The mining industry plays an important role in the economy of South Africa. This industry is an
employer of thousands of people and the development of South Africa has depended on the
development of the mining industry in more than one way. However, working conditions in the
mining industry is poor, harsh and dangerous and employees are also faced with job insecurity.
This may lead to stressors in the working environment and these stressors, which are closely
related to work characteristics, may have negative effects on employees as well as on their
productivity levels. Studies relating organisational resources to work-related flow have provided
additional evidence for the motivational potential of resources. The focus of this study is on job
characteristics, consisting of job demands and job resources and whether these characteristics
can foster work-related flow.
The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between job demands, job resources
and work-related flow and to determine whether the availability of job resources and the lack of
job demands foster the experience of work-related flow.
The research method consisted of a literature review and an empirical study. A cross-sectional
survey design was used o collect the data. An availability sample (N = 326) from employees in
the mining industry was taken. The Job Demands and Resources Scale (JDRS) (which was
developed for the purpose of this study to measure job demands and job resources for employees
in the mining industry) and the Work-Related Flow scale (WOLF) and a biographical
questionnaire were also administered The statistical analysis was carried out with the help of the
SPSS programme and AMOS programme. The statistical methods utilised in the article consisted
of descriptive statistics, Cronbach alpha coefficients , Pearson product-moment correlation
coefficients and structural equation modelling methods.
Pearson product moment correlation in this study showed that Supervision correlated positively
with Task Freedom, Support, Pay and Benefits, Opportunities for Growth and Resources
Availability. Workload correlated positively with Working Conditions. Working Conditions
correlated positively with Working Hours and negatively with Resources Availability. Task
Freedom correlated positively with Opportunities for Growth and Intrinsic Motivation, and
Support correlated positively with Opportunity for Growth Pay and Benefits correlated
positively with Opportunity for Growth and Resource Availability, whereas Opportunity for
Growth correlated positively to Work Enjoyment. Resources Availability correlates negatively
with Working Hours, and Absorption indicates a positive correlation to Work Enjoyment and
Intrinsic Motivation. Work Enjoyment correlates positively to intrinsic Motivation
A structural model of work-related flow for employees in the mining industry comprising of job
demands, job resources and work-related flow was tested. Job Resources (i.e. Supervision, Task
Freedom, Support, Pay and Benefits, Opportunity for Growth, and Resource Availability) may
have a positive impact on Work-Related Flow and could increase the levels of work-related flow
of employees in the mining industry. Job Demands (i.e. Workload, Working conditions, Job
Security, and Working Hours) has a negative impact on Work-Related Flow, thus job demands
may negatively influence the experience of work-related flow in employees in the mining
industry.
Recommendations for future research were made. / Thesis (M.Com. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:nwu/oai:dspace.nwu.ac.za:10394/1102 |
| Date | January 2005 |
| Creators | Geldenhuys, Anneline |
| Publisher | North-West University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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