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[pt] A presente pesquisa é um diálogo entre a Teologia Pastoral e a Psicologia Positiva, temas que se correlacionam e, ao mesmo tempo, nos desafiam dado que nos propomos a fazer uma reflexão interdisciplinar. É uma urgência na Igreja o processo de iniciação à vida cristã que conduza a pessoa ao encontro pessoal e comunitário a Jesus Cristo, isso só é possível por intermédio de uma consistente experiência de fé vivenciada a partir de um itinerário catequético que orienta todo o agir do iniciante, potencializando, assim, a resiliência frente às adversidades do cotidiano. Pretendemos refletir, a partir de um estudo de campo, sobre os aspectos teológicos-pastorais da catequese com adultos e analisar a importância de todo o seu itinerário como promotora de resiliência. O processo da iniciação à vida cristã não se esgota na preparação aos sacramentos, mas é caminho para o seguimento e adesão a Jesus Cristo, deve ser feito e refeito, tanto quando for necessário, com a meta de inserir a pessoa na comunidade cristã. Neste estudo, a resiliência é entendida como capacidade para superar situações adversas e a experiência de fé vivenciada em todo o itinerário é considerada uma alavanca, algo a mais que uma pessoa possui para ser resiliente. É uma pesquisa qualitativa, de caráter exploratório, com orientação analítico-hermenêutica, mediante a técnica do grupo focal com questões abertas. Os sujeitos são os adultos que participam da catequese na paróquia Nossa Senhora dos Navegantes, em Diadema. O estudo teológico- -pastoral dos dados coletados seguiu a técnica de análise de Bardin. Seguindo os relatos dos participantes, todo o processo da iniciação à vida cristã é o caminho ordinário, coerente e consistente para ajudar uma pessoa a iniciar e aprofundar a experiência de fé que lhe dá a capacidade para desenvolver-se bem, para continuar projetando-se apesar dos acontecimentos desestabilizadores e das condições de vida difíceis. O itinerário catequético que conduz o adulto ao seguimento de Jesus Cristo e o insere na comunidade cristã é capaz também de ajudá-lo a superar, aprender ou mesmo ser transformado com a adversidade que é inevitável à vida. / [en] This research presents is a dialogue between Pastoral Theology and Positive Psychology, themes that are correlated and, at the same time, challenge us as we propose to make an interdisciplinary reflection. It is an urgency in the Church, the process of initiation into the Christian life that leads one to a personal and com-munal encounter with Christ. This is possible only through a consistent experience of faith experienced from a catechetical itinerary that guides all action of the be-ginner, therefore strengthening resilience to the adversities of daily life. By the purpose to reflect, from a field survey, on the theological-pastoral aspects of adult catechesis and to analyze the importance of all of its itinerary as a promoter of resilience. The process of initiation into the Christian life is not depleted in the preparation for the sacraments, but it is a path for following and adhering to Christ, and it must be made and redone, whenever necessary, with the goal of in-serting the person into the Christian community. In this survey, resilience is understood as ability to overcome adverse situations and the experience of faith experienced throughout the journey is considered a lever, something more than a person possesses to be resilient. It is a qualitative research, of exploratory charac-ter, with analytical-hermeneutical orientation, through the focus group technique with open questions. The subjects are adults who participate in catechesis in the Parish of Nossa Senhora dos Navegantes, in Diadema. The theological-pastoral study of the data collected followed the technique of Bardin s analysis. By the participants accounts, the whole process of initiation into the Christian life is the ordinary and consistent way of helping a person initiate and deepen the experience of faith that gives him the ability to develop well, to continue projecting himself despite destabilizing events and difficult living conditions. The catechetical itiner-ary that leads the adult to the follow-up of Jesus Christ and inserts him into the Christian community is also capable of helping him overcome, learn or even be transformed with the adversity that is inevitable to life.

The postmodern organisation and its leaders are faced with relentless turbulence and change and a compelling economic drive for success. The recent exponential rise in the popularity of coaching can be ascribed to the business need for the development of leadership bench-strength. Appreciative inquiry (AI) claims to be a source of untapped strength for organisations in the postmodern world and a source of sustainable solutions and genesis for energy. However, the scarcity of evidence of coaching linked to a postmodern stance, incorporating AI principles, as well as using group-based coaching methods, provided an opportunity for this study to respond to the challenges and contribute to the theory and practice of leadership coaching in the organisational setting by investigating the transformative effects of a postmodern group-based leadership coaching programme (LCP) on leaders’ personal and professional perspectives. The premises suggest that postmodern group-based coaching is a practical and cost-effective methodology in multi-cultural international organisations. Furthermore, postmodern coaching in groups can transform the personal and professional perspectives of leaders, specifically in transforming future plans, goal-directedness, confidence, resilience, hope, subjective well-being and empowerment as a leader, as well as broadening life outlooks. Key transformative themes were identified: self-knowledge, appreciation of others, broader vision, self-control and work-life integration. This applied study has made a valuable contribution to the body of research in the area of postmodern and group-based coaching. Replication of the study in other industries, setting and with different levels of leadership, training of postmodern coaches and robust follow-up coaching were identified as opportunities for further exploration. / Industrial & Organisational Psychology / D.Lit. et Phil. (Industrial Psychology)

The aim of this study is to discover to what extent and in what way Peterson and Seligman’s (2004) twenty-four character strengths are present in Winnie the Pooh storybooks, and how they are depicted. Character strengths are a well-known theory in positive psychology and the analysis of children’s literature is a respected genre. A qualitative examination of the text was conducted using content and thematic analyses to extract examples of the strengths. The exemplars were coded and recoded before being subjected to a peer and supervisor review. The excerpts indicated that all strengths are depicted in the text, but Pooh is the only character to exhibit them all. A discussion of the findings revealed that no single strength could be deemed more prominent as they are intrinsically interconnected. It is recommended that the findings be reworked into a training manual for guardians to foster character strengths in young children. / Psychology / M.A. (Psychology)

Text in English / The aim of the current study is to provide detailed information regarding individuals’ turning-point experiences, in order to understand the psychological and spiritual aspects involved in moving beyond a significant low point towards a significant high point in one’s life. It seems that inadequate information regarding formal studies about this phenomenon exists in literature, which this study endeavours to address. Thereby, a qualitative phenomenological study was conducted amongst nineteen South African citizens, who were purposefully and conveniently selected from the diverse population of South Africa. Individual participants confirmed that they had experienced significant low points from which they had been able to move to reach a significant high point. Through interviews, River-of-life (RoL) drawings and a short background information questionnaire (SBIQ), participants were able to provide information on their experiences. The participants’ stories, obtained during the interviews, were transcribed, and then triangulated with information obtained from the RoL drawings, completed SBIQ’s, researcher notes and other additional sources, during the analysis phase. Thematic analysis was performed on individuals’ stories to obtain the research participants’ themes, which provided the aspects involved in their turning-point experiences. In-depth analysis of all participants’ stories produced a theme-model consisting of main and unique themes. Unique themes identified by the study supported the main themes. Themes highlighted through the study included minding oneself, support from and to, doing something, religion/faith in God, positive attitude and meaning. The positive psychology theoretical framework was applied in interpreting the findings. This study suggests that a combination of themes is relevant in one’s ability to move beyond a low point experience towards a high point experience. The application of the theme-model could assist others in similar situations to create change or a turning-point experience in order to move away from or transcend a low point. The study was linked to the subjective measuring of Quality of Life (QOL). It is recommended that more subjective indicators of QOL, including spirituality indicators, be investigated. While this study focussed on the internal influences affecting change in a person’s life towards fulfilment, further studies may investigate the external influences. / Psychology / Ph. D. (Psychology)

The postmodern organisation and its leaders are faced with relentless turbulence and change and a compelling economic drive for success. The recent exponential rise in the popularity of coaching can be ascribed to the business need for the development of leadership bench-strength. Appreciative inquiry (AI) claims to be a source of untapped strength for organisations in the postmodern world and a source of sustainable solutions and genesis for energy. However, the scarcity of evidence of coaching linked to a postmodern stance, incorporating AI principles, as well as using group-based coaching methods, provided an opportunity for this study to respond to the challenges and contribute to the theory and practice of leadership coaching in the organisational setting by investigating the transformative effects of a postmodern group-based leadership coaching programme (LCP) on leaders’ personal and professional perspectives. The premises suggest that postmodern group-based coaching is a practical and cost-effective methodology in multi-cultural international organisations. Furthermore, postmodern coaching in groups can transform the personal and professional perspectives of leaders, specifically in transforming future plans, goal-directedness, confidence, resilience, hope, subjective well-being and empowerment as a leader, as well as broadening life outlooks. Key transformative themes were identified: self-knowledge, appreciation of others, broader vision, self-control and work-life integration. This applied study has made a valuable contribution to the body of research in the area of postmodern and group-based coaching. Replication of the study in other industries, setting and with different levels of leadership, training of postmodern coaches and robust follow-up coaching were identified as opportunities for further exploration. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / D.Lit. et Phil. (Industrial Psychology)

Traditionally, organisations have focused efforts in developing their people towards improving so-called areas of deficiency, identifying the flaws of employees and putting intervention structures in place to rectify and redress these areas. Limited efforts have seen the accentuation of employees‟ strengths as a means of developing those employees‟ full potential, as prescribed in the Positive Psychology. In a balanced organisational development approach, both areas of strength and deficit should be developed in order to harness optimum human potential and growth. This balanced approach is critical, as it provides for full spectrum development of the individual and creates opportunity for the attainment of positive work-related outcomes, such as work engagement. The objective of this research study was to test a structural model of job resources in the form of organisational strengths use and organisational deficit improvement; personal resources in the form of individual strengths use and individual deficit improvement; and work engagement; to relate the conceptualised job- and personal resources to established job- and personal resources in the nomological net and to investigate possible structural paths between job- and personal resources and work engagement. This study was conducted in order to gain more knowledge and a better understanding of the outcomes of following a balanced strengths use and deficit improvement approach (SDBA), both from an organisational (job resource) and individual (personal resource) perspective. Participants in the research were sport coaches from primary and secondary schools. The Mplus and SPSS programmes were utilised for purposes of statistical analysis. A cross-sectional research approach was used. An availability sample (N = 364) of teachers who act as sport coaches in Gauteng, North-West and Free State based schools was used. Competing measurement models were used to confirm factor structures for adapted versions of the Strengths use and Deficit Improvement Questionnaire (SUDIQ), as well as the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES). These measurement models confirmed a four-factor and one-factor model structure for the adapted versions of the SUDIQ and UWES respectively. After factor structures had been confirmed, reliability of the adapted measures was assessed by means of Cronbach alpha coefficient values. The relation of the conceptualised job resources of organisational strengths use and organisational deficit improvement to established job resources was assessed by incorporating the job resources of opportunities for learning and independence at work into the study. In the case of the conceptualised personal resources, individual strengths use and individual deficit improvement were related to self-efficacy and self-esteem. This was done in order to theoretically relate these variables in the nomological net of other job resources and personal resources. Subsequently, structural equation modelling was used to investigate the relationship between the job resources of organisational strengths use and organisational deficit improvement, personal resources individual strengths use and individual deficit improvement; and work engagement. Through categorical estimation the research found individual strengths use to be the strongest predictor of work engagement, followed by individual deficit improvement and organisational strengths use. Organisational deficit improvement was proven as a statistically insignificant predictor of work engagement. After conclusions for the study were drawn, recommendations for the organisation, individual as well as for future research were made. / MCom (Industrial Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

Traditionally, organisations have focused efforts in developing their people towards improving so-called areas of deficiency, identifying the flaws of employees and putting intervention structures in place to rectify and redress these areas. Limited efforts have seen the accentuation of employees‟ strengths as a means of developing those employees‟ full potential, as prescribed in the Positive Psychology. In a balanced organisational development approach, both areas of strength and deficit should be developed in order to harness optimum human potential and growth. This balanced approach is critical, as it provides for full spectrum development of the individual and creates opportunity for the attainment of positive work-related outcomes, such as work engagement. The objective of this research study was to test a structural model of job resources in the form of organisational strengths use and organisational deficit improvement; personal resources in the form of individual strengths use and individual deficit improvement; and work engagement; to relate the conceptualised job- and personal resources to established job- and personal resources in the nomological net and to investigate possible structural paths between job- and personal resources and work engagement. This study was conducted in order to gain more knowledge and a better understanding of the outcomes of following a balanced strengths use and deficit improvement approach (SDBA), both from an organisational (job resource) and individual (personal resource) perspective. Participants in the research were sport coaches from primary and secondary schools. The Mplus and SPSS programmes were utilised for purposes of statistical analysis. A cross-sectional research approach was used. An availability sample (N = 364) of teachers who act as sport coaches in Gauteng, North-West and Free State based schools was used. Competing measurement models were used to confirm factor structures for adapted versions of the Strengths use and Deficit Improvement Questionnaire (SUDIQ), as well as the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES). These measurement models confirmed a four-factor and one-factor model structure for the adapted versions of the SUDIQ and UWES respectively. After factor structures had been confirmed, reliability of the adapted measures was assessed by means of Cronbach alpha coefficient values. The relation of the conceptualised job resources of organisational strengths use and organisational deficit improvement to established job resources was assessed by incorporating the job resources of opportunities for learning and independence at work into the study. In the case of the conceptualised personal resources, individual strengths use and individual deficit improvement were related to self-efficacy and self-esteem. This was done in order to theoretically relate these variables in the nomological net of other job resources and personal resources. Subsequently, structural equation modelling was used to investigate the relationship between the job resources of organisational strengths use and organisational deficit improvement, personal resources individual strengths use and individual deficit improvement; and work engagement. Through categorical estimation the research found individual strengths use to be the strongest predictor of work engagement, followed by individual deficit improvement and organisational strengths use. Organisational deficit improvement was proven as a statistically insignificant predictor of work engagement. After conclusions for the study were drawn, recommendations for the organisation, individual as well as for future research were made. / MCom (Industrial Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

This study provides an orientation towards coping with stress management through salutogenic functioning. Six constructs, namely, sense of coherence, hardiness, self-efficacy, potency, learned resourcefulness and locus of control, were studied as it manifest amongst random sampled university administrative staff. The literature review focused on salutogenic functioning, coping and stress, integrated in the salutogenic personality profile. The results from the research revealed positive correlations between external locus of control and self-efficacy and meaningfulness, autonomy and self control, internal locus of control and meaningfulness, internal locus of control and meaningfulness, challenge and meaningfulness. Negative correlations existed between autonomy and self-efficacy and comprehensibility, potency and all locus of control dimensions, males and females differed in their self control and external control, black africans had the lowest score on external control, and there was no relationship between age and the constructs. Conclusions and recommendations were made regarding the optimisation of salutogenic functioning among university administrative staff. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M.A. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)