<p>The call centre industry has been one of the fastest growing industries in South Africa. Call centres have for most companies become a basic business requirement for servicing customers. Zapf, Isic, Bechtoldt and Blau (2003: 311) argue that there are high levels of stress amongst employees in call centres, which they believe to be the result of both the work tasks and the interactions with customers. The aim of this study was to establish whether call centre work design and structure contributed to role stress amongst client service representatives (CSRs). It was also the aim of this study to establish whether role stress affected the CSRs‟ levels of job satisfaction and their intentions to quit from their jobs.</p>

En hel del tidigare forskning tyder på att ha en balans mellan arbetsliv och privatliv är viktigt för att uppleva ett psykiskt välmående samt för att kunna prestera bra på arbetsplatsen. Då verkstadschefer på ett industriföretag genomgår ett stort förändringsarbete undersöktes hur fem manliga chefer upplevde sin balans mellan privatliv och arbetsliv. Delsyften med studien var att undersöka hur chefens roll i privatlivet påverkade balansen, i vilken grad stöd hemifrån påverkade balansen samt vilka konsekvenser en balans eller konflikt skulle kunna få. Studien genomfördes kvalitativt, med en semistrukturerad intervjuguide, där samtliga respondenter var påverkade av förändringsarbetet. Resultatet visade att det fanns verkstadschefer som upplevde en konflikt mellan arbetsliv och privatliv men även de som upplevde en balans. Gemensamt upplevde samtliga chefer att de ojämna arbetspucklarna, som uppstod i högre grad med anledning av förändringsarbetet, var påfrestande samt påverkade work-life balance negativt. Dessa arbetspucklar medförde minskad kontroll för att hantera arbetskraven. Något som cheferna upplevde frustrerande var att de har begränsade möjligheter att leva upp till kravbilden eftersom resurser och befogenheter saknades.  Vidare visade studien att förhållandet cheferna hade hemma med olika krav beroende på vilken livsfas de befann sig i, hade en mycket stor påverkan på deras upplevda work-life balance. / Previous research suggests that to have a good relationship between work and private life it is important to experience a-good mental health and success at work. The industrial managers’ in this study were undergoing a major change at their workplace and this study found examined how five male managers’ perception of their work-life balance. One of the aims of this study was to examine how the managers’ roles at home affects work-life balance (WLB), to what degree support at home affects WLB, and the impact that a balance or a conflict could have. The study was conducted qualitatively with a semi-structured interview guide and every manager was affected by the change at the workplace. The results showed that some of the managers were experiencing work-life conflicts where others were on the other hand experiencing a good WLB. The most common reason for feeling conflict between work-life was the uneven amount of workload, which occurred to a greater extent due to the change. These periods of uneven workload caused the managers to feel less control. One of the things that caused the managers to feel frustration is that they had limited resources and authority to handle the demands at work. The situation at home also had a very big impact on whether the managers’ experienced a good WLB or not.

Tertiary institutions in South Africa have experienced radical changes in the past decades, especially due to the change from technikons to universities of technology. These changes created new mental and emotional demands for academic staff and placed them under additional pressure. Problems experienced by tertiary institutions include constantly changing systems, students from underprivileged backgrounds and decreased subsidies from the state. These factors could lead to role overload and role conflict. The objective of this research was to examine the relationships between individual indicators of work climate (job challenge demand, role overload and role conflict, job satisfaction and pay satisfaction and social support) and turnover intention. Further objectives included empirically determining if these indicators of work climate can be used to predict turnover intention and to determine if social support plays a moderating role in the translation of work climate in turnover intention. A cross-sectional survey design was used. A convenience sample was taken from a South African university of technology. Measuring instruments for all the variables of interest were administered. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data. Finally, a structural equation model was developed to explain the relations between the variables. The results obtained for the scales proved that four of the seven specific measuring instruments are reliable in terms of their specific use for employees in a South African tertiary institution. Job challenge demand, quantitative role overload and role conflict were less reliable. Results showed that when an employee feels that he/she has too much to do in too little time, or if the task is too difficult to complete, he/she will experience lower levels of job satisfaction which in turn may lead to higher levels of turnover intention. Social support from the supervisor and colleagues increase job satisfaction. A moderating effect for social support between work climate (role characteristics and satisfaction) and turnover intention was demonstrated. By way of conclusion, recommendations for future research were made. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

<p>The call centre industry has been one of the fastest growing industries in South Africa. Call centres have for most companies become a basic business requirement for servicing customers. Zapf, Isic, Bechtoldt and Blau (2003: 311) argue that there are high levels of stress amongst employees in call centres, which they believe to be the result of both the work tasks and the interactions with customers. The aim of this study was to establish whether call centre work design and structure contributed to role stress amongst client service representatives (CSRs). It was also the aim of this study to establish whether role stress affected the CSRs‟ levels of job satisfaction and their intentions to quit from their jobs.</p>

Tertiary institutions in South Africa have experienced radical changes in the past decades, especially due to the change from technikons to universities of technology. These changes created new mental and emotional demands for academic staff and placed them under additional pressure. Problems experienced by tertiary institutions include constantly changing systems, students from underprivileged backgrounds and decreased subsidies from the state. These factors could lead to role overload and role conflict. The objective of this research was to examine the relationships between individual indicators of work climate (job challenge demand, role overload and role conflict, job satisfaction and pay satisfaction and social support) and turnover intention. Further objectives included empirically determining if these indicators of work climate can be used to predict turnover intention and to determine if social support plays a moderating role in the translation of work climate in turnover intention. A cross-sectional survey design was used. A convenience sample was taken from a South African university of technology. Measuring instruments for all the variables of interest were administered. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data. Finally, a structural equation model was developed to explain the relations between the variables. The results obtained for the scales proved that four of the seven specific measuring instruments are reliable in terms of their specific use for employees in a South African tertiary institution. Job challenge demand, quantitative role overload and role conflict were less reliable. Results showed that when an employee feels that he/she has too much to do in too little time, or if the task is too difficult to complete, he/she will experience lower levels of job satisfaction which in turn may lead to higher levels of turnover intention. Social support from the supervisor and colleagues increase job satisfaction. A moderating effect for social support between work climate (role characteristics and satisfaction) and turnover intention was demonstrated. By way of conclusion, recommendations for future research were made. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

The mining industry in South Africa plays a significant role in the economy of the country. South Africa is rated as one of the world’s largest producers of key reserves - gold, manganese ore and platinum– and the high level of industrial and production skills in the mines also contributes to the country’s success. Although the gold mining industry’s contribution is of the utmost importance, it is also under pressure to remain competitive and cost–efficient. Old shafts, worsening health of employees, ore bodies that are not always in their prime phase, the radical increase in the annual electricity tariffs and the possibility of decreased gold prices contribute to the decline in the gold mining industry’s success. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between role–specific stress and physical and psychological health, and to determine whether social support has a moderating effect in this relationship for employees in a mining training academy. A cross–sectional survey design was used and a convenience sample (n=437) was taken from a South African gold mining company, where the only criterium for inclusion was to be employed by the organisation at the time the research took place. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data. The measuring instruments used in this study were proven to be reliable. The results indicate that role stressors and physical and psychological health problems are positively related. It also shows that social support can decrease role–specific stress and that social support – especially from colleagues and supervisors – can help to reduce depression and improve the quality of sleep. Furthermore, logistic regression analyses were used to determine whether role stress and social support hold any predictive value regarding physical and psychological health. It was found that if participants’ experience role–specific stress and they receive support – especially from supervisors – it can predict their quality of sleep and the use of medication (physical viii health). The findings also indicate that role stress can predict the experience of depression with regards to psychological health. However, the moderating effect of social support between role stress and depression was not supported in this research. To conclude, recommendations for the organisation and future research are made. / Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

The mining industry in South Africa plays a significant role in the economy of the country. South Africa is rated as one of the world’s largest producers of key reserves - gold, manganese ore and platinum– and the high level of industrial and production skills in the mines also contributes to the country’s success. Although the gold mining industry’s contribution is of the utmost importance, it is also under pressure to remain competitive and cost–efficient. Old shafts, worsening health of employees, ore bodies that are not always in their prime phase, the radical increase in the annual electricity tariffs and the possibility of decreased gold prices contribute to the decline in the gold mining industry’s success. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between role–specific stress and physical and psychological health, and to determine whether social support has a moderating effect in this relationship for employees in a mining training academy. A cross–sectional survey design was used and a convenience sample (n=437) was taken from a South African gold mining company, where the only criterium for inclusion was to be employed by the organisation at the time the research took place. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data. The measuring instruments used in this study were proven to be reliable. The results indicate that role stressors and physical and psychological health problems are positively related. It also shows that social support can decrease role–specific stress and that social support – especially from colleagues and supervisors – can help to reduce depression and improve the quality of sleep. Furthermore, logistic regression analyses were used to determine whether role stress and social support hold any predictive value regarding physical and psychological health. It was found that if participants’ experience role–specific stress and they receive support – especially from supervisors – it can predict their quality of sleep and the use of medication (physical viii health). The findings also indicate that role stress can predict the experience of depression with regards to psychological health. However, the moderating effect of social support between role stress and depression was not supported in this research. To conclude, recommendations for the organisation and future research are made. / Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

INTRODUCTION: In Canada, the role of Telehealth Coordinator is relatively new. Provider institutions and telehealth networks developed the role to support implementation and use of videoconferencing technology in health care delivery. As telehealth usage grows, an increasing number of Canadian nurses, other regulated health care professionals and unregulated workers are being called upon to function as Telehealth Coordinators. However, in some organizations, this role remains poorly understood and generally, little is known about the demographics of Canada’s Telehealth Coordinator community of practice. PURPOSE: Using Role Theory concepts and the tenets of Nursing Informatics, the broad aim of this qualitative study was to gain a better understanding of the demographics and role that nurses, other regulated health professionals and unregulated workers play in sustainable telehealth technology implementation and use in Canada. This is important in the context of leveraging technology to meet the challenges of an ageing population and increasing burden of chronic illness. METHODS: Qualitative exploratory study design using mixed methods. Telehealth Coordinators from the Canadian Society of Telehealth (CST) and Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN) were invited to take part in an online survey (33 items) and telephone interview (20 items). RESULTS: From two identified populations – a provincial sample from Ontario and a national sample from other Canadian provinces and territories, 47 Telehealth Coordinators provided responses that could be analyzed. Over half of the respondents (56%) reported being between the ages of 40 – 59 years and 75% were female. Nurses and other regulated health care professionals comprised 53% of the sample. Of the respondents, 66% reported working in a health care provider organization. Responses to the qualitative questions are presented within the context of Role Theory and Nursing Informatics. CONCLUSIONS: Canada’s Telehealth Coordinators are an eclectic community of practice with varying roles, responsibilities, educational backgrounds and experience. Although the role of Telehealth Coordinator varied across organizations and regions in Canada, important commonalities were also found. Participants expressed a need and desire for standards, ongoing professional education opportunities and credentialing – especially if the role involved patient care. Major factors contributing to Canadian Telehealth Coordinators work satisfaction were: 1. patient contact and knowledge that they were making health care more accessible 2. educating others in the use of videoconferencing technology and 3. autonomy. Organizational issues including a lack of resources and understanding of the role by senior executives provided the least satisfaction for Telehealth Coordinators. Strong organizational support for Telehealth Coordinators will increase the probability of successful videoconferencing technology implementation and use.

Den här studien handlar om den växande gruppen utövare (s.k. sessionsgivare) inom komplementärmedicin och nyandlighet. Studiens syfte är att undersöka huruvida de uppfattar sig som varande i en yrkesroll, hur de förhåller sig till denna samt deras förhållningssätt gentemot klienter, i och utanför sin praktik. Ansatsen är explorativ och syftar främst till att förstå intervjupersonernas erfarenheter och upplevelser. För att möta syftet ställs tre frågor: (1) Hur förhåller sig intervjupersonerna till sin professionella respektive privata roll och vilka rollkonflikter kan uppstå? (2) Hur beskrivs emotionella aspekter av arbetet och hur hanteras emotioner som uppstår i mötet med klienter? och (3) Vilka utmaningar och strategier beskrivs gällande gränser och gränssättning gentemot klienter? Metoden är kvalitativ och intervjuer har genomförts med fem personer som möter kriterierna för studiens syfte. I analysen används socialpsykologiska teorier om social interaktion, roller och emotioner.  Resultatet visar på variation i synen på roller, från att arbetet är ett slags kall till att det ses främst som en yrkesroll. Det framgår att intervjupersonerna eftersträvar öppenhet och autenticitet i mötet med klienter och önskar minimera diskrepansen mellan det de visar upp i sin roll som sessionsgivare och hur de är privat. Resultatet visar vidare att rollkonflikter och rollförvirring kan uppstå när intervjupersonerna möter klienter utanför sin praktik och att de i vissa fall upplever utmaningar i att upprätthålla personliga gränser. En slutsats från analysen är att intervjupersonerna ägnar sig åt emotionell hantering och härbärgering i sitt arbete och påverkas av känslo- och uttrycksregler samt att de har utarbetat individuella strategier för att hantera detta. / This study is about the growing group of practitioners (so-called session givers) in complementary medicine and contemporary spirituality. The aim of the study is to explore whether such session givers perceive themselves as being in a working role, how they relate to this role, and their attitude towards clients, inside and outside their practice. The approach of the study is explorative and aims primarily at understanding the interviewees' experiences. To achieve this aim three questions are asked: (1) How do the interviewees relate to their professional and private roles respectively, and what role conflicts can occur between the two? (2) How are emotional aspects of the work described and how are emotions that arise during meetings with clients handled? and (3) What challenges and strategies do the interviewees describe regarding boundaries and setting limits towards clients? The method is qualitative and interviews have been conducted with five session givers. In the analysis social psychological theories of social interaction, roles and emotions are used.  The result shows variations in the view of roles, from work being a kind of calling to seeing it as a professional role. It also shows that the interviewees seek openness and authenticity in the meeting with clients and wish to minimize the discrepancy between what they display in their role as session givers and how they act in private. The result further shows that role conflicts and role confusion can occur when interviewees meet clients outside of their practice and that they, in some cases, experience challenges in maintaining personal boundaries. A conclusion from the analysis is that the interviewees are performing emotion work and are influenced by feeling rules and rules of expression and that they have developed individual strategies to deal with this.

L'introduction de la tarification à l'activité couplée à la réorganisation en pôles d'activités, orientent l'hôpital public français vers de nouvelles logiques financières. L'obligation de moyen fait place à une obligation d'activité, les ressources de l'institution hospitalière sont désormais directement dépendantes du niveau de l'activité produite. Aussi, la mise en œuvre d'un contrôle par les résultats financiers émerge dans une organisation déjà dominée par un contrôle professionnel. L'objet de cette étude est d'étudier les effets du contrôle par les résultats financiers, plus précisément les pressions financières internes dans l'hôpital public français. Basé sur une recherche exploratoire auprès de 31 praticiens hospitaliers dans 2 CHU et sur une étude confirmatoire auprès de 578 praticiens hospitaliers répartis dans 14 CHU, ce travail révèle l'existence de pressions financières internes. Par ailleurs, il met en lumière les conséquences concernant les conflits de rôle, l'ambiguïté de rôle, l'implication des médecins et la manipulation de données en fonction de la nature et de la source des pressions financières internes. / The introduction of activity based pricing in combination with hospitals' reorganizations have recently created a new financial logic in French public hospitals. The organization has an obligation to produce certain levels of activity, since hospitals' resources are directly dependent on the activity level. These changes also imply the implementation of financial results controls in these organizations, which are traditionally dominated by professional control. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of financial results control in French public hospitals. The study comprises an exploratory study among 31 physicians in 2 public hospitals, and a confirmatory survey study among 578 doctors in 14 public hospitals. It documents the existence, origins and effects of internal financial pressures as a consequence of the said developments. The study documents how role conflict, role ambiguity, physicians' commitment and data manipulation depend on the nature and source of such internal financial pressures.