteur de la santé psychologique au travail. / This thesis tested an explicative model of psychological well-being at work, including as a bipolar variable, burnout and psychological well-being. Based on the Job Demands-Resources Model, jobs demands (role conflict and workload) and job resources (organizational justice and social support) were categorized. The basic assumption of this model was to predict the direct and indirect effects of job demands-resources on psychological health at work through assertiveness. The goal was the previsional and transcultural validation of the model through structural equation modeling, with two samples : teachers and nurses French and Gabonese. The total of the first wave of data consisted of 273 participants (France : N = 90 teachers, N = 45 nurses ; Gabon : N = 93 teachers, N = 45 nurses) and the second wave was 400 partcicipants (France : N = 108 teachers, N = 96 nurses ; Gabon : N = 141 teachers, N = 45 nurses). In France, results demonstrate that the job demands act directly on the psychological health and their effects are also mediated by assertiveness. resources, in turn, directly affect psychological health. As for results of Gabon, job demands-resources directly predict psychological health, unmediated effect of assertiveness. In addition, in both populations, assertiveness is not only a beneficial variable compared to working conditions, but also a strong predictor of psychological health at work.

La présente thèse s’appuie principalement sur la théorie « exigences-ressources au travail » (Bakker & Demerouti, 2014). Elle vise à cerner les déterminants de bien-être au travail (BET) et de détresse psychologique au travail (DPT) des enseignants du primaire et du secondaire marocains. Les chapitres 1 à 5 décrivent le contexte, les précisions conceptuelles et théoriques ainsi que la problématique et les hypothèses principales. Cette thèse comporte deux études. La première étude a pour objectif d’explorer les facteurs de BET et de DPT. Elle porte sur un échantillon de 60 enseignants interviewés au moyen d’entretiens semi-directifs. Il en ressort que le métier d’enseignant au Maroc comporte des ressources (e.g. soutien social, climat de travail, utilité perçue du métier), mais aussi des exigences (e.g. environnement de travail, charge de travail, charge émotionnelle, difficultés de déplacement). De plus, les enseignants marocains semblent mobiliser des stratégies de coping pour faire face à ces exigences. La deuxième étude, menée par questionnaire auprès de 1 107 enseignants. En effet, les résultats montrent que plus les enseignants perçoivent les exigences de leur métier comme fortes, plus ils ont tendance à éprouver un bas niveau de BET et un haut niveau de DPT. De plus, la disponibilité des ressources au travail favorise le BET et diminue la DPT de ces enseignants. De façon similaire, il s’avère que les enseignants qui mobilisent des ressources personnelles (i.e., stratégies de coping) ont tendance à rapporter un meilleur niveau de BET et un faible niveau de DPT. Par ailleurs, les analyses d’interaction indiquent que des exigences élevées couplées à des ressources au travail importantes donnent lieu à un faible niveau de BET. Enfin, les résultats révèlent que l’effet des ressources au travail sur le BET est médié par les stratégies de coping. Les résultats obtenus vont dans le sens des travaux antérieurs et apportent quelques enrichissements à la « théorie exigences-ressources au travail ». Au niveau pratique, cette thèse suggère une gamme de leviers d’intervention sur la santé et le bien-être des enseignants marocains touchant aussi bien les aspects organisationnels que personnels. / The present PhD dissertation relies on the Job Demands-Resources Theory (Bakker & Demerouti 2017). It aims to identify the determinants of well-being at work (WBW) and psychological distress at work (PDW) of Moroccan primary and secondary school teachers. Chapters 1 to 5 introduce the context, the conceptual and theoretical ideas, state the problem under investigation, and specify the main hypotheses. This thesis consists of two studies. The first study aimed to identify factors associated with WBW and PDW. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 60 teachers. It appears that the teaching profession in Morocco provides benefits (e.g., social support, work climate, perceived job utility), but also many demands (e.g., environment at work, workload, emotional demands, displacement difficulties). As such, Moroccan teachers seem to mobilize coping strategies to juggle job demands. The second study was conducted by administering a questionnaire to 1 107 teachers. Indeed, the results show that the more teachers perceive the demands of their profession as strong, the more they tend to experience a low level of WBW and a high level of PDW. In addition, the availability of job resources increases the WBW and reduces the PDW of these teachers. Similarly, it seems that teachers who mobilize personal resources (i.e., coping strategies) tend to report a higher level of WBW and a lower level of PDW. Otherwise, the interaction analyses indicate that high job demands combined with high job resources results in a low level of WBW. Finally, the results show that the effect of resources at work on WBW is mediated by coping strategies. The results obtained are in line with previous work and provide some enrichment to the Job Demands-Resources theory. At a practical level, this thesis contributes additional evidence that a range of interventions, including both personal as well as organizational interventions, may be successful at improving Moroccan teachers’ health and wellbeing.

Using the Job Demands – Resources Model, this study investigates the moderating role of support in the organization, such as coworker, supervisor, and perceived organizational support, in attenuating the relationship between emotional job demand and employees’ emotional exhaustion. A series of hierarchical regression analysis on 237 respondents indicate that emotional job demand is negatively related to emotional exhaustion. With respect to the moderating role of support variables, although both instrumental and emotional support from supervisors are shown to moderate the relationship between emotional job demand and emotional exhaustion, only instrumental support is associated with lower levels of emotional exhaustion. This finding provides evidence for the buffering effect. Findings indicate several promising theoretical and managerial implications, and suggestions for future research.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2007.

Work stress has a substantial impact on employees, organisations and economies; especially in the fragile economic environment since the ‘Great Recession’ of 2008; which has seen employment levels drop and employees willing to endure more stress at work to avoid retrenchment. These impacts include serious health and financial consequences. Attempts should therefore be made to effectively manage and address work stress to lessen these dire consequences. Many models have been developed and theorised to assist in explaining work stress, the pinnacle of these being the job demands-resources (JD-R) model. In JD-R theory, the dual process explains that work-related well-being follows the following processes: An energetic, also called the health impairment process, in which job demands leads to ill health outcomes through burnout; and then a motivational process which presents that job resources leads to positive organisational outcomes, e.g. organisational commitment, through engagement. The main objectives of this research were 1) to investigate a JD-R model in a large South African sample with a categorical estimator; 2) to investigate the reversed causal hypotheses of burnout and engagement in job demands-resources theory over time; 3) to investigate the likelihood of reporting treatment for health conditions based on burnout and engagement, and 4) to investigate the link between burnout and objective financial outcomes, i.e. by medical aid provider expenditure. To achieve the first objective a cross-sectional design was used (n = 15 633) covering numerous sectors in South Africa. A dual process model was specified with job demands (work overload) leading to ill health through burnout, and job resources (colleague and supervisor support, communication, growth opportunities and role clarity) leading to organisational commitment through engagement. Results of structural equation modelling indicated that the proposed JD-R model was a good fit to the sample. Furthermore, burnout was found to mediate the relationship between job demands and ill health with a medium effect. Engagement was found to mediate the relationship between job resources and organisational commitment with a large effect. The second objective, concerning reversed causality, was achieved with a longitudinal design (n = 593). The hypothesized model included burnout and engagement at time one, and at time two work overload as indicator of job demands, and colleague and supervisor support, communication, growth opportunities and role clarity as indicators of job resources. Results indicated that burnout had a significant negative reversed causal effect to supervisor support and colleague support. Engagement showed only one significant result, i.e. a small negative reversed causal relationship with supervisor support. To achieve the third objective, a cross-sectional design was used (n = 7 895). Results for logistic regression analyses showed that an increase in burnout was associated with a significant increase in the estimated odds for reporting an affirmative answer for receiving treatment for any of the health conditions, i.e. cardiovascular conditions, cholesterol, depression, diabetes, hypertension and irritable bowel syndrome. In contrast, an increase in engagement was associated with a decrease in affirmative reporting for cardiovascular conditions, cholesterol and depression; but not for diabetes, hypertension or irritable bowel syndrome. Addressing the link between burnout and financial outcomes was the fourth objective; and met with a cross-sectional design (n = 3 182). Participants were divided into a high and low burnout group based on the comorbidity of exhaustion and cynicism Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was implemented, controlling for age and gender, to investigate the difference in medical aid provider expenditure of the two groups. Results revealed that expenditure in the high burnout group was consistently more in all cases, compared to the low burnout group. By way of conclusion, the implications of the research were discussed and recommendations for managers and for future research were made. / Thesis (PhD (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013