Organisations across the world are faced with the same challenges of how to get employees to be totally immersed in their role at work. People occupy roles at work. There is no sense in engaging employees if management is not going to invest in the effort of placing these employees in appropriate roles and supporting them to be engaged in their work. There are generalised states that employees occupy: people are to some degree job involved, committed to organisations, or alienated at work in the form of self-estrangement. These concepts suggest that employees can use varying degrees of themselves, physically, cognitively and emotionally, in the roles they perform. The primary objective of this research was to explore the three psychological processes, meaningfulness, safety and availability to be determinants of work engagement. Another objective was also to explore the influence of the antecedent conditions, namely work role fit, co-worker relations, supervisor relations, co-worker norms, self-consciousness and resources on work engagement. The study also investigated whether the psychological processes mediate the relationships between antecedent conditions and work engagement. A survey design was used to reach the research objectives. The specific design used was the cross-sectional design. Employees across all levels (N=165)i n a chemical industry in the Vaal Triangle were targeted for this research. Four standardised questionnaires were used in the empirical study, namely the Psychological Processes Questionnaire, Antecedent Conditions Questionnaire, Work Engagement Questionnaire as well as a Biographical Questionnaire. Multiple regression analyses showed that psychological meaningfulness mediated the relationship between work role fit and work engagement. A total of 32% of the variance in psychological meaningfulness was predicted by work role fit. Psychological meaningfulness predicted 29% of the variance in work engagement. Psychological availability mediated the relationship between available resources and work engagement. The analysis indicated that 11% of the variance in engagement was predicted by resources. Psychological availability predicted 3 1 % of the variance in engagement. Recommendations for future research were made. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

To effectively consult with the community, police managers should have a good understanding of what the public thinks that the police currently do and what they would prefer the police to do. Citizen satisfaction is jointly used with job satisfaction, job stress, the possibility of burnout and work engagement within the police as a performance measure of police-citizen encounters. The objectives of this study were to determine the expectations and satisfaction of the community and the police as well as the congruence between the community's expectations and the police's perceptions regarding policing in the Klerksdorp area of the North West Province. A further objective was to determine if there were any differences between Afrikaans-, English- and Tswana- speaking members of the community. The relationship between job satisfaction, stress, burnout and engagement of police members was also investigated. A cross-sectional survey design was used. The study population (N = 597) includes samples of uniformed police personnel in the Klerksdorp area (n = 109), as well as a sample of the community (n = 488). Two different measuring batteries were compiled, the one for community members consisted mainly of the Public Attitude survey (PAS), and the one for police members of the Public Attitude Survey (PAS), Job Satisfaction Survey (MSQ), Police Stress Survey (PSS), Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey (MBI-GS) and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES). Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data. The results indicate that both the SAPS and the community perceive the present and preferred priorities of the police to be the investigation of crime, with the exception that the public expect the police to make the giving of advice a higher priority. Correlations were found between police members' intrinsic job satisfaction, and extrinsic job satisfaction and professional efficacy; police stressors and exhaustion; and between the dimensions of engagement. It appears that the community experienced the SAPS as neat and respectful but not really trustworthy. Accordingly, the police do not truly trust the community to co-operate with them. Recommendations for future research were made. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004.

With the introduction of positive psychology the aim with organisational psychology shifted to finding the 'happy/productive' worker and focusing more on work wellness. Historically, working in a higher education institution has generally been considered relatively stress-free and highly satisfying. However, recently the world of work has started to change drastically, which also holds true for higher education institutions. Since 1994, the democratic post apartheid government of South Africa has attempted to redress the injustices of the apartheid era. One of the focus areas of redress is the educational system. This has resulted in a restructuring of the broad higher education system, which implies consequences for the governance of all tertiary institutions. This research focused on the total spectrum of wellness - from unwell-being (e.g. burnout and stress) to well-being (e.g. work engagement). The moderating effects of organisational commitment and affectivity were investigated in order to establish a work wellness profile that will serve as basis for a wellness programme within the work environment. The objectives of this research were to standardise the MBI-GS, UWES and ASSET for employees of higher education institutions as well as to develop and test a causal model of work wellness for this specific group. The research findings are set out as four separate articles, each consisting of a brief literature overview and an empirical study. A cross-sectional design, whereby a sample is drawn from a population at a particular point in time, was used. The data for this study were collected from 372 academic and administrative employees at a higher education institution in South Africa. The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI-GS), Cognitive Weariness Scale (CWS), Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), An Organisational Stress Screening Tool (ASSET), Job Characteristics Scale (JCS), Affectometer 2 (AFM) and a biographical questionnaire were administered. Descriptive statistics, correlations, analysis of variance, canonical analysis, multiple regression analysis and structural equation modelling were used. Structural equation modelling confirmed a four-factor model of burnout consisting of exhaustion, cynicism, professional efficacy, and cognitive weariness. The scales showed acceptable internal consistencies. Analysis of variance revealed differences in burnout for groups with different languages and different years of experience at the institution. A three-factor model of the three UWES dimensions of vigour, dedication and absorption was confirmed. Practically significant differences were found in engagement levels of employees in different language groups, those with different years of experience at the institution and between academic and administrative employees. Acceptable construct validity and internal consistency were found for the ASSET. Compared to normative data, the participants reported significantly high levels of physical ill health, psychological outcomes of stress, and perceived lack of commitment from the organisation. Analysis of variance revealed differences in occupational stress levels for all the biographical variables tested. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine the factors that predict burnout and work engagement. The results showed that engagement can be considered a positive indicator of employee wellness and that job resources and positive affectivity contribute to engagement. Work engagement was related to low burnout scores, while professional efficacy was associated with work engagement. Burnout and physical and emotional strain are negative indicators of employee wellness, while overload, negative affectivity and low levels of primitive affectivity contribute to burnout. Recommendations for the organisations and future research were made. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2004

With the introduction of positive psychology the aim with organisational psychology shifted to finding the 'happy/productive' worker and focusing more on work wellness. Working as an engineer has generally been considered challenging, but tough demands on today's engineers can cause exhaustion, which is due to a combination of personal stressors, job and organisational stressors. However, recently the world of work has started to change drastically - which also holds true for the engineering profession. One of the focus areas of redress is the work-related well-being of engineers, and specifically burnout, stress and work engagement. This research focused on the total spectrum of wellness - from unwell-being (e.g. burnout and stress) to well-being (e.g. work engagement). The moderating effects of organisational commitment and dispositional optimism were investigated in order to establish a causal model for burnout and engagement. The objectives of this research were to standardise the MBI and the UWES for engineers, to determine the occupational stressors of engineers and to develop and test a causal models of work-related well-being of engineers. The research findings are set out as four separate articles, each consisting of a brief literature overview and an empirical study. A cross-sectional research design with a survey as technique of data collection was used to achieve the objectives of this research. The study population consisted of 369 engineers. A biographical questionnaire, the Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey WI-GS), the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), the Job Characteristics Scale (JCS), the Organisational Stress Screening Tool (ASSET), the Health subscales of the ASSET, the Organisational Commitment subscale of the ASSET, and the Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R) were used. Descriptive statistics, correlations, analysis of variance, factor analyses, multiple regression analysis and structural equation modelling were used to analyse the data. A three-factor model of burnout, comprising exhaustion, cynicism and professional efficacy was confirmed. The internal consistencies of the scales were acceptable. The results obtained from comparing burnout levels of various demographic groups showed that practically significant differences existed between burnout of engineers with different levels of job satisfaction, age, years of experience and self-rated performance. Compared to normative data, participants reported lower levels of physical ill-health and psychological outcomes of stress. The most important stressors identified were work-life balance, work demands and work overload. The results do not support previous findings that commitment has a protective effect against the negative consequences of workplace stress. The buffer hypothesis of organisational commitment is not supported by the data. Structural equation modelling confirmed a model of work engagement, consisting of Vigour, Dedication and Absorption. These three factors had acceptable internal consistencies. The results showed that the self-rated performance and job satisfaction of engineers varied depending on their levels of work engagement. No demographic differences regarding engagement levels could be found between the different age groups, engineering environments, job levels and years of experience. A good fit was found for a model in which exhaustion mediated the relationship between job demands and ill-health, and work engagement (vigour and dedication) mediated the relationship between job resources and organisational commitment. The results suggested that the effect of a lack of job resources on exhaustion and the effect of job resources on work engagement depends on the level of dispositional optimism. Recommendations for future research were made. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

The impact of change on organisations and the transforming role of the protection services member means that protection services members perform under more stress than members of almost any other profession. They are human and experience the same or sometimes more severe forms of depression, anxiety and other symptoms than other people. The objectives of this study were to determine the construct validity and internal consistency of the MBI-GS, UWES, OTLQ and Health subscales of the ASSET for protection services members. The relationship between work wellness, sense of coherence and health and the development of a model of work wellness for protection services members was determined. The research method consists of a literature review and an empirical study using a cross-sectional survey design to collect data. An availability sample (N = 341) from protection services members was taken. The Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey (MI-GS), Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), Orientation to Life Questionnaire (OTLQ), Health subscales of the ASSET and a Biographical questionnaire were administered. The statistical analysis was carried out with the help of the SPSS-programme and AMOS. The statistical methods utilised in the article consisted of descriptive statistics, Cronbach alpha coefficients, exploratory factor analysis, Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients and structural equation modelling methods. Exploratory factor analysis confirmed a two-factor model of work engagement, consisting of vigour/dedication and absorption. In previous research of protection services members, two factors in the MBI-GS could also be extracted, namely, burnout and professional efficacy. The MBI-GS and UWES both showed acceptable internal consistencies. Construct equivalence for different language groups was confirmed for the MBI-GS and UWES. vii Product-moment correlation coefficients showed significant negative correlations between Burnout and Vigour/Dedication, Burnout and Sense of Coherence, Sense of Coherence and Physical Health, Sense of Coherence and Psychological Health. There were significant positive correlations between Physical Health and Psychological Health, Professional Efficacy and Vigour/Dedication, Professional Efficacy and Absorption, Vigour/Dedication and Absorption and lastly Physical Health and Psychological Health. A causal model of work wellness was developed. The first two hypothesis were accepted: Work Wellness consists of Burnout and Work Engagement and high levels of burnout may result in either physical of psychological health problems. The third hypothesis was only partially accepted: the path coefficient from Sense of Coherence to Work Wellness and I11 Health is significant. Sense of Coherence partially mediated the impact of Burnout as part of Work Wellness on Ill Health. The path coefficient from Sense of Coherence to Ill Health was also found to be significant, indicating that higher levels of Sense of Coherence can result in fewer health problems. Recommendations for future research were made. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

Call centre employees in the insurance industry constantly interacts and negotiates with strangers, and are confronted with the unknown, unfamiliar and the unpredictable. They use interactive display terminals during telephone calls and thus perform multiple-tasks with frequent interruptions. Their jobs are also characterised by repetitive movements, while complex information is processed. In addition, call centre employees often work in noisy environments under time pressure, and their performance is usually monitored on line. Job demands and job resources can influence the well-being of call centre employees. Emotional intelligence is deemed to aid in the conceptualisation of psychological well-being and can be applied as a means to successfully cope with daily demands and pressures. The objective of this research was to determine the relationship between job demands, job resources, emotional intelligence (EQ) and work-related well-being of call centre employees. A cross-sectional survey design was used. The study population (n = 141) consisted of call centre employees in a corporate insurance environment in Gauteng. The Bar-On EQ-i, Maslach Burnout Inventory-General survey, UWES, Job characteristics scale and a biographical questionnaire were used as measuring instruments. Cronbach alpha coefficients, inter-item correlation coefficients, factor analysis, Pearson product moment correlation coefficients and structural equation modelling were used to analyse the data. Principal component analysis resulted in a fifteen factor model of emotional intelligence namely emotional self-awareness, assertiveness, self-regard, self-actualisation, independence, empathy, interpersonal relationship, social responsibility, problem-solving, reality testing, flexibility, stress tolerance, impulse control, happiness and optimism. Regarding the Job Characteristics Scale, eight factors were extracted, namely role clarity, supervision, pay and benefits, workload, job security, colleague support, opportunity to grow and social contact between the call centre agents. For the MBI-GS two factors were extracted namely: exhaustion and cynicism and for the UWES one factor was extracted, namely vigour/dedication. The correlation coefficients indicated that exhaustion was statistically a significant positive correlation (practically significant, large effect) with cynicism and a statistically significant positive correlation (practical1y significant, medium effect) with workload. Exhaustion was also a statistically significant negative correlation (practical1y significant, large effect) with engagement and a statistically significant negative correlation (practically significant, medium effect) with role clarity, col1eague support, self-regard, self-actualisation, flexibility, stress tolerance, impulse control, and happiness. Cynicism showed a statistically significant negative correlation (practical significant, large effect) with engagement and a statistically significant negative correlation (practical significant, medium effect) with role clarity, supervision, opportunity to grow, engagement, emotional self-awareness, self-regard, self actualisation, flexibility, and happiness. The results indicated that EQ directly influences the experience of burnout (main effect), however, no results could be obtained supporting the moderating effect of EQ between emotional demands and burnout. Recommendations were made for cal1 centre management in the insurance industry and for future research purposes. / Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

A growing economy demands a skilled workforce, and the reality of the situation in South Africa is that, due to former apartheid policies and job reservation, there are large numbers of unemployed people with little hope of employment in the formal sector because they lack skills and experience. The National Skills Development and the Skills Development Levy Act gave rise to the development of the National Skills Development Strategy (NSDS). The NSDS is now entering its second five-year cycle with the scoreboard reflecting both gains and challenges for Sector Education Training Authorities (SETAs) as the primary delivery institutions of the NSDS. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between job demands and job resources and the work wellness of employees in SETAs, using a cross-sectional survey design. The survey consisted of 159 SETA employees in South Africa. The Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey, the Utrecht Work engagement Scale, the ASSET (An Organizational Stress Screening Evaluation Tool) and the Orientation to Life Questionnaire, were administered. Descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analyses, Pearson correlations and structural equation modelling were used to analyse the data. The results of this study confirmed the construct validity and reliability of the scales which were employed to measure work-related well-being. Furthermore, the results showed that overload predict exhaustion. Cynicism was best predicted by a lack of resources (specifically growth opportunities and lack of organisational support) and a weak sense of coherence. Vigour and dedication were predicted by growth opportunities, organisational support and a strong sense of coherence Exhaustion predicted physical ill-health, while both exhaustion and cynicism contributed to psychological ill-health. Affective organisational commitment was predicted by vigour and dedication, while behavioural organisational commitment was predicted by high vigour and low exhaustion. Recommendations for SETAs and future research were made / Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

Stress and burnout among workers are reaching epidemic proportions, resulting in loss of millions in revenue due to absenteeism and corresponding reduction in productivity. The question as to whether the participants of this study experience low levels of work wellness (i.e., low burnout and high work engagement) or not, is not easy to answer. Therefore, research is needed regarding the understanding of how burnout manifests itself, as well as underlying factors contributing to the work engagement of managers and their relationship with job demands and resources thereof. The objective of this study was to investigate which job demands and job resources will predict burnout and work engagement of managers in the packaging manufacturing sector and how different job characteristics will affect their levels of engagement. A cross-sectional survey design was used. The study population (N = 90) consisted of managerial staff from various divisions of a national packaging manufacturing company in South Africa. The Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, the Job-Demands-Resources Questionnaire and a biographical questionnaire were administered. The reliability of the measuring instruments was assessed with the use of Cronbach alpha coefficients. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data. Pearson correlations and multiple regression analyses were used to assess the relationships between burnout, job demands, job resources and work engagement. The results showed that exhaustion was positively related to job demands (work overload). Both exhaustion and cynicism were negatively related to a lack of job resources such as organisational support and growth opportunities. Managers with low opportunities to learn, little work independence, poor relationship with colleagues, poor relationship with immediate supervisor, limited access to information, poor communication, insufficient participation, lack of contact possibilities, poor remuneration and limited career possibilities were found to experience high burnout and less work engagement, presumably because stimuli from the environment did not promote growth, self-development, personal accomplishment and meaning for the manager. The results showed that both job demands and job resources contributed to burnout and work engagement. Recommendations for future research have been made. / Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

The environment in which hospital pharmacists currently function demands more of them than did any previous period. Employees in pharmacy companies have to cope with the demands that arise from fulfilling various roles, as well as with increased pressures such as managed health care and primary health care. Tracking and addressing their effectiveness in coping with new demands and stimulating their growth in areas that could possibly impact on the standard of pharmacy services are therefore of great importance. The first step in the enhancement of the work-related well-being of hospital pharmacists is the successful diagnosis of occupational stress, burnout and work engagement. However, in order to measure these constructs, it is important to use reliable and valid instruments, and at the same time take biographical differences into account. The objectives of this study were to validate the Maslach Burnout Inventory - Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS), Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) and the Pharmacist Stress Inventory (PSI) for hospital pharmacists in South Africa, to assess the effect of biographical factors on the levels of burnout, engagement and occupational stress, and to investigate the role of job stress and coping strategies in the work-related well-being (burnout and work engagement) of hospital pharmacists in South Africa. A cross-sectional survey design was used. The study population consisted of an accidental sample (N = 187) of South African hospital pharmacists in both public and private hospital facilities on a national basis. The MBI-HSS, UWES, PSI, the Coping Orientation for Problem Experienced (COPE) as well as a biographical questionnaire were administered. Descriptive statistics, Cronbach alpha coefficients, confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), t-tests and multiple regression analysis were used to analyse the data Confirmatory factor analysis by means of structural equation modelling of the MBI-HSS, confirmed a three-factor model of burnout, consisting of Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalisation and Personal Accomplishment. The scales showed acceptable reliabilities. The results indicated that 35% of the hospital pharmacists showed high levels of emotional exhaustion, while 25% showed high levels of depersonalisation. Biographical factors such as age, years in pharmacy practice, home language, average number of hours worked per week, as well as the level of job satisfaction were related to the burnout levels of hospital pharmacists. Exploratory factor analysis of the UWES resulted in two factors, namely Vigour/dedication and Absorption. These factors showed acceptable Cronbach alpha coefficients. In the same sample (but in a different analysis where the two factors were used separately), it was indicated that compared to a South African norm, 38,5% and 48,9% of the hospital pharmacists showed low levels of vigour and dedication respectively. Position, home language, and the educational level were related to work engagement of hospital pharmacists. The PSI was developed as a measuring instrument for the purposes of this study. Three internally consistent factors, namely Job Demands, Pharmacy-Specific Stressors and Lack of Resources were extracted. The level of severity of the various stressors was calculated and the unavailability of medicine proved to be the most severe stressor. Other severe stressors included frequent interruptions, co-workers not doing their jobs, workload and insufficient salaries. Finally it was investigated whether job stress and coping strategies could predict the work related well-being of hospital pharmacists in South Africa. The results showed that job stress (as a result of job demands and lack of job resources), as well as three coping strategies (approach coping, avoidance coping and turning to religion) predicted burnout and work engagement of South African hospital pharmacists. Recommendations for future research were made. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

The two most significant domains in the lives of employed individuals are work and home, which can influence each other in both a negative and a positive way. However, there has been a lack of empirical research investigating the positive interaction between the work and home domains, as well as the possible antecedents and outcomes associated with it, including job resources and work engagement. The objectives of this study were to test a structural model that includes job resources, positive work-home interaction (WHI) and work engagement, and to determine the mediating role of positive WHI in the relationship between job resources and work engagement for police officers in the North West Province. A cross-sectional survey design was used. Random samples (n = 468) were taken of employees in the South African Police Service in the North West Province. The Job Demands-Resources Scale, the positive WHI scale of the Survey Work-Home Interaction - Nijmegen (SWING) and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) were administered. Structural equation modelling showed that people who receive sufficient job resources (including organisational support, possibilities for advancement, growth opportunities and contact with colleagues) experience positive WHI that leads to work engagement. In addition, job resources help to enhance work engagement. These results provided evidence for the partial mediating role of positive work-home interaction in the relationship between job resources and work engagement. Recommendations were made for the organisation and for future research. / Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.