Industrial Psychology

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Browsing Industrial Psychology by Author "Delport, Marthinus"

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    The effect of core self-evaluation and career adaptability on the subjective career success of higher education employees
    (University of the Free State, 2023) Janeke, Belinda; Delport, Marthinus
    The South African labour market has witnessed significant transformations in the post-apartheid era as the nation prepared to integrate into the global economy. Despite improvements in the years between 2000 and 2017, persistent disparities in unemployment rates, skills shortages, gender imbalances, and stagnant wages have remained a challenge. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these inequalities, disrupting economies, societies and workplaces globally and accelerating pre-existing workplace trends such as the gig economy, digitalisation, and automation. In this context, organisations, particularly in higher education, face the imperative to nurture digital skills, resilience and adaptability among employees to navigate the evolving career landscape. Central to this study is the concept of career adaptability, encompassing attitudes, behaviours and competencies used to navigate work roles, within the framework of Career Construction Theory (CCT). This research delves into the adaptation process of employees in a higher education institution, exploring how they can enhance their career experiences in dynamic work environments. Subjective career success, reflecting an individual's personal evaluation of his or her career achievements and fulfilment, is investigated as a key outcome affected by core self-evaluation (CSE) and career adaptability (CA). The study hypothesises that higher levels of CSE (representing adaptive readiness) and CA (representing adaptability resources) would positively influence the perceived subjective career success of higher education employees. A quantitative and explanatory research design was employed to test these hypotheses. Ethical considerations were addressed, and established scales were used for data collection via an electronic survey, resulting in a sample of 242 participants. The holistic model, supported by statistical fit indices, reveals that higher CSE positively influences SCS, with evidence supporting the connection between CSE and SCS in various dimensions. CSE demonstrates a positive relationship with the eight SCS sub-dimensions, including authenticity, growth and development, influence, meaningful work, personal life, quality work, recognition, and satisfaction. These findings emphasise the role of CSE in shaping career trajectories, decision-making, and overall life satisfaction. Contrarily, while CA shows a significant relationship with the growth and development sub-dimension of SCS, its influence on other dimensions is not statistically significant, emphasising the importance of individual dispositions, particularly CSE, as stronger predictors of SCS. The analysis of age-related differences in SCS reveals no statistically significant variations, challenging prior findings and suggesting that factors beyond age significantly contribute to individuals' perceptions of career success. This study contributes to the understanding of the complex interplay between core self-evaluation, career adaptability, and subjective career success in a rapidly changing work environment. The findings underscore the importance of self-belief and adaptability in shaping career outcomes, and offer valuable insights for individuals seeking to enhance their career prospects, as well as organisations aiming to cultivate a satisfied and successful workforce. Future research should further explore potential mediators and moderators of the relationship between career adaptability and subjective career success, providing a more comprehensive understanding of these dynamic constructs.
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    The effect of emotional intelligence and psychological capital on job embeddedness among employees in a Higher Education Institution
    (University of the Free State, 2023) Kaars, Burneline; Delport, Marthinus
    This study examines how Emotional Intelligence and Psychological Capital impact Job Embeddedness among employees in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). The primary aim was to identify potential links between Emotional Intelligence and Psychological Capital, understanding their critical roles in fostering Job Embeddedness. A quantitative survey was conducted involving 229 employees, encompassing various genders and age groups currently working in a Higher Education institution. The sample included academic and support staff and was selected using a non-probability convenience sampling method. The study revealed a strong and positive correlation between Emotional Intelligence and Psychological Capital, in line with initial hypotheses. However, the expected direct connection between Emotional Intelligence and Job Embeddedness was not evident. Further analysis revealed an indirect relationship, indicating that Psychological Capital mediates the connection between Emotional Intelligence and Job Embeddedness. Additionally, the research highlighted notable differences in Job Embeddedness among different age groups, with older employees demonstrating significantly higher embeddedness levels compared to their younger counterparts. In conclusion, this research emphasises the interplay between Emotional Intelligence and Psychological Capital in driving Job Embeddedness among Higher Education employees. It also underscores the age-related variations, emphasising the heightened levels of embeddedness observed among older employees.
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    The influence of technostress and work life balance on Burnout among employees in the Banking sector in the Free State
    (University of the Free State, 2022) Akwa Nde, Agnes; Delport, Marthinus
    The growing concerns from employees regarding health challenges in the workplace especially in the banking sector post-pandemic in light of burnout, technostress and work-life balance challenges demands attention. The current study examines the effects of technostress and work-life balance on burnout among employees in the banking sector. The study, which also explores relationships, draws on data gathered through a cross-sectional technique and analysed using a statistical modelling approach (covariance-based structural equation modelling). Three questionnaires (Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT), Technostress Questionnaire (TSQ), and Work-Family Conflict Scale (WAFCS) were used to collect the data. All constructs had acceptable levels of reliability, as evident from the values obtained from Cronbach’s alpha. A convenient sampling method was used to recruit respondents for the study, and the sample comprised 245 employees from organisations in the banking sector. The study arrives at various findings and suggestions. The covariance-based structural equation modelling let to the finding by establishing that the structural model was a good fit i.e., SRMR is 0.0326 < 0.05, GFI is 0.998 > 0.95 and AGFI is 0.997 > 0.95. Also, the squared multiple correlation of 0.584 indicated that the structural model explained 58.4% of the variation in burnout. Furthermore, technostress had a statistically significant positive relationship with burnout (β = 0.316). This was also the case with the relationship between work-life balance and burnout (β = 0.315; p = 0.001), and the relationship between technostress and work-life balance (β = 0.697; p = 0.001). This thesis suggests several theoretical implications. The study expands our understanding of the combined effect of technostress and work-life balance on burnout. In terms of managerial implications, the study brings to light the influence of technostress and work-life balance as contributing factors to employees’ experience of burnout. Therefore, the interactions between the various constructs (technostress, work-life balance) experienced by employees will influence the extent to which they will experience various levels of burnout in the organisation. As a result, implementing coping strategies to assist employees in the banking sector deal with issues relating to technostress and work-life balance especially post-pandemic is imperative. One of the limitations of the study is that there is not sufficient research on the combined effect of technostress and work-life balance on burnout in South Africa. Thus, a challenge when testing the model as it was difficult to compare hypothesised directions for some of the proposed paths. One of the limitations of the current study was that it focused mostly on the banking sector and used a convenience sampling method. This implies that the findings can only be generalised in the banking industry. Therefore, to have a wider understanding of the interaction between the various variables, future research should consider adopting a multi-sample or use a probability sampling method that is more representative and can permit generalisation.