Thesis (MComm (Industrial Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Career management has received a significant amount of research attention because of its known effects on important work-related outcomes such as organisational commitment (De Vos, Dewettnick & Buyens, 2007). However, the modern world of work has brought fresh challenges for both individuals and organisations when it comes to the management of careers. Rapid economic, technological and societal change imply that, on the one hand, organisations face the challenge of retaining and motivating talented employees through the judicious use of career management systems. On the other hand, these influences indicate a growing awareness of the individual‟s responsibility for career development. However, the way in which individuals respond to organisational initiatives through their work-related attitudes is not well known. Despite previous research that has successfully investigated the relationship between career management and organisational commitment, the possible role that individual differences may play in this regard has received scant research attention.
This research study firstly investigates the direct relationships between career management (i.e., both individually and organisationally driven activities) and affective organisational commitment, and secondly, it aims to explore the role of individual differences in this process by examining the moderating role of personality (in the form of openness to experience) in this relationship. For this purpose, quantitative data were collected by means of a survey questionnaire administered to a South African public sector organisation (N = 311) and analysed with correlation and moderated multiple regression analysis to test the hypothesised relationships. The results indicated that employees‟ perceptions regarding the organisation‟s career management activities influence whether individuals initiate internally or externally oriented career self management activities. Where respondents perceived receiving high levels of organisational career management, they also reported increased organisational commitment. More committed individuals, on their part, were found to be more likely to engage in internally oriented individual career management and less likely to practice career management activities aiming at leaving the organisation. Results showed that openness to experience did not moderate the relationship between organisational career management and commitment. However, openness to experience did moderate the effect of commitment on individuals‟ career self-management activities (both internally and externally oriented activities). The implications of these results are discussed and limitations of the present study, as well as recommendations for future studies, are presented. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Loopbaanbestuur ontvang tradisioneel aansienlike navorsingsaandag weens die bewese effek daarvan op belangrike werksverwante uitkomste soos organisasie-verbondenheid (De Vos, Dewettnick & Buyens, 2007). Die modêrne werkswêreld bied egter vars uitdagings met betrekking tot loopbaanbestuur vir beide individuele werknemers én vir organisasies. Snelle verandering in die ekonomiese, tegnologiese en sosiale landskap veroorsaak dat, op hul beurt, organisasies, die uitdaging in die gesig staar om talentvolle werknemers te behou en te motiveer deur die oorwoë toepassing van loopbaanbestuurstelsels. Op die keersy, veroorsaak hierdie invloede „n groter bewustheid van die verantwoordelikheid van die individu vir sy/haar eie loopbaanbestuur. Die wyse waarop individue reageer op organisasie-inisiatiewe in terme van hul werkshoudings is egter relatief onbekend. Ten spyte van vorige navorsing wat suksesvol die verbandskap tussen loopbaanbestuur en organisasieverbondenheid ondersoek het, het die moontlike rol van individuele verskille in hierdie proses egter betreklik min navorsingsaandag ontvang.
Hierdie navorsingstudie ondersoek eerstens die direkte verwantskap tussen loopbaanbestuursaktiwiteite (d.w.s., beide individuele en organisasiegedrewe aktiwiteite) en organisasieverbondenheid, en tweedens, word die bemiddelende rol van individuele verskille in hierdie proses verken deur die rol van persoonlikheid (in die vorm van oopheid tot ervaring) te ondersoek. Vir hierdie doeleinde is kwantitatiewe data ingesamel deur middel van vraelyste afgeneem binne „n Suid Afrikaanse openbare sektor organisasie (N = 311). Hierdie data is ontleed met korrelasie-ontledings en meervoudige regressie-analise ten einde die gehipotiseerde verbandskappe te toets. Die resultate toon dat werknemers se perspepsies van die organisasie se loopbaanbestuuraktiwiteite bepaal tot watter mate hulle intern- of ekstern gefokusde loopbaanselfbestuuraktiwiteite onderneem. Waar respondente hoë vlakke van organisasiegedrewe loopbaanbestuur gerapporteer het, was hoë vlakke van organisasieverbondenheid teenwoordig. Meer verbonde individue, op hulle beurt, was meer geneig om intern-geöriënteerde loopbaanbestuur toe te pas en minder geneig om aktiwiteite te onderneem gerig op uittrede uit die organisasie. Die resultate toon verder dat, alhoewel oopheid tot ervaring nie die verband tussen organisasie-loopbaanbestuur en verbondheid modereer nie, dit wél die effek van verbondheid op individue se selfgedrewe loopbaanbestuursaktiwiteite
(beide intern- en ekstern-geöriënteerde aktiwiteite) modereer. Die implikasies van die resultate word vervolgens bespreek en die beperkinge van die huidige studie word uitgelig. Ten slotte, word aanbevelings vir toekomstige studies gemaak.
Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/4149 |
Date | 03 1900 |
Creators | Ronn, Maria |
Contributors | De Kock, Francois, University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Industrial Psychology. |
Publisher | Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch |
Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
Language | English |
Detected Language | Unknown |
Type | Thesis |
Format | 178 p. |
Rights | University of Stellenbosch |
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