scholarly journals Assessing the organisational and individual strengths use and deficit improvement amongst sport coaches

2013 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederick W. Stander ◽  
Karina Mostert

Orientation: The orientation of this study is towards strengths use and deficit improvement and the relationship with engagement.Research purpose: To (1) determine whether adapted versions of the Strengths Use and Deficit Improvement Questionnaire (SUDIQ) and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) are valid and reliable, (2) determine the relationship of the SUDIQ dimensions in the nomological net, and (3) test a structural model.Motivation for the study: To gain a better understanding of the outcomes of following a balanced approach within a sport coaching context.Research design, approach and method: A cross-sectional research approach was used. An availability sample (N = 364) of teachers occupying roles as sport coaches from various schools across three provinces in South Africa was used. Structural equation modelling was used to test the factor structures and the structural model.Main findings: The results indicated a valid factor structure for the adapted SUDIQ and UWES. Relationships between the SUDIQ dimensions and job and personal resources were positive and significant. Individual strengths use was the strongest predictor of engagement. Individual deficit improvement and organisational strengths use were also significant predictors. Organisational deficit improvement did not significantly predict engagement.Practical/managerial implications: Evidence suggests the adapted SUDIQ and UWES can be utilised effectively in a sport coaching environment. Organisational strengths use is also important in managing engagement levels of sport coaches.Contribution/value-add: Valid and reliable measures were provided for use in a sport coaching environment. It substantiates the outcomes that can be gained by following a combined approach based on strength and deficit.

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
He Ding ◽  
Enhai Yu ◽  
Yanbin Li

We investigated the mediating effects of positive affect and strengths use in the relationship between perceived organizational support for strengths use (POSSU) and employees' task performance. Data were gathered at 2 time points, separated by a 2-week interval, from 157 employees working in various Chinese enterprises. We applied structural equation modeling and PROCESS macro analysis to the data. The results indicate that POSSU was positively related to task performance and that this relationship was mediated by strengths use. In addition, positive affect and strengths use played a sequential mediating role in the relationship between POSSU and task performance. However, positive affect was not a significant mediator in the POSSU–task performance relationship. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed in the context of the literature on POSSU and task performance.


2019 ◽  
Vol 45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pieter Koortzen ◽  
Rudolf M. Oosthuizen

Orientation: In recruiting and developing senior leaders for the organisation, great emphasis is placed on the personality of these individuals and on the resulting manifestations of their behaviour in the work context.Research purpose: The objective of this study was to explore the relationship between integrity and derailment to identify the dimensions of integrity that may reduce the risks of derailing in a group of senior leaders.Motivation for the study: As organisations become more complex, a higher quality of leadership is demanded. The quality of leadership is often determined by, among other things, the level of leaders’ integrity and the manner in which they are able to manage their own derailment at work. In this study, integrity is defined as the conflict and balance between our instincts (i.e. vices) and our ability to reason (i.e. our virtues), while leadership derailment is defined as the way in which leaders behave under stress or when they overuse a particular strength. Both constructs are of particular concern when they manifest in the organisation’s pool of high-potential leaders, who are the organisation’s future successors. However, most derailment cases are predictable and can be managed effectively with proper intervention.Research approach/design and method: A cross-sectional quantitative, correlational research design was followed. A non-probability purposive sample of 108 senior leaders in companies in Southern Africa participated in the study.Main findings: The results enabled the researchers to assess the relationship between integrity and derailment in order to identify the dimensions of integrity that are associated with a lowered risk of derailing in a group of senior leaders. It is apparent from the results that several of the integrity dimensions measured in the current study acted as significant predictors of derailment. The results indicate that the Giotto scales predict five of the Hogan scales to a degree that could be regarded as practically significant and are associated with medium to large effect sizes). These are Excitable, Cautious, Leisurely, Bold and Colourful. The prediction of Cautious can be described as practically important, while the prediction of the remainder of the Hogan scales was practically non-significant.Practical/managerial implications: From a practical point of view, the research findings allow leadership development practitioners, consultants and coaches to assist leaders in identifying the ways in which leaders will probably derail based on the results of the Giotto integrity test. Those involved in the development of leaders will also be able to develop the leaders’ level of integrity in order to reduce unnecessary derailment at work.Contribution/value-add: The study findings contribute valuable information on the relationship between integrity and derailment and the dimensions of integrity, which may reduce the risks of derailment of senior leaders.


Author(s):  
Pule Mphahlele ◽  
Crizelle Els ◽  
Leon T. De Beer ◽  
Karina Mostert

Orientation: The motivational process of the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model indicates that job resources are the main predictors of work engagement. Previous research has found that the two job resources perceived organisational support (POS) for strengths use and POS for deficit correction are also positively related to work engagement. However, the causal relationships between these variables have not been investigated longitudinally.Research purpose: To determine if POS for strengths use and POS for deficit correction are significant predictors of work engagement over time.Motivation for the study: In the literature, empirical evidence on the longitudinal relationships between work engagement and specific job resources, namely POS for strengths use and POS for deficit correction, is limited.Research design, approach and method: A longitudinal design was employed in this study. The first wave elicited a total of 376 responses, while the second wave had a total sample size of 79. A web-based survey was used to measure the constructs and to gather data at both points in time. Structural equation modelling was used to investigate the hypotheses.Main findings: The results indicated that both POS for strengths use and POS for deficit correction are positively related to work engagement in the short term. However, only POS for deficit correction significantly predicted work engagement over time.Practical and managerial implications: The results provide valuable insights to organisations by providing knowledge regarding which approach influences work engagement levels of their employees in the short and long term.Contribution or value-add: The study contributes to the limited research on what job resources predict work engagement over time.


2012 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christa Welthagen ◽  
Crizelle Els

Orientation: Work engagement, burnout and stress-related ill health levels of individuals, suffering from depression, who are unsure whether or not they suffer from depression, or who do not suffer from depression, have not been investigated in South Africa.Research purpose: The main objectives of this study were to investigate the prevalence of depression amongst employees in South African organisations and the relationship of depression with specific well-being constructs.Motivation for the study: Organisations should know about the prevalence of depression and the effects this could have on specific well-being constructs.Research design, approach and method: A cross-sectional design was followed. The availability sample (n = 15 664) included participants from diverse demographics. The South African Employee Health and Wellness Survey was followed to measure constructs.Main findings: The results showed that 18.3% of the population currently receive treatment for depression, 16.7% are unsure whether or not they suffer from depression and 65% do not suffer from depression. Depression significantly affects the levels of work engagement, burnout and the occurrence of stress-related ill health symptoms.Practical/managerial implications: This study makes organisations aware of the relationship between depression and employee work-related well-being. Proactive measures to promote the work-related well-being of employees, and to support employees suffering from depression, should be considered.Contribution/value-add: This study provides insight into the prevalence of depression and well-being differences that exist between individuals, suffering from depression, who are unsure whether or not they suffer from depression, and who do not suffer from depression. 


2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Yuanqin Ge ◽  
Xiaomeng Sun

We investigated the relationship between employees' strengths use and innovation through the mediator of their work engagement. A validated questionnaire was used to collect data from 158 employees at 3 companies in China. Structural equation modeling results show that work engagement partially mediated the relationship between employee strengths use and innovation. In addition, employee strengths use increased their innovation and made them more engaged in their work, and employees' work engagement, in turn, promoted their innovative behavior. These findings suggest that strengths use alone does not enhance employee innovation: Work engagement is also important. Directions for future research are discussed.


2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 196-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry Kofi Mensah ◽  
Nestor Asiamah ◽  
Kwame Mireku

Purpose This study aims to examine the effect of organizational justice (OJ) delivery on organizational commitment (OC) while controlling variables that potentially confound this effect. These confound variable includes gender, education and tenure. Design/methodology/approach A causal quantitative field research and a cross-sectional research approach are used. A structured questionnaire is used to collect data from 463 randomly sampled employees of 13 commercial banks in Koforidua, Ghana. Structural equation modelling is used to analyze the data. Findings The study establishes that a statistically significant effect is made by OJ delivery on OC (p < 0.0001), even after controlling for the effects of gender, education and tenure. The model used also fits the data collected considerably (i.e. χ2 = 0.258; p-value = 0.611). Thus, the relationship between OJ and OC is not confounded by how long the employee has served on the job or by the highest educational level of employees. However, this relationship was significantly confounded by gender on the basis of sharing significant covariance with them. Originality/value Even though studies exist generally on OJ and OC, the focus on Ghana and banks in particular have been skeletal and have ended in testing just the relationship without highlighting the role of confounding variables as done in this study. Apart from adding to extant literature, findings will also inform decision-making on strategies and policies to improve OJ and ultimately the employee commitment that comes with.


2011 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohd A. Idris ◽  
Maureen F. Dollard ◽  
Anthony H. Winefield

Orientation: Job characteristics are well accepted as sources of burnout and engagement amongst employees; psychosocial safety climate may precede work conditions.Research purpose: We expanded the Job Demands and Resources (JD-R) model by proposing psychosocial safety climate (PSC) as a precursor to job demands and job resources. As PSC theoretically influences the working environment, the study hypothesized that PSC has an impact on performance via both health erosion (i.e. burnout) and motivational pathways (i.e. work engagement).Motivation for the study: So far, integration of PSC in the JD-R model is only tested in a Western context (i.e. Australia). We tested the emerging construct of PSC in Malaysia, an Eastern developing country in the Asian region.Research design, approach and method: A random population based sample was derived using household maps provided by Department of Statistics, Malaysia; 291 employees (response rate 50.52%) from the State of Selangor, Malaysia participated. Cross-sectional data were analysed using structural equation modelling.Main findings: We found that PSC was negatively related to job demands and positively related to job resources. Job demands, in turn, predicted burnout (i.e. exhaustion and cynicism), whereas job resources predicted engagement. Both burnout and engagement were associated with performance. Bootstrapping showed significant indirect effects of PSC on burnout via job demands, PSC on performance via burnout and PSC on performance via the resources-engagement pathway.Practical/managerial implications: Our findings are consistent with previous research that suggests that PSC should be a target to improve working conditions and in turn reduce burnout and improve engagement and productivity.Contribution/value-add: These findings suggest that JD-R theory may be expanded to include PSC as an antecedent and that the expanded JD-R model is largely valid in an Eastern, developing economy setting.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 445-459
Author(s):  
Muhammad Waleed Shehzad ◽  
Rida Ahmed ◽  
Shazma Razzaq ◽  
Amer Akhtar ◽  
Md. Kamrul Hasan

Boredom is a well-researched concept in various contexts; nonetheless, there is scarceness of research related to the relationship of boredom with reading comprehension performance in EFL context. Therefore, this study intends to determine the connection between reading boredom and reading comprehension performance by employing reading boredom coping strategies as a mediator. A quantitative research approach, and a cross-sectional and correlational research design was employed to conduct this study. Questionnaires and a reading comprehension test were used to collect data from 306 Saudi EFL students. Findings indicated that reading boredom showed a significant but negative relationship with reading comprehension performance. Also, reading boredom was positively and significantly related to reading boredom coping strategies. Moreover, reading boredom coping strategies showed a positive and significant relationship with reading comprehension performance. Lastly, findings indicated that reading boredom coping strategies mediated the association between reading boredom and reading comprehension performance. On the basis of aforementioned findings, numerous recommendations for EFL students, teachers, and policymakers were offered.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pieter K. Smit ◽  
Cecile M. Schultz ◽  
Catharina E. Van Hoek

Orientation: Understanding the relationship between talent management, transformational leadership and work engagement from an automotive artisan perspective within South Africa.Research purpose: The purpose was to determine the relationship between talent management, transformational leadership and work engagement from an automotive artisan perspective within South Africa.Motivation of the study: Most talent management focuses on understanding the role of the manager, with very little research being dedicated to understanding the effect of talent management on work engagement and transformational leadership amongst South African artisans.Research approach/design and method: A survey was conducted amongst a non-probability sample of 609 artisans from a population of 1045 artisans. A quantitative research approach was used, and structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data.Main findings: The results showed that talent management acted as a mediator between the transformational leadership and work engagement of artisans in the automotive industry. There were positive relationships between talent management and work engagement and between talent management and transformational leadership, but not between transformational leadership and work engagement.Practical and managerial implications: A strategic approach should be implemented that will drive a talent management process with clear rewards and recognition for all stakeholders. This approach should be a part of the business rhythm, business agendas, organisational processes and culture of the industry. Should talent management, as a mediator, not form a part of work engagement and transformational leadership in the automotive industry, these variables will not function properly.Contribution/value addition: Talent management offers a bridge between the two variables of transformational leadership and work engagement. It was clear in this study that a focus on talent management within the automotive industry is pivotal.


2021 ◽  
Vol 47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kleinjan Redelinghuys

Orientation: The literature on positive organisational scholarship (POS) could offer valuable suggestions on how to rekindle a sense of positivity amongst teachers. Under the POS umbrella, the current study specifically focusses on positive practices, as the research study shows the importance of a positive school climate for teachers and learners.Research purpose: This study set out to inspect associations amongst positive practices, turnover intention, in-role performance and organisational citizenship behaviours (OCBs) (towards others and the organisation).Motivation for the study: Although positive practices is not a novel construct, scientific enquiry into the topic has been scarce.Research approach/design and method: A cross-sectional survey design with 258 secondary school teachers from the Sedibeng East and West districts was used. The Positive Practices, Turnover Intention, OCB and In-Role Behaviour scales were administered. Structural equation modelling was used for hypotheses testing.Main findings: The results of this study confirmed the negative association between positive practices and turnover intention, whereas positive associations were established amongst positive practices, in-role performance (to a lesser extent) and the two different types of OCBs used in this study.Practical/managerial implications: Organisations are faced with two options: create a respectful, supportive, caring, inspirational, meaningful and forgiving organisational environment for employees and see them prosper and take the organisation to greater heights, or treat them poorly and bear the consequences.Contribution/value-add: This study makes a valuable contribution to POS through the assessment of outcomes associated with positive practices that have not been studied previously.


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