Orientation: The employee engagement approach has been utilised to combat
burnout in both private and public sector institutions. With increasing research, selfperceived
employability is gaining popularity as an effective tool to reduce burnout in
the contemporary world of work. Knowledge of the relationship between these three
constructs is therefore important for public sector institutions and researchers in
industrial and organisational psychology in South Africa.
Research purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship
between burnout, employee engagement and self-perceived employability amongst
employees in the South African public sector.
Motivation for study: Numerous studies have highlighted the prevalence of poor
service delivery in public sector institutions as linked to employees feeling
disconnected from their work as a result of numerous burnout symptoms. A plethora
of studies have emphasised the significance of employee engagement in reducing
burnout. With increasing research, focus has also been on the employability construct
as a tool to manage burnout in the ever-changing working environment and the labour
market. Both employee engagement and self-perceived employability have been
utilised as approaches to reduce burnout amongst employees. However, the
relationship between these three constructs is unknown, and therefore the findings of
this study will be crucial for both public sector institutions and researchers in industrial
and organisational psychology in South Africa.
Research design, approach and method: The researcher conducted a quantitative
study. It involved a non-probability sample of 158 South African public sector
employees. Correlational and descriptive statistical analyses were utilised to analyse
the data.
Main findings: Burnout has a significant negative relationship with employee
engagement; however, burnout does not significantly correlate with self-perceived
employability. There are significant differences between the various biographical
groups and burnout, employee engagement and self-perceived employability. Practical/managerial implications: Approaches to reducing burnout amongst
employees should consider employee engagement and self-perceived employability
as effective tools to enhance employees’ wellness, morale and productivity. Improving
the engagement levels of employees and enhancing their employability will greatly
improve the well-being of employees in public sector institutions and help alleviate the
actual employee burnout. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:unisa/oai:uir.unisa.ac.za:10500/26805 |
| Date | 11 1900 |
| Creators | Zwane, Ntombifuthi Joy |
| Contributors | Oosthuizen, Rudolf M |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Dissertation |
| Format | 1 online resource (xvii, 139 leaves) : illustrations, application/pdf |
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