Burnout and work engagement of South African blue-collar workers: The development of a new scale

Research in South Africa on work-related well-being (specifically burnout and work engagement) has focused mainly on white-collar workers. Although blue-collar workers form a major part of the South African work force, no valid and reliable instruments exist to measure burnout and work engagement of blue-collar workers. The objectives of this study were (1) to develop a work-related well-being scale that measures burnout and work engagement of blue-collar workers; (2) to test the newly developed items using Rasch analysis; and (3) to test the factorial validity and reliability of the new scale. A cross-sectional survey design was used in a convenience sample of blue-collar workers in different industries in South Africa (N=2769). Following scale development procedures, a scale was developed to measure burnout (exhaustion and cynicism) and work engagement(vigour and dedication). Using Rasch analyses, two items were eliminated, resulting in an 18-item instrument. Five items were retained to measure exhaustion, five items to measure cynicism, four items to measure vigour and four items to measure dedication. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis showed that a twofactor model with two higher-order factors – burnout (consisting of exhaustion and cynicism) and work engagement (consisting of vigour and dedication) – fit the data best. All the scales were reliable

Present challenges and some critical issues for research in industrial/ organisational psychology in South Africa.

The objective of this study was to determine a set of problems and critical issues that researchers in Industrial and Organisational Psychology deem to be important areas for immediate and future enquiry. The changing identity of this field of application is investigated, more relevant paradigms in the study of organisational health and wellness is explored and methods, techniques and interventions suitable to the South African context are suggested. Conclusions are formulated to increase the ability of organisations to work towards economic development, while promoting the wellness and quality of life of employees

An adapted model of burnout for educators in South Africa

No Abstract Available South African Journal of Education Vol.25(2) 2005: 100-10

Callings, work role fit, psychological meaningfulness and work engagement among teachers in Zambia

Our aim in this study was to investigate the relationships among a calling orientation, work role fit, psychological meaningfulness and work engagement of teachers in Zambia. A quantitative approach was followed and a cross-sectional survey was used. The sample (n = 150) included 75 basic and 75 secondary school teachers in the Choma district of Zambia. The Work Role Fit Scale, Work-Life Questionnaire, Psychological Meaningfulness Scale, and Work Engagement Scale were administered. Structural equation modelling confirmed a model in which a calling orientation impacted psychological meaningfulness and work engagement significantly. A calling orientation impacted work engagement directly, while such work orientation impacted psychological meaningfulness indirectly via work role fit. The results suggest that it is necessary to address the work orientation and work role fit of teachers in Zambia as pathways to psychological meaningfulness and work engagement.These results have implications for the recruitment, selection, training, and development of teachers in Zambia.Keywords: Africa, calling, engagement, meaning, teachers, work role fi

Job satisfaction in a chemical factory

Subjective well-being is regarded as an important goal given thepositive outcomes thereof for individuals. Job satisfaction is animportant indicator of the subjective well-being of individuals. Theobjectives of this study were to evaluate the use of the MinnesotaSatisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) for diff erent language groupsworking in a chemical factory, and to investigate the relationshipbetween job satisfaction and demographic variables. The studywas carried out with a sample (N = 583) representing diff erent joblevels in a chemical factory. The 20-item MSQ and a biographicalquestionnaire were administered. The results confi rmed that jobsatisfaction consists of two internally consistent factors, namelyextrinsic and intrinsic job satisfaction. The factorial invariance ofthe MSQ was confi rmed for African languages and an Afrikaansand English group. Language was the only demographic variablethat statistically signifi cantly predicted extrinsic job satisfaction.Intrinsic job satisfaction was statistically signifi cantly predicted bytwo demographic variables, namely age and qualifi cation

Linking employee burnout to medical aid provider expenditure

Background. Healthcare has become a major expense. Burnout and its connection with psychological and physical health is well researched,yet little research has been done on the connection between burnout and financial outcomes, specifically as indicated by the costs incurredby medical aid providers as a result of members’ claims.Objective. To investigate the connection between employee burnout and medical aid claims and expenditure data in a sample from theprivate sector.Method. A cross-sectional design was used. The sample comprised 3 182 participants. The available objective medical aid expendituredata connected with each participant were: total insured benefits, general practitioner visits, specialist visits, general practitioner insuredbenefits, and claims for medicine. A low and a high burnout group were extracted, based on comorbidity of the two core components ofburnout. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was then applied to investigate the differences in estimated marginal means of the expenditureson the low and the high burnout contrast groups, while controlling for age and gender.Results. The high burnout group frequented a general practitioner more often, and the medical aid provider expenditure was nearly doublethat of the low burnout group, on all the variables. Specialist visits did not show a significant result.Conclusion. High burnout is associated with a higher expenditure by a medical aid provider, compared with low burnout, per member.Stakeholders should therefore address burnout to reduce expenditure and promote health

Balancing work life : Job crafting, work engagement, and workaholism in the Finnish public sector

The aim of this study was to investigate how job crafting, work engagement, and workaholism were related in public sector organizations. The participants (N = 213) were civil servants from three Finnish public organizations, representing different professions, such as school personnel, secretaries, directors, parking attendants, and ICT specialists. We duly operationalized job crafting, work engagement, and workaholism by using the Job Crafting Scale, the UWES-9, and the Work Addiction Risk Test. The current study focused on the Finnish public sector, since work engagement is recognized at the governmental level and has been shown to be strongly and positively associated with economic activity and productivity, while workaholism is associated with poor wellbeing. We analyzed the data by using structural equation modeling and found that three job crafting dimensions were strongly intertwined with one another. These dimensions were increasing structural job resources, increasing social job resources, and increasing challenging job demands. In the structural model, dimension "increasing structural job resources" was positively related to work engagement, whereas dimension "decreasing hindering job demands" was negatively associated with workaholism. This study highlighted the relevance of employees learning to balance their job resources and demands. We recommend that, in the public sector, employees be systematically encouraged to practice job crafting behavior by enabling them to increase structural job resources. These results are of high relevance, considering the heavy workload of public sector employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.Peer reviewe

Flourishing of information technology professionals: Effects on individual and organisational outcomes

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between flourishing and individual and organisational outcomes, including job satisfaction, organisational commitment, organisational citizenship behaviour, turnover intention and counterproductive behaviour. A convenience sample (N = 205) was taken of employees in information technology organisations in South Africa. A biographical questionnaire, the Mental Health Continuum Short Form, Job Satisfaction Scale, Organisational Commitment Scale, Turnover Intention Scale, Organisational Citizenship Behaviour Scale and a Counterproductive Behaviour Scale were administered. Flourishing affected job satisfaction, organisational commitment, organisational citizenship behaviour and organisational commitment directly and indirectly. Job satisfaction had strong direct effects on organisational commitment (positive) and turnover intention (negative), and a moderate negative effect on counterproductive work behaviour. Flourishing affected turnover intention indirectly and negatively via organisational commitment

Flourishing of information technology professionals: Effects on individual and organisational outcomes

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between flourishing and individual and organisational outcomes, including job satisfaction, organisational commitment, organisational citizenship behaviour, turnover intention and counterproductive behaviour. A convenience sample (N = 205) was taken of employees in information technology organisations in South Africa. A biographical questionnaire, the Mental Health Continuum Short Form, Job Satisfaction Scale, Organisational Commitment Scale, Turnover Intention Scale, Organisational Citizenship Behaviour Scale and a Counterproductive Behaviour Scale were administered. Flourishing affected job satisfaction, organisational commitment, organisational citizenship behaviour and organisational commitment directly and indirectly. Job satisfaction had strong direct effects on organisational commitment (positive) and turnover intention (negative), and a moderate negative effect on counterproductive work behaviour. Flourishing affected turnover intention indirectly and negatively via organisational commitment