Frequent organizational changes have been a rule rather than an exception in many European countries for decades. The present study investigates how affective organizational commitment relates to and ...moderates the effects of having been exposed to organizational restructuring on employee well-being, quality of care and turnover intentions among 530 eldercare employees in Sweden and Spain. The results show that there was a main effect of employees’ experiences of being affected by change on well-being and turnover intentions but not on quality of care. Restructuring changes were moderated by affective commitment on turnover intentions. However, the buffering effect of affective commitment in terms of protecting employees from turnover intentions was weak.
Although expenditure-based segmentation is a popular method, it has never previously been applied in the study of national parks in South Africa. The advantage of this method is that one can ...distinguish between different levels of expenditure markets. This article aims to apply expenditure-based segmentation of tourists to the Kruger National Park in South Africa. Only tourists per definition formed part of this study, excluding day visitors. Tourist surveys were conducted between 2001 and 2007, yielding 2904 completed questionnaires. Bestedingsgebaseerde segmentering van toeriste aan Kruger Nasionale Park Alhoewel segmentering op grond van bestedingspatrone 'n gewilde metode is, is ditnog nooit voorheen toegepas in die studie van nasionale parke in Suid-Afrika nie. Die voordeel van hierdie metode is dat dit onderskeiding tussen verskillende vlakkevan bestedingsmarkte moontlik maak. Die doel van hierdie artikel is daarom ombestedingsgebaseerde segmentering van toeriste toe te pas op die Kruger Nasionale Park in Suid-Afrika. Slegs toeriste per definisie het deel gevorm van hierdie studie, en dagbesoekers is uitgesluit. Toeristepeilings is tussen 2001 en 2007 onderneem en het 2904 voltooide vraelyste opgelewer.
A confirmatory investigation of a job demands-resources model was conducted with alternative methods, in a sample of 15, 633 working adults aggregated from various economic sectors. The proposed ...model is in line with job demands-resources theory and assumes two psychological processes at work which are collectively coined “the dual process.” The first process, the energetic, presents that job demands lead to ill-health outcomes due to burnout. The second process, the motivational, indicates that job resources lead to organizational commitment due to work engagement. Structural equation modelling analyses were implemented with a categorical estimator. Mediation analyses of each of the processes included bootstrapped indirect effects and kappa-squared values to apply qualitative labels to effect sizes. The relationship between job resources and organizational commitment was mediated by engagement with a large effect. The relationship between job demands and ill-health was mediated by burnout with a medium effect. The implications of the results for theory and practice were discussed.
The objective of this research was to investigate how Afrikaans and Setswana employees in the Northern Cape mining environment experience the interaction between their work and personal lives and to ...determine which major strategies employees use to deal with work-life interaction (WLI). A non-probability purposive voluntary sample of 25 mineworkers was taken in the Northern Cape Province. Male and female participants were stratified in terms of language (Afrikaans and Setswana) and interviews were conducted with them. Interview questions focused on the main interacting dimensions in the lives of mineworkers and major strategies that employees use to deal with WLI. Content analyses were used to analyse the data. Several preceding factors (like work pressure, heavy workload, stress, and family obligations) that led to definite consequences (e.g. lack of quality time for self and family, physical and emotional strains, and low levels of productivity), as well as coping strategies (e.g. prioritising, time management, communication, and planning) were explored during the interviews. Although there were similarities, it seemed that there were definite differences between gender and language groups regarding their experiences of WLI.
In an international research climate of increasingly demanding ethical review, based on a biomedical model, reflection on best practices in social, behavioural and economic science research is ...necessary. It is widely believed that these sciences cannot be held to the same practical requirements as biomedical research, although the principles of ethical research are surely universal. This manuscript considers the ethical requirements, principles and guidelines directing research in the social, behavioural and economic sciences, available in the national and international arena. By means of a systematic review of available best practices, it is anticipated that general guidelines for social, behavioural and economic science research could be developed and suggested to researchers in these fields. Specific consideration is given to the unique characteristics of social, behavioural and economic science research.
The objective of this paper was to investigate differences in male employee experiences in the light of employment equity law and a strong affirmative action drive within present-day South African ...organizations. This research is important as it can substantiate or invalidate perspectives and beliefs surrounding employment equity issues. A cross-sectional design was used which consisted of a stratified random sample from five corporate organizations (N = 1000). Latent variable modeling with Bayesian estimation was implemented. This paper also demonstrated the use of informative hypothesis testing and subsequent Bayes factors to directly compare the informative hypotheses, in order to show how much more likely one hypothesis is to be the correct hypothesis, compared to the other(s). The results revealed that non-designated (white male) employees experience more job insecurity than their designated (black male) counterparts, but this does not necessarily associate with more turnover intention. It was also found that when designated employees experience less career opportunities, they show more turnover intention. Furthermore, it was shown that designated employees perceive more discrimination, but that this does not associate with more turnover intention. The limitations and future research opportunities are discussed.
In an international research climate of increasingly demanding ethical review, based on a biomedical model, reflection on best practices in social, behavioural and economic science research is ...necessary. It is widely believed that these sciences cannot be held to the same practical requirements as those for biomedical research, although the principles of ethical research are surely universal. This article considers the ethical requirements, principles and guidelines directing research in the social, behavioural and economic sciences, recognised in the national and international arena. By means of a systematic review of available best practices, it is anticipated that general guidelines for social, behavioural and economic science research could be developed and offered to researchers in these fields. Specific consideration is given to the unique characteristics of social, behavioural and economic science research.
South African higher education institutions (HEIs) face significant challenges with high first-year student drop-out rates due to various stressors students are facing. The current study explores the ...coping of first-year students studying at a South African university. This qualitative study followed an exploratory, descriptive, interpretive strategy to gain a deeper understanding of students’ coping during their first academic year at university. Ten participants were recruited through a trusted gatekeeper using purposive voluntary and later snowball sampling methods. Data were collected using the Mmogo method ® and semi-structured individual follow-up interviews. Interactive qualitative and thematic analyses generated three themes: (1) the availability of and access to coping resources for first-year students; (2) coping strategies first-year students rely on to manage stressors at university; and (3) the effectiveness of selected coping strategies. Understanding the coping of first-year students could assist HEIs in intervening and supporting first-year students appropriately, to enhance their first-year experience (FYE) and overall student well-being. Though limited to a small qualitative study, the contribution to FYE literature is through exploring nuanced coping resources, strategies, and the effectiveness thereof for students, which challenges the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach many universities may use. However, there are strategies and awareness of resources that could, in general, be helpful. Keywords: Coping effectiveness; coping resources; coping strategies; first-year experience; first-year students; South African university
Human brucellosis in South Africa (SA) is under-diagnosed and under-reported. This is because many clinicians have little or no experience in managing affected patients, and in part because of the ...nonspecific and insidious nature of the disease. A case of human brucellosis caused by Brucella melitensis in a patient from the Western Cape Province of SA is described, and the resulting exposure of staff members at two medical microbiology laboratories, as well as the public health investigation that was conducted, are discussed. This article aims to highlight the need for strengthening integration between public health, medical and veterinary services and exposing deficiencies in public health, veterinary and laboratory practices.
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