Electrostatic Fields Stimulate Absorption of Small Neutral Molecules in Gradient Polyelectrolyte Brushes

Molecules can partition from a solution into a polymer coating, leading to a local enrichment. If one can control this enrichment via external stimuli, one can implement such coatings in novel separation technologies. Unfortunately, these coatings are often resource intensive as they require stimuli in the form changes of bulk solvent conditions such as acidity, temperature, or ionic strength. Electrically driven separation technology may provide an appealing alternative, as this will allow local, surface-bound stimuli instead of system-wide bulk stimuli to induce responsiveness. Therefore, we investigate via coarse grained molecular dynamics simulations the possibility of using coatings with charged moieties, specifically gradient polyelectrolyte brushes, to control the enrichment of the neutral target molecules near the surface with applied electric fields. We find that targets which interact more strongly with the brush show both more absorption and a larger modulation by electric fields. For the strongest interactions evaluated in this work, we obtained absorption changes of over 300 % between the collapsed and extended state of the coating.</p

Electrical Chain Rearrangement: What Happens When Polymers in Brushes Have a Charge Gradient?

Under the influence of electric fields, the chains in polyelectrolyte brushes can stretch and collapse, which changes the structure of the brush. Copolymer brushes with charged and uncharged monomers display a similar behavior. For pure polyelectrolyte and random copolymer brushes, the field-induced structure changes only the density of the brush and not its local composition, while the latter could be affected if charges are distributed inhomogeneously along the polymer backbone. Therefore, we systematically study the switching behavior of gradient polyelectrolyte brushes in electric fields for different solvent qualities, grafting densities, and charges per chain via coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations. Similar to random copolymers and pure polyelectrolytes, these brushes show a mixed-phase transition: intermediate states between fully stretched and collapsed are characterized by a bimodal chain-end distribution. Additionally, we find that the total charge of the brush plays a key role in the critical field required for a complete transition. Finally, we find that gradient polyelectrolyte brushes are charge-enriched at the brush–solvent interface under stretched conditions and charge-depleted under collapsed conditions, allowing for control over the local composition and thus the surface charge of the brush due to the inhomogeneous charge along the grafted chains

Investigating the Appropriateness and Validity of the Academic Motivation Scale-College Version for South African First-Year University Students

South African universities have one of the lowest graduation rates in the world, especially amongstfirst-year university students. South Africa’s first-year university students are taxed with tremendouschallenges. One of the most important amongst these challenges is considered to be academicmotivation, which is strongly related to students’ academic success. Despite this, to date, little work hasbeen undertaken to source and validate a reliable instrument to measure students’ academic motivation.This article is based on the proposition that there is a pressing need for a valid and reliable instrumentthat measures academic motivation and its effect on students’ academic success. The psychometricproperties of the Academic Motivation Scale-College version were examined for first-year universitystudents. The findings are promising for using this scale to measure academic motivation of first-yearuniversity students

Investigating the Appropriateness and Validity of the Academic Motivation Scale-College Version for South African First-Year University Students

South African universities have one of the lowest graduation rates in the world, especially amongst first-year university students. South Africa’s first-year university students are taxed with tremendous challenges. One of the most important amongst these challenges is considered to be academic motivation, which is strongly related to students’ academic success. Despite this, to date, little work has been undertaken to source and validate a reliable instrument to measure students’ academic motivation. This article is based on the proposition that there is a pressing need for a valid and reliable instrument that measures academic motivation and its effect on students’ academic success. The psychometric properties of the Academic Motivation Scale-College version were examined for first-year university students. The findings are promising for using this scale to measure academic motivation of first-year university students. Keywords:&nbsp; Academic Motivation Scale-College version; convergent validity; criterion validity; discriminant validity; factorial validity; first-year university students; reliabilit

Engaged but exhausted: Work-related wellbeing profiles of South African employees

Organizations and colleagues alike benefit from dedicated employees who are immersed in their work and energetically pursue their tasks. Unfortunately, this may come at a price for employees who may burn out. Organizations are, therefore, confronted with a responsibility to assist employees in striking a balance between eagerly engaging in their tasks and taking care of their wellbeing. Before designing and implementing interventions, it is valuable to identify how engagement and burnout components cluster within individuals and whether these different combinations have different implications for employees. The study aimed to explore whether burnout and work engagement combine within individuals to form different burnout-engagement profiles. The study also aimed to examine the implications of different profiles for employees’ psychological distress, affective commitment, and turnover intention. Among 1048 South African employees, latent profile analysis highlighted five distinct burnout-engagement profiles: Burned-out, Risky, Moderately balanced, Stars, and Workaholics. The Burned-out reported higher levels of psychological distress than the Risky. Still, both reported higher levels than the Moderately balanced, who also reported higher levels of psychological distress than the Stars. The Burned out and the Workaholics reported equal levels of psychological distress. The Stars reported the highest levels of affective commitment, followed by the Workaholics, the Moderately balanced, and the Risky, with the lowest levels reported by the Burned-out. The Burned-out reported the highest levels of turnover intention, followed by the Risky, the Workaholics, and the Moderately balanced, with the lowest levels reported by the Stars. Limitations, recommendations for future research and practical implications are discussed

Psychometric properties of the Flourishing Scale for South African first-year students

This study focused on a positive construct of well-being, namely flourishing. In a multicultural and diverse country such as South Africa, it is a legal requirement to provide evidence that measures of psychological constructs, like flourishing, are fair, unbiased, and equivalent for diverse groups in the country. The aim was to test the psychometric properties of the Flourishing Scale, a purpose-made scale that measures positive functioning across various areas of life. This study tested the factorial validity, item bias, measurement invariance and reliability of the Flourishing Scale in a sample of 1088 South African first-year university students. A unidimensional structure was confirmed. Although three items showed statistically significant uniform and total bias for language and campus groups, the magnitude and practical impact were negligible. No evidence of bias across gender groups was found. Configural, metric and partial scalar invariance were established for language and campus groups. Full measurement invariance was established across gender groups. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.91, indicating high reliability. The study provided promising results for using the Flourishing Scale among South African university students to measure flourishing as an aspect of well-being. Contribution: This study contributes to the field of student well-being in South Africa. No studies could be found that test for item bias or measurement invariance of the Flourishing Scale, specifically for South African first-year students. This study is the first to test these psychometric properties of a Flourishing Scale in a multicultural setting for students from different languages

A model linking financial well-being and burnout in a South African engineering organisation

Orientation: This study investigates a model linking financial well-being (FWB) and burnout of employees in a South African engineering organisation. Research purpose: To investigate how personal financial resources and burnout are interrelated, focussing on the roles of satisfaction with remuneration (SWR), personal financial efficacy (PFE), and financial interference (FI). Motivation for the study: This model could help management, human resources, and employees understand the complex dynamics of these phenomena and reduce burnout by implementing targeted interventions. Research approach/design and method: Purposive sampling (N = 515) was used. Structural equation modelling (SEM) with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural paths were employed. Main findings: The study found that SWR positively impacts positive personal financial well-being (PPFW) and negatively impacts negative personal financial well-being (NPFW). Personal financial efficacy positively affects PPFW and negatively affects NPFW. However, SWR did not significantly impact FI. Negative personal financial well-being strongly contributed to FI, which in turn increased burnout. Contrary to expectations, PPFW did not significantly reduce FI. Additionally, SWR indirectly reduced burnout through NPFW and FI in sequence. Practical/managerial implications: Organisations should ensure competitive and equitable reward and remuneration strategies to enhance employees’ financial well-being and reduce burnout. Financial self-efficacy can be improved through interventions focussing on PFE and integrated financial well-being programmes to mitigate the risk of burnout and its demands on human and organisational resources. Contribution/value-add: This study contributes to the limited research on financial well-being and burnout, highlighting the importance of fair remuneration and personal financial resources in promoting employee well-being and reducing burnout

New perspectives on the role of customer satisfaction and commitment in promoting customer citizenship behaviours

Background: It is widely accepted that the relationship quality dimensions of customer satisfaction and commitment may impact on customer citizenship behaviour. The positive effect of customer satisfaction on customer commitment is also undisputed within the relationship marketing literature.   Aim: It was the aim of this study to examine the extent to which customer commitment mediates and strengthens the relationship between customers’ perceived satisfaction and their citizenship behaviour. In the context of Internet banking, the study aimed to examine the extent to which customer’s commitment towards the service provider (the bank) strengthens the relationship between satisfaction with the service provided (Internet banking) and customer citizenship behaviour (consumer advocacy and the helping of other customers).   Setting: The study was conducted in the South African Internet banking environment, which could benefit from a model of factors contributing to customer citizenship behaviour, specifically the sub-dimensions of consumer advocacy and helping behaviour.   Methods: A descriptive and quantitative research design was followed and the survey responses obtained from 491 existing users of Internet banking services were used in the analysis.   Results: Following the structural equation model results, the direct relationships between all constructs were confirmed. Customer commitment, however, has only a partial mediating effect on the relationships between customer satisfaction and the sub-dimensions of consumer advocacy and helping behaviour.   Conclusions: From a theoretical perspective, the research findings provide more insight into the role of customer satisfaction and commitment in contributing to customer citizenship behaviour and the extent to which both relationship quality factors are needed in order to do so. From a practical perspective, banks should adapt their marketing strategies to facilitate greater relationships with customers responsible for citizenship behaviours. Customers promoting the benefits of the service to other customers and helping them to use the service may ultimately contribute to greater adoption and use of Internet banking services

The psychometric properties and measurement invariance of the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT-23) in South Africa

Background: Burnout is an increasing public health concern that afflicts employees globally. The measurement of burnout is not without criticism, specifically in the context of its operational definition as a syndrome, also recently designated as such by the World Health Organisation. The Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT-23) is a new measure for burnout that addresses many of the criticisms surrounding burnout scales. The aim of this study is to determine the validity, reliability, and measurement invariance of the BAT-23 in South Africa. Method: A quantitative, cross-sectional survey, approach was taken (n = 1048). Latent variable modelling was implemented to investigate the construct-relevant multidimensionality that is present in the BAT. For measurement invariance, the configural, metric, scalar, and strict models were tested. Results: The analyses showed that the hierarchical operationalisation of BAT-assessed burnout was the most appropriate model for the data. Specifically, a bifactor ESEM solution. Composite reliability estimates were all well above the cut-off criteria for both the global burnout factor and the specific factors. The measurement invariance tests showed that gender achieved not only strong invariance, but also strict invariance. However, ethnicity initially only showed strong invariance, but a test of partial strict invariance did show that the mean scores could be fairly compared between the groups when releasing certain constraints. Conclusions: The BAT-23 is a valid and reliable measure to investigate burnout within the Southern African context

The validation of a workplace incivility scale within the South African banking industry

Orientation: Workplace incivility holds consequences for both individuals and organisations. Managers are becoming increasingly aware of this phenomenon. Currently, there is no workplace incivility scale validated for use within the South African context. Research purpose: To investigate the reliability and validity of the adapted workplace incivility scale by Leiter and colleagues for use within South Africa. Motivation for the study: As it is currently difficult to measure workplace incivility within the South African context because of the lack of a valid and reliable scale, it is necessary to validate such a scale. Research design, approach and method: A cross-sectional research approach was used for the study. Convenience sampling (N = 345) was used within the South African banking industry. Specifically, the factor structure, convergent validity, discriminant validity and predictive validity were investigated in order to establish the overall validity of the scale. Main findings: The results confirmed that the scale showed a three-factor structure as best-fitting with acceptable reliability coefficients. Furthermore, discriminant validity could be shown between workplace incivility and workplace bullying, that is, supporting that these two constructs are not the same phenomenon. In terms of relationships, colleague incivility did not significantly predict any of the outcome variables and instigated incivility only being a negative predictor of job satisfaction and a borderline statistically significant negative predictor of work engagement. However, supervisor incivility predicted all the outcomes negatively. Practical/Managerial implications: Based on the results, workplace incivility should be addressed because of the harmful effects it can have, not only on employees but also on organisations. It is therefore necessary for managers to create awareness of workplace incivility in order to ensure that it does not integrate within the organisational culture and affect individual and organisational performance. Contribution/Value-add: The study contributes to the limited research available in South Africa regarding workplace incivility by providing a scale that is valid and reliable