scholarly journals The career psychological experiences of academic department chairpersons at a South African university

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 22-45
Author(s):  
Frans Cilliers ◽  
J W Pienaar

The existing research on the academic department chairperson focuses on the structure of the position more than on the role in terms of career, psychological functioning, coping and well-being of the incumbent. The objective of this research was to describe the career psychological experiences of academic department chairpersons (ADC) in their organisational role. A qualitative and descriptive research design was chosen for a case study of 24 chairpersons. Data were gathered using a focus group followed by thematic analysis. The manifesting themes were crossing the boundary into the career of an ADC, relationships, experienced confl ict and loss in the role, personal well-being and future career as an ADC. A psychological profile was constructed, and the data were interpreted on the basis of various stress coping models. It was concluded that these ADCs did not cope well psychologically, which significantly influenced their work performance. Research on the depth psychology role analysis of the ADC was recommended, followed by an inter-university investigation into the career dilemmas experienced, resulting in their lack of work satisfaction and productivity.

2012 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marius Pretorius ◽  
Frans Cilliers ◽  
May Michelle

Orientation: Because of its historic, symbolic and psychological representation, presenting a diversity event on Robben Island posed invaluable opportunities to form an in-depth understanding of South African diversity dynamics. This research focussed on such an event interpreted from the systems psychodynamic perspective.Research purpose: The purpose of the research was to describe the experiences of participants attending the Robben Island Diversity Experience (RIDE) in order to understand South African diversity dynamics from a depth psychology perspective.Motivation for the study: Of the many and different diversity events presented in South African organisations, RIDE is the only annual systems psycho-dynamically designed and presented event. This research was an effort to explore the nature of these dynamics which manifest themselves from below the surface.Research design, approach and method: Qualitative and descriptive research from a hermeneutic phenomenology paradigm was used. The 15 participants who attended a RIDE event formed a case study. The data from an unstructured interview was content-analysed and interpreted using the systems psychodynamic perspective. The themes were integrated into a research hypothesis.Main findings: Five themes manifested themselves, namely, crossing boundaries, engaging the brave new world, ties that bind, being imprisoned and the struggle.Practical/managerial implications: The research highlighted the importance of understanding unconscious dynamics in the context of diversity in order to inform consultants about diversity management interventions in organisations.Contribution/value-add: The research contributed towards how South African diversity dynamics manifest themselves and how that can be addressed in organisations.


2012 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guido Alessandri ◽  
Gian Vittorio Caprara ◽  
John Tisak

Literature documents that the judgments people hold about themselves, their life, and their future are important ingredients of their psychological functioning and well-being, and are commonly related to each other. In this paper, results from a large cross-sectional sample (N = 1,331, 48% males) are presented attesting to the hypothesis that evaluations about oneself, one’s life, and one’s future rest on a common mode of viewing experiences named “Positive Orientation.” These results corroborate the utility of the new construct as a critical component of individuals’ well functioning.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Desi Desi ◽  
Dary Dary ◽  
Fetty Yublika Pasole

Kepuasan kerja menjadi masalah yang cukup menarik dan penting, karena terbukti memiliki pengaruh yang besar bagi individu maupun perusahan. Kepuasan kerja merupakan suatu sikap seseorang terhadap pekerjaan yang berhubungan dengan situasi kerja, kerja sama antara karyawan, imbalan yang diterima dalam kerja, dan hal-hal yang menyangkut fisik dan psikologis. Tujuan penelitian ini untuk mengidentifikasi kepuasan kerja perawat di bangsal medikal bedah. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif dengan jenis penelitian deskriptif. Adapun teknik analisa data dalam penelitian ini dengan analisa univariat untuk mendeskripsikan karekteristik dari variabel yang ada. Teknik pengambilan sampel menggunakan penyebaran kuesioner kepada perawat yang bekerja di rumah sakit tertentu di Kabupaten Timur Tengah Selatan dan Kota Kupang, sampel yang di ambil berjumlah 89 sampel. Hasil yang didapat dari penelitian ini rata-rata kepuasan kerja perawat berada pada kategori netral yang artinya perawat merasa apa yang sudah diterima sesuai dengan pekerjaan yang sudah mereka lakukan hal ini dilihat dari Sembilan kategori yang di telliti yaitu gaji, supervisi, tunjangan tambahan, penghargaan, kondisi kerja, promosi, sifat kerja dan komunikasi kecuali rekan kerja. Saran untuk peneiliti kedepannya agar dapat menggunakan variabel yang lain seperti well-being terhadap kepuasan kerja perawat yang bekerja di rumah sakit.   Kata kunci : kepuasan kerja, perawat   IDENTIFICATION OF NURSE WORK SATISFACTION THAT WORKED IN THE MEDICAL SURGERY OF SURGERY   ABSTRACT Job satisfaction is a problem that is quite interesting and important, because it has proven to have a great influence for individuals and for companies. Job satisfaction is a person's attitude towards work related to work situations, cooperation between employees, rewards received in work, and matters relating to physical and psychological. The purpose of this study was to identify job satisfaction of nurses in the surgical medical ward. This study uses a quantitative approach with a type of descriptive research. The data analysis techniques in this study were carried out by univariate analysis to describe the characteristics of the variables. The sampling technique used questionnaires to nurses who worked in certain hospitals in South Middle East District and Kupang City, the samples taken were 89 samples. . The results obtained from this study mean that the average job satisfaction of certain hospital nurses in East Tengah Selatan District and Kupang City is in the neutral category, which means nurses feel that what they have received is in accordance with the work they have done. telliti namely salary, supervision, additional benefits, rewards, working conditions, promotions, nature of work and communication except coworkers. Suggestions for future researchers to be able to use other variables such as well-being towards job satisfaction for nurses working in hospitals.   Keywords:  job satisfaction, nurse  


Author(s):  
Rostiana Rostiana ◽  
Daniel Lie

Objective - Individual work performance (IWP) has been researched time and time again in the past few decades. Interestingly enough, existing research on IWP focuses mainly on the area of work production and lacks an in-depth holistic understanding of IWP and other interrelated work behaviours. In this study, IWP is explored in the context of a multidimensional construct that includes the dimensions of task, contextual, and counterproductive behaviours. The purpose of this research is to investigate whether the three variables of work engagement (WE), psychological empowerment (PE), and subjective well-being (SWB) mediate and correlate with the relationship between perceived organisational support (POS) and IWP. Methodology/Technique - 780 employees from 4 organisations in Jakarta were selected to participate in this study. The respondents were tasked with responding to five questionnaires including (1) IWP of Koopmans, (2) POS of Eisenberger, (3) SWB of Diener, (4) WE of Baker and Schaufeli, (5) PE of Spreitzer. The data was analysed using structural equation modelling. Findings - The results show that the proposed structural model aligns with the empirical data [X2 (0, N = 780) = 0, p = 1.000; RMSEA=.000]. This research concludes that the relationship between POS and IWP is best mediated by either WE, PE or SWB. Among the three mediators, WE plays the greatest role in mediating the relationship between POS and IWP. Novelty - These findings expand on previous research on the weak relationship between POS and IWP. Type of Paper - Empirical. Keywords: Individual Work Performance; Perceived Organizational Support; Psychological Empowerment; Subjective Well-being; Work Engagement. JEL Classification: L20, L25, L29.


Author(s):  
Fanie du Toit

Reconciliation emphasizes relationships as a crucial ingredient of political transition; this book argues for the importance of such a relational focus in crafting sustainable political transitions. Section I focuses on South Africa’s transition to democracy—how Mandela and De Klerk persuaded skeptical constituencies to commit to political reconciliation, how this proposal gained momentum, and how well the transition resulted in the goal of an inclusive and fair society. In developing a coherent theory of reconciliation to address questions such as these, I explain political reconciliation from three angles and thereby build a concept of reconciliation that corresponds largely with the South African experience. In Section II, these questions lead the discussion beyond South Africa into some of the prominent theoretical approaches to reconciliation in recent times. I develop typologies for three different reconciliation theories: forgiveness, agonism, and social restoration. I conclude in Section III that relationships created through political reconciliation, between leaders as well as between ordinary citizens, are illuminated when understood as an expression of a comprehensive “interdependence” that precedes any formal peace processes between enemies. I argue that linking reconciliation with the acknowledgment of interdependence emphasizes that there is no real alternative to reconciliation if the motivation is the long-term well-being of one’s own community. Without ensuring the conditions in which an enemy can flourish, one’s own community is unlikely to prosper sustainably. This theoretical approach locates the deepest motivation for reconciliation in choosing mutual well-being above the one-sided fight for exclusive survival at the other’s cost.


2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 446-463 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wilmar B. Schaufeli

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to integrate leadership into the job demands-resources (JD-R) model. Based on self-determination theory, it was argued that engaging leaders who inspire, strengthen, and connect their followers would reduce employee’s levels of burnout and increase their levels of work engagement. Design/methodology/approach – An online survey was conducted among a representative sample of the Dutch workforce (n=1,213) and the research model was tested using structural equation modeling. Findings – It appeared that leadership only had an indirect effect on burnout and engagement – via job demands and job resources – but not a direct effect. Moreover, leadership also had a direct relationship with organizational outcomes such as employability, performance, and commitment. Research limitations/implications – The study used a cross-sectional design and all variables were based on self-reports. Hence, results should be replicated in a longitudinal study and using more objective measures (e.g. for work performance). Practical implications – Since engaged leaders, who inspire, strengthen, and connect their followers, provide a work context in which employees thrive, organizations are well advised to promote engaging leadership. Social implications – Leadership seems to be a crucial factor which has an indirect impact – via job demands and job resources – on employee well-being. Originality/value – The study demonstrates that engaging leadership can be integrated into the JD-R framework.


Author(s):  
Yoko E. Fukumura ◽  
Julie McLaughlin Gray ◽  
Gale M. Lucas ◽  
Burcin Becerik-Gerber ◽  
Shawn C. Roll

Workplace environments have a significant impact on worker performance, health, and well-being. With machine learning capabilities, artificial intelligence (AI) can be developed to automate individualized adjustments to work environments (e.g., lighting, temperature) and to facilitate healthier worker behaviors (e.g., posture). Worker perspectives on incorporating AI into office workspaces are largely unexplored. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore office workers’ views on including AI in their office workspace. Six focus group interviews with a total of 45 participants were conducted. Interview questions were designed to generate discussion on benefits, challenges, and pragmatic considerations for incorporating AI into office settings. Sessions were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using an iterative approach. Two primary constructs emerged. First, participants shared perspectives related to preferences and concerns regarding communication and interactions with the technology. Second, numerous conversations highlighted the dualistic nature of a system that collects large amounts of data; that is, the potential benefits for behavior change to improve health and the pitfalls of trust and privacy. Across both constructs, there was an overarching discussion related to the intersections of AI with the complexity of work performance. Numerous thoughts were shared relative to future AI solutions that could enhance the office workplace. This study’s findings indicate that the acceptability of AI in the workplace is complex and dependent upon the benefits outweighing the potential detriments. Office worker needs are complex and diverse, and AI systems should aim to accommodate individual needs.


Author(s):  
Päivi Heikkilä ◽  
Anita Honka ◽  
Eija Kaasinen ◽  
Kaisa Väänänen

AbstractThe work on the factory floor is gradually changing to resemble knowledge work due to highly automated manufacturing machines. In the increasingly automated work environment, the machine operator’s task is to keep the production running and to solve possible problems quickly. This work is expected to become more autonomous, which raises the importance of supporting the workers’ well-being. An important aspect of that is giving concrete feedback of success at work as well as feedback on physical and mental load. We implemented a smartphone optimized web application, Worker Feedback Dashboard that offers feedback to machine operators about their well-being at work and personally relevant production data as well as their connections to each other. The feedback is personal and based on objective, near real-time measurements. We present the results of a field study, in which ten machine operators used the application for 2–3 months. We studied the operators’ user experience, usage activity, perceived benefits and concerns for the application with questionnaires, interviews and application log data. The operators found the feedback interesting and beneficial, and used the application actively. The perceived benefits indicate impacts on well-being as well as on work performance. Based on the results, we highlight three design implications for quantified worker applications: presenting meaningful overviews, providing guidance to act based on the feedback and refraining from too pervasive quantification not to narrow down the meaningful aspects in one’s work.


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