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Job characteristics, work-nonwork interference and coping strategies among ministers of religion / Anna Sophia van der Westhuizen

Ministers have a very unique occupation with designated job demands and incongruous
resources at their disposal. Over the past few years numerous studies have been undertaken
different occupations’ regarding job demands and job resources. In contrast, limited studies were
done among ministers of religion, particularly in the context of the three Reformed sister
churches in South Africa. This is the case even though these ministers play such a key role in the
current social and religious sphere. Results from previous studies have shown that job demands
and the lack of resources have a major impact on the experience of work-nonwork interference
among individuals (Koekemoer & Mostert, 2006; Mostert, 2009, Mostert & Oosthuizen, 2006;
Tshabalala, 2007; Van Aarde & Mostert, 2008).This trend, however, has not been researched
amongst ministers before – particularly how ministers cope with this interference.
The overall objective of the present study was to investigate job demands and job resources as
significant predictors of work-nonwork interference for ministers of the three sister churches.
The focus also was on coping strategies that are significant in dealing with work-nonwork
interference. The possible moderation brought about by these coping strategies was also
investigated. Various hypotheses related to the overall objective were tested in the empirical
study. The design used for this study was a cross-sectional survey design undertaken among
ministers of the three sister churches mentioned. Various job demands, job resources, worknonwork
interference and coping strategies were measured. This was done by employing the
instruments of Peeters, Montgomery, Bakker and Schaufeli, (2005); Buys and Rothmann (2009);
Koekemoer, Mostert and Rothman, 2010; Geurts et al. (2005) and Carver, Scheier and
Weintraub (1989). Construct validity of all the instruments were proven with the CFA (Confirmatory Factor
Analysis) in the SPSS program. Descriptive statistics, cronbach alpha coefficients, Pearson and
Spearman product-moment correlations and multiple regression analyses were used to analyse
the data. Moderation regression analyses were also done to test for possible moderation of
specific coping strategies.
Results indicated that cognitive demands were related to the dimension of work-parent
interference. Emotional demands and pace and amount of work had a relation with all the various
dimensions of the work-nonwork interference. Congregational support related work-home
interference as well as work-religion/spirituality interference. Financial support, lack of
autonomy, as well as social support, related to all three dimensions of work-nonwork
interference. Job significance related work-religion/spirituality interference, whereas job
accomplishment predicted work-home interference and work-religion/spirituality interference.
The results of the predictors on work-parent interference included the following: cognitive
demands, pace and amount of work, financial support and turning-to-religion. Work-home
interference was predicted by the variables pace and amount of work and financial support.
Work-religion/spirituality interference were predicted by pace and amount of work, job
significance and turning to religion.
The various coping strategies (turning-to-religion, seeking-emotional-support, active coping,
acceptance coping, planning and avoidance coping) functioned as moderators between certain
specific job demands, job resources and dimensions of work-nonwork interference.
Limitations of the study were discussed and recommendations were put forward for future
studies on this topic. / MCom (Industrial Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:nwu/oai:dspace.nwu.ac.za:10394/12066
Date January 2014
CreatorsVan der Westhuizen, Anna Sophia
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis

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