Thesis (MOccTher (Interdisciplinary Health Sciences. Occupational Therapy))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / Objectives: The study aimed to identify the functions that occupational therapy
leaders perform in clinical settings in the Metropole District of the Provincial
Administration of the Western Cape (PAWC) and determine the influence of these
functions on clinical practice.
Methodology: The researcher used a descriptive design and a non-standardised
questionnaire which was compiled to collect the data for the study. The
questionnaire was piloted with a group of occupational therapy leaders from the
Boland Overberg Region. Feedback was used to refine the final study questionnaire.
Thirty-five study questionnaires were mailed or handed to the participants in the
study and the researcher received 25 completed questionnaires; therefore, the
response rate was 71.4%. The data were analysed using the Statistical Package for
the Social Sciences (SPSS 10.0) for all the questions. Descriptive statistics were
used to report the data. Inter-observer reliability was checked by using the split-half
method. The results revealed that the study questionnaire was reliable as
Cronbach's Alfa was calculated at 0.90, correlation coefficient Pearson’s r was
calculated at 0.51, and Spearman-Brown was calculated at 0.67.
Results: The results were presented in relation to the respondents’ number (N =
25). The participants identified 57 leadership functions, grouped as managerial,
ethics-related, education, research, and consultation functions. The participants
reported to have high performance in both direct and indirect occupational therapy
services. Performance in the direct occupational therapy services functions was
higher than the performance in the indirect occupational therapy services. Minimal
performance in occupational therapy leadership functions was reported for
consultation, ethics related, and research functions which need to be addressed by
in-service training. The indirect occupational therapy services enabled the
participants in the study to perform on a more optimum level regarding the direct
occupational therapy services. The occupational therapy leaders had many
empowering factors in their work place such as subordinates, supervisors, and top
management. Conclusion: The 57 leadership functions identified in the study culminated in an
occupational therapy leadership functions framework (OTLFF) which represents the
managerial activities of the occupational therapy leaders in the PAWC. These study
findings are useful guidelines for occupational therapy professionals and students as
guidelines for leadership training, participant facilities to compile job descriptions, and
educational facilities to set educational curricula.
Recommendations: The study had many shortcomings; therefore, generalisation of
results can't be done. The researcher recommends replication of the study using a
larger and more representative sample.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/3350 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Abu Mostafa, Moussa K. |
| Contributors | Beukes, S., Kemp, R., University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Health Sciences. Dept. of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences. Occupational Therapy. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | University of Stellenbosch |
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