M.Com. (Industrial Psychology) / Research has linked the construct of meaningful work to a variety of positive individual and organisational outcomes (cf. Rosso, Dekas, & Wrzesniewski, 2010). As such, the measurement and cultivation of meaningful work within the workplace can aid organisations in the promotion of a purposeful and energetic workforce. To date, South Africa has not developed or validated a meaningful work measure, which is problematic when it is considered that differences in culture have been shown to affect responses to items on specific psychometric measures (Meiring, van de Vijver, & Rothmann, 2006). It is therefore essential that the psychometric suitability of an instrument be established prior to it being applied within the country’s diverse population. This study examines the reliability and validity of a meaningful work measure in the South African context. Specifically, the dimensionality of the Western-developed Work and Meaning Inventory (WAMI) is investigated using a South African sample. A quantitative, cross-sectional design was adopted using a sample of South African working adults (N=300) within the Gauteng province. The results of CFA and EFA did not provide support for the original three-factor WAMI structure. However, theoretical and statistical support was found for an adapted twofactor version of the scale. Limitations and recommendations for future research are discussed.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uj/uj:12241 |
| Date | 10 September 2014 |
| Creators | Finch, Jenna Diane |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | University of Johannesburg |
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