Continuous changes along with the increased pressure to perform may result in feelings of distrust, strain in interpersonal relations, psychological strain, fatigue and tension, all affecting the well-being of employees. Tracking and addressing the effectiveness of employees in the work context in areas that could impact on the standard of their services is important. Burnout and work engagement are specific focus areas in this regard. To measure burnout and work engagement, it is important to use reliable and valid instruments. However, there is a lack of empirical research systematically investigating burnout and work engagement in South Africa, as well as serious limitations, including poorly designed studies, a lack of sophisticated statistical analyses and poorly controlled studies. Furthermore, South Africa is a multicultural society and therefore, when burnout and work engagement measures are applied to different cultural groups, issues of equivalence become important. The objectives of this study were to standardise the MBI-GS and UWES for employees in an insurance company and to determine equivalence for each instrument, to determine the occupational stressors experienced and demographic differences in terms of the experience of occupational stressors and to test a causal model of work wellness consisting of burnout, work engagement, job demands, job resources, health, optimism and intention to leave. The research method for each of the three articles consists of a brief literature review and an empirical study. A cross-sectional survey design was used. An availability sample (N = 613) fiom employees in an insurance company was taken. The Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey (MBI-GS), Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), Life Orientation Test - Revised (LOT-R), An Organisational Stress Screening Tool (ASSET), Job Characteristics Scale (JCS) and a biographical questionnaire were administered. The statistical analysis was carried out with the help of the SAS program and AMOS. The statistical methods utilised in the three articles consisted of descriptive statistics, Cronbach alpha coefficients, inter-item correlations, Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients and structural equation modelling methods. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was also utilised to determine differences between the subgroups of the sample. Structural equation modelling confirmed a three-factor model of burnout, consisting of exhaustion, cynicism and professional efficacy. The three-factor model of work engagement represented the data quite well after certain items had been replaced due to semantic differences. The MBI-GS and UWES both showed acceptable internal consistencies. Construct equivalence for different language groups were confumed for the MBI-GS and UWES. The continuous exposure to things like change, competitiveness and rivalry may result in feelings of stress. Stress may have a negative impact on the health and well-being of individuals. Physical and psychological ill health was found to be the major outcome of stress for employees. Commitment moderated the effect of occupational stress on ill health. Specific occupational stressors indicated in an insurance company had to do with performance management, job characteristics, redundancy of skills and remuneration. Biographical factors (i.e. department, level, years' experience) had an impact on the experience of occupational stressors. A one-factor, four-factor and three-factor wellness model was tested. The three-factor model, comprising exhaustion and cynicism loading on burnout and a combined work engagement (vigour and dedication) dimension, provided the best fit with the data. The causal model of work wellness provides support for the COBE model, assuming job demands and job resources. A lack of job resources increases the levels of burnout of employees, as well as the intention to leave the organisation. The availability of job resources increases the levels of work engagement. Employees who experience excessive workloads are likely to develop high levels of burnout which, in turn, may lead to health problems. Recommendations for future research were made. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.

Coronary artery bypass surgery (CABS) is highly stressful for couples, since comorbid anxiety and depression are most commonly reported and hence most researched pre- and postoperative emotional states. Thus, patients' psychological well-being may contribute more to the level of disability than their physical impairment. Despite this extremely stressful process, psychological preparation is ironically often neglected in CABS couples. The primary aim of the study was to examine the feasibility of hypnotherapeutic ego strengthening (HES) to enhance the ability of CABS couples' to cope with psychological distress associated with hospitalisation and surgery. Secondary aims were to determine the contribution of HES in reducing anxiety and depression, as well as enhancing and maintaining ego strength, quality of life and dispositional optimism in CABS patients and spouses. An overview of coronary heart disease (CHD), risk factors involved, psychological aspects concomitant to CABS (specifically anxiety and depression) and a conceptualisation of HES according to the relevant literature, preceded the empirical study. The experimental design consisted of a two-group, pre-post-follow-up assessment design. A sample of fifty married, male patients admitted to Unitas Hospital in Pretoria with a first, uncomplicated CABS was randomly assigned, together with their spouses, to an experimental- (n = 25) and control group (n = 25). Informed consent was obtained for all project participants. Thus, both groups consisted of twenty-five patients and spouses. To test the hypotheses, experimental patients and spouses were required to participate in the HES intervention. Respondents completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) (Beck, Steer, & Brown, 1995). Profile of Mood States (POMS) (McNair, Lorr & Doppleman, 1992), Epstein and O'Brien Ego Strength Scale (1982), Quality of Life Inventory (QOLI) (Frisch, 1994) as well as the Life Orientation Test (LOT) (Scheier & Carver, 1985). Test administration of couples occurred preoperatively, on the day of discharge, and at six-week follow-up. Before commencing the intervention, group comparability was confirmed by means of the t-test for independent groups. At programme completion the significance of differences within and between groups was determined by means of t-tests. Statistically significant p-values were subjected to Cohen's d statistic to determine the practical significance of the findings. A confidence interval of 99% determined the values of the differences between the postoperative and follow-up findings. Results confirmed that the HES intervention significantly reduced postoperative anxiety and depression levels in experimental CABS patients and spouses, which was maintained at follow-up. No change was observed among control group patients and spouses. Moreover, the HES intervention significantly improved and maintained postoperative ego strength, quality of life and dispositional optimism in experimental CABS couples. The overall outcome of the control patients and spouses revealed a decreasing trend with regard to dispositional optimism and quality of life. Qualitative responses largely confirmed quantitative indications of reduced comorbidity and enhanced psychological well-being among experimental participants. Despite design limitations, the results confirmed that HES enhanced CABS couples' inner resources and attenuated concomitant negative mood states. Thus, it was concluded that HES played a meaningful role in the preparation and care of CABS couples by reducing comorbidity and improving their psychological well-being. Finally, recommendations for further studies were made. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.

Vyresnio amžiaus žmonių gausėjimas aprėpia visus socialinės tikrovės lygius, keičia ne tik individo gyvenimo kelią, bet ir santykius tarp žmonių. Įvairūs tyrimai rodo, kad senėjimą tiesiogiai veikia socialiniai aspektai (šeima, išsilavinimas, visas gyvenimo stilius). Didėjantis vyresnio amžiaus žmonių sakičius, daro vyresnio amžiaus žmones įtakingesne visuomenės grupe. Šio darbo tikslas įvertinti vyresnio amžiaus žmonių optimizmo, pasitenkinimo gyvenimu skirtumus sociodemografinėse grupėse bei įvertinti optimizmo, pasitenkinimo gyvenimu sąsajas su socialiniu palaikymu ir psichosocialiniu prisitaikymu. Tyrime dalyvavo 148 tiriamieji 55-81 metų amžiaus (95 moterys, 53 vyrai), gyvenantys Ukmergės mieste ir rajone. Psichosocialiniam prisitaikymui nustatyti buvo sudarytas klausimynas ir išskirti penki psichosocialinio prisitaikymo faktoriai: socialinio aktyvumo, bendravimo su artimaisiais, požiūrio į jaunimą, požiūrio į vyresnius ir sveikatos. Socialinis palaikymas buvo nus-tatomas socialinio palaikymo klausimynu (The medical Outcomes Study social Support Servery; Sherbourne CD and Stewart Al. 1991). Optimizmas matuotas LOT-R klausimynu (Life Oriettion test-Revised). Pasitenkinimas gyvenimu matuotas pasitenkinimo gyvenimu skale (Diener, Satisfac-tion With Life Scale). Tyrimo rezultatai parodė, kad vyresnio amžiaus žmonių optimizmas priklauso nuo jų šeimyninės padėties, socialinis palaikymas priklauso nuo šeimyninės padėties, išsilavinimo bei... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The increase of the elderly involves all the levels of social reality, it changes not only the life route of any individual, but relationship among people as well. Different reseaches show that obsolescence is directly affected by social aspects (family, education, style of life). The increase of a number of the elderly makes this group of people more influential. in society. The purpose of this work is to evaluate the differences of the elderly‘s optimism and satisfaction with life in sociodemographic groups and to assess interface between optimism and satisfaction with life and social support and psychsociological adaptation. 148 people (95 women, 53 men) aged 55-81 living in Ukmerge and its reagion took part in the research. In order to establish the psychosociological adaptation a questionnaire was made and five factors of psychosociological adaptation were distinguished: social activity, communication with relatives, attitude towards the youth, , attitude towards the elderly and health. Social support was established with the help of the questionnaire for social support (The medical Outcomes Study social Support Servery; Sherbourne CD and Stewart Al. 1991). Optimism was estimated by the questionnaire of LOT-R (Life Oriettion test-Revised). Life satisfaction was assessed using the scale of satisfaction with life (Diener, Satisfaction With Life Scale). The results of the research showed that the optimism of the elderly depend on... [to full text]

<p>The interpretation of this qualitative study indicates that individuals, teams and the organisation can benefit through allowing focus of unlocking that which provides a positive stimulus during challenging times in organisational settings. For social scientists, and in particular behavioural scientists, including industrial psychologists that are interested in positive psychology, it is hoped that there is an invitation to grow this area of research further and to gain new insights and direction for what are the enablers to experience positive change and gratitude.</p>

<p>The current research aims to identify the variables that influence turnover intentions. In particular, this research explored the concept of turnover intentions by investigating the mediating effects of job satisfaction and psychological capital amongst a sample of 70 employees involved in the tourism industry. The study highlights that employees within the tourism industry within the Western Cape were the most satisfied with work content, and the least satisfied with leadership / supervision. The results emanating from the current study indicate that there is a strong, inverse relationship between job satisfaction and turnover intention amongst tourism employees in the Western Cape. Furthermore, the study revealed that a statistically significant, inverse relationship exists between psychological capital and turnover intention. Multiple regression analysis revealed these variables significantly explained the variance in turnover intention.</p>

Evidence that positively disposed employees are inclined to experience greater loyalty to the organisation and fewer intentions to quit may be underestimated. The present study investigated the role that the individual’s career attitude plays in the relationship between positive psychological capital (a composite variable based on hope, self-efficacy, resilience, and optimism) and subsequent loyalty to the organisation. An online survey was administered to New Zealand employees across five distinct industries. Regression analyses on a sample of 518 confirmed that a self-directed and values-driven approach to career management mediates the relationship between psychological capital and affective commitment to the organisation and turnover intentions. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for individual and organisational activities and recommendations for future research are provided.

Continuous changes along with the increased pressure to perform may result in feelings of distrust, strain in interpersonal relations, psychological strain, fatigue and tension, all affecting the well-being of employees. Tracking and addressing the effectiveness of employees in the work context in areas that could impact on the standard of their services is important. Burnout and work engagement are specific focus areas in this regard. To measure burnout and work engagement, it is important to use reliable and valid instruments. However, there is a lack of empirical research systematically investigating burnout and work engagement in South Africa, as well as serious limitations, including poorly designed studies, a lack of sophisticated statistical analyses and poorly controlled studies. Furthermore, South Africa is a multicultural society and therefore, when burnout and work engagement measures are applied to different cultural groups, issues of equivalence become important. The objectives of this study were to standardise the MBI-GS and UWES for employees in an insurance company and to determine equivalence for each instrument, to determine the occupational stressors experienced and demographic differences in terms of the experience of occupational stressors and to test a causal model of work wellness consisting of burnout, work engagement, job demands, job resources, health, optimism and intention to leave. The research method for each of the three articles consists of a brief literature review and an empirical study. A cross-sectional survey design was used. An availability sample (N = 613) fiom employees in an insurance company was taken. The Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey (MBI-GS), Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), Life Orientation Test - Revised (LOT-R), An Organisational Stress Screening Tool (ASSET), Job Characteristics Scale (JCS) and a biographical questionnaire were administered. The statistical analysis was carried out with the help of the SAS program and AMOS. The statistical methods utilised in the three articles consisted of descriptive statistics, Cronbach alpha coefficients, inter-item correlations, Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients and structural equation modelling methods. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was also utilised to determine differences between the subgroups of the sample. Structural equation modelling confirmed a three-factor model of burnout, consisting of exhaustion, cynicism and professional efficacy. The three-factor model of work engagement represented the data quite well after certain items had been replaced due to semantic differences. The MBI-GS and UWES both showed acceptable internal consistencies. Construct equivalence for different language groups were confumed for the MBI-GS and UWES. The continuous exposure to things like change, competitiveness and rivalry may result in feelings of stress. Stress may have a negative impact on the health and well-being of individuals. Physical and psychological ill health was found to be the major outcome of stress for employees. Commitment moderated the effect of occupational stress on ill health. Specific occupational stressors indicated in an insurance company had to do with performance management, job characteristics, redundancy of skills and remuneration. Biographical factors (i.e. department, level, years' experience) had an impact on the experience of occupational stressors. A one-factor, four-factor and three-factor wellness model was tested. The three-factor model, comprising exhaustion and cynicism loading on burnout and a combined work engagement (vigour and dedication) dimension, provided the best fit with the data. The causal model of work wellness provides support for the COBE model, assuming job demands and job resources. A lack of job resources increases the levels of burnout of employees, as well as the intention to leave the organisation. The availability of job resources increases the levels of work engagement. Employees who experience excessive workloads are likely to develop high levels of burnout which, in turn, may lead to health problems. Recommendations for future research were made. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.

Coronary artery bypass surgery (CABS) is highly stressful for couples, since comorbid anxiety and depression are most commonly reported and hence most researched pre- and postoperative emotional states. Thus, patients' psychological well-being may contribute more to the level of disability than their physical impairment. Despite this extremely stressful process, psychological preparation is ironically often neglected in CABS couples. The primary aim of the study was to examine the feasibility of hypnotherapeutic ego strengthening (HES) to enhance the ability of CABS couples' to cope with psychological distress associated with hospitalisation and surgery. Secondary aims were to determine the contribution of HES in reducing anxiety and depression, as well as enhancing and maintaining ego strength, quality of life and dispositional optimism in CABS patients and spouses. An overview of coronary heart disease (CHD), risk factors involved, psychological aspects concomitant to CABS (specifically anxiety and depression) and a conceptualisation of HES according to the relevant literature, preceded the empirical study. The experimental design consisted of a two-group, pre-post-follow-up assessment design. A sample of fifty married, male patients admitted to Unitas Hospital in Pretoria with a first, uncomplicated CABS was randomly assigned, together with their spouses, to an experimental- (n = 25) and control group (n = 25). Informed consent was obtained for all project participants. Thus, both groups consisted of twenty-five patients and spouses. To test the hypotheses, experimental patients and spouses were required to participate in the HES intervention. Respondents completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) (Beck, Steer, & Brown, 1995). Profile of Mood States (POMS) (McNair, Lorr & Doppleman, 1992), Epstein and O'Brien Ego Strength Scale (1982), Quality of Life Inventory (QOLI) (Frisch, 1994) as well as the Life Orientation Test (LOT) (Scheier & Carver, 1985). Test administration of couples occurred preoperatively, on the day of discharge, and at six-week follow-up. Before commencing the intervention, group comparability was confirmed by means of the t-test for independent groups. At programme completion the significance of differences within and between groups was determined by means of t-tests. Statistically significant p-values were subjected to Cohen's d statistic to determine the practical significance of the findings. A confidence interval of 99% determined the values of the differences between the postoperative and follow-up findings. Results confirmed that the HES intervention significantly reduced postoperative anxiety and depression levels in experimental CABS patients and spouses, which was maintained at follow-up. No change was observed among control group patients and spouses. Moreover, the HES intervention significantly improved and maintained postoperative ego strength, quality of life and dispositional optimism in experimental CABS couples. The overall outcome of the control patients and spouses revealed a decreasing trend with regard to dispositional optimism and quality of life. Qualitative responses largely confirmed quantitative indications of reduced comorbidity and enhanced psychological well-being among experimental participants. Despite design limitations, the results confirmed that HES enhanced CABS couples' inner resources and attenuated concomitant negative mood states. Thus, it was concluded that HES played a meaningful role in the preparation and care of CABS couples by reducing comorbidity and improving their psychological well-being. Finally, recommendations for further studies were made. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.

Most employers agree that the effectiveness and success of their organisations depend on the effective utilisation of their human resources. Ill health in the workplace is a threat to optimal productivity, reduced absenteeism, provision of sustainable employee benefits, a motivated workforce, staff retention and maximisation of profits. Burnout and engagement are therefore important fields of investigation in the industrial psychology field. The aim of this study was to: test a model of work-related well-being; develop and evaluate a resilience intervention programme for a large financial services institution in South Africa. Article 1 used a cross-sectional survey design. The participants were predominantly in the administrative, call centre and IT divisions (N = 192). Article 2 was the development of a resilience model, which was based on the integration of thinking from an extensive literature review by the researcher. Article 3 used an experimental design, with a control group (n=51) and an experimental group («=55). Information was collected in a longitudinal research. The research method for each of the three articles of this study consisted of a brief literature review and an empirical study. The measuring instruments used in this study were the Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey (MBI-GS), Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), Job Demands-Resources Scale (JD-RS), Health subscales, Organisational Commitment subscales, the ASSET questionnaire, the Life Orientation Test - Revised (LOT-R) and a biographical questionnaire. In both article 1 and article 3, descriptive statistics were computed to describe the data; as were Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients to specify the relationship between the variables. In article 1, multiple regression analyses were conducted to determine the proportion of variance in the dependent variable that is predicted by the independent variables. In article 3, paired-samples f-tests were used to determine the difference in results for year 1 and year 2. Article 1 showed the central role that low optimism plays in contributing to burnout, and high optimism plays in work engagement. Interestingly, high social support was linked to increased cynicism, whilst low social support contributed to dedication. Burnout contributed to both physical and psychological ill health. Dedication and low cynicism contributed to affective commitment, whilst engagement and low cynicism contributed to behavioural commitment. Article 2 was the development of a multidimensional, proactive coping approach which consistently strives to develop and enhance the individual's resilience coping reservoir pools (mental, spiritual, socio-emotional and physical) leading to improved resilience, wellness and quality of life. Each reservoir pool has activities that enhance the fitness of the individual, namely physical (rest and relaxation, exercise and nutrition), mental (stimuli, reflection and empowering thinking), spiritual (coat of arms, pay it forward and gratitude), socio-emotional (breaking destructive relationships and nurturing relationships, responsibility). Article 3's results showed that the resilience intervention resulted in a statistically significant difference decrease in psychological ill health. Recommendations for future research were made. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

The social displacement enforced by the South African Group Areas Act between 1954 and 1955 was understandably experienced as a destructive process with physical and emotional consequences arising from various types of losses, separation and feelings of helplessness. Although the forced removals affected all the people in the community - also in later years and generations, it seems as if older people are affected the more as they still remember the losses they experienced when they were removed from their homes and their communities, when their heritage and their culture were displaced. The sense of belonging being experienced by older people, who were subjected to these forceful removals, is therefore unclear. In this study the sense of belonging is defined as the effective participation, involvement, contribution and emersion of people when relating to their social, physical, spiritual, emotional and cultural places. In this study older (aged 60 and above) Setswana speaking residents of Ikageng, a community just outside Potchefstroom in the North West Province, South Africa, who were also forcibly relocated from Kloppersville to Ikageng, 10 kilometers away from Kloppersville, were asked to identify places that are important to them in Ikageng and to describe the meanings they attach to these places. In the research, no one identified any places of importance in Ikageng, instead throughout the research they kept on referring to their lives in Kloppersville, their former place of residence, the place where they were forcibly removed from – giving purpose and direction to this study and leading to the question: What are the experiences related to the sense of belonging of Setswana speaking older women who were forcibly relocated during Apartheid in South Africa? The older persons’ experiences of their sense of belonging in the place where they were forcibly relocated to must be understood in relation to the past. A qualitative research approach was used and a narrative research design followed. Two sets of data were gathered and are reported on in this article that focuses on the narrations of 11 older Tswana people from the Day Care Centre for the Aged in Ikageng. Narrative data collection and analysis, as well as a variety of qualitative research methods and media, were used to collect data. These include: focus group discussions, the Mmogo– MethodTM, videos, audio, photographs and observational notes. The thematic analysis of textual data, narrative–oriented inquiry as well as visual data, established trustworthiness of this research through crystallization. By drawing on the deeper symbolic meaning derived through the use of the MmogomethodTM, the study has revealed that the sense of belonging is a relational phenomenon that cannot be understood in absence of the different relational environments. In an African culture the relationship with the current environment resonates with the effects that historical processes, structural abuses, discrimination, racism and devaluation had on individuals whose lives have been uprooted. This study has shown that the older women have a micro–organic relational sense of belonging to the place of relocation and not to the whole context and other relational environments and that they revealed more sense of belonging towards the place where they were relocated from. / Thesis (M.A. (Research Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.