List of Titles

An analysis of talent management practices of recently hired employees from the perspective of the psychological contract

- Bischoff, Olivia Edjegayhu

Authors: Bischoff, Olivia Edjegayhu
Date: 2021-10-29
Subjects: Gifted persons , Contracts Psychological aspects , Personnel management Psychological aspects , Breach of contract , Psychology, Industrial , Organizational behavior , Industrial relations , Employees Attitudes , Employee retention
Language: English
Type: Master's theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10962/191865 , vital:45173
Description: This research took the form of an explanatory case study focused within a single organisation to evaluate talent management practices of recently hired employees from the perspective of the psychological contract. The theory underpinning this research is Resource-Based Theory (RBT) in the context of Talent Management. The research aims were: 1) to analyse how talent management practices have affected the psychological contract, 2) to analyse how employees have responded and intend to respond if there has been a breach in the contract and 3) to analyse how employees have responded or intend to respond where psychological contract expectations have been met. The key concepts identified include talent management and the psychological contract. The literature therefore expanded on talent management highlighting the importance of recruiting, attracting and retaining talent, especially in a global context where experience and skills are a source of competitive advantage. Following this, the concept of the psychological contract was used as a lens through which to analyse the experience of individuals, specifically focusing on new employees joining the organisation, to assess their socialisation and onboarding experience. The literature further explored the importance of focusing on new employees, as this is deemed by the literature as a critical time of transition in the shaping of the psychological contract. In further reviewing the literature regarding early onboarding, further review of the literature identified important components, including (1) socialisation and onboarding, (2) performance management and probation, (3) employee development and (4) work conditions. From reviewing the literature four propositions were deduced as follows: • Proposition 1: All integrative processes in early onboarding influence the initial psychological contract of the employee. Proposition 1 was further divided into three sub propositions as follows: Sub Proposition 1a) HR plays a key role in early onboarding, influencing the initial psychological contract; Sub Proposition 1b) Supervisor support plays a key role in early onboarding, influencing the initial psychological contract; and IV Sub Proposition 1c) The work team plays a key role in early onboarding, influencing the initial psychological contract. • Proposition 2 stated: Performance discussions influence the psychological contract. • Proposition 3: Employee development opportunities are a source of motivation in the fulfilment of the psychological contract. • Proposition 4: Employment conditions influence the fulfilment of the psychological contract. The research followed a qualitative approach, using deductive analysis to analyse the data collected from semi-structured interviews. The findings and discussion show that the propositions confirmed the literature and were relevant to the case study at hand. Where there was varying degree of experience regarding the effect of the influence or impact on the psychological contract this was noted and expanded on accordingly. The study also recognised the additional context that presented itself within the findings, namely the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The research concludes in acknowledging the delimitations and limitations of the study while making suggestions for areas of future studies. To conclude, this research shows that the transition of a new employee in their early stages within the organisation is an opportunity to support in positively influencing and maintaining the psychological contract to support employee satisfaction and motivation. If organisations can also appreciate that the psychological contract is dynamic and can change over time based on changing circumstances or needs, then this can be proactively monitored to support long-term retention of talent. , Thesis (MBA) -- Faculty of Commerce, Rhodes Business School, 2021
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Date Issued: 2021-10-29

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The relationship between work engagement and psychological meaningfulness

- Faro, Gillian Rochelle

Authors: Faro, Gillian Rochelle
Date: 2021-04
Subjects: Employee motivation , Organizational behavior , Psychology, Industrial
Language: English
Type: Master's theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/51360 , vital:43267
Description: Work engagement is a positive psychological construct that according to research predicts positive organisational outcomes. The overarching objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between work engagement and psychological meaningfulness and to determine whether work engagement can be predicted by means of psychological meaningfulness. This study took on the form of a cross-sectional design, using a questionnaire to measure work engagement and psychological meaningfulness. The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) and the Psychological Meaningfulness Scale (PMS) are instruments that have been widely used in research and were both found to be reliable and valid. The questionnaire was administered in the form of a paper and pencil self-administered questionnaire. This study was conducted at a mining/manufacturing company based in the Eastern Cape for employees across all occupational levels (N=202) and the sample was selected using non-probability convenience sampling as participation in the study was voluntary. Descriptive statistic methods were used to analyse the data, as well as an analysis of variance (ANOVA). Correlation data analysis methods were utilised to measure the relationship between variables. The study found a strong positive relationship between work engagement and psychological meaningfulness and that a large portion of the respondents scored moderate to high on work engagement and high on psychological meaningfulness. The study also found that there is a positive relationship between work engagement and age in that older employees are more engaged than younger employees. Male respondents were found to have higher levels of psychological meaningfulness. Lastly, the study revealed that psychological meaningfulness predicts work engagement. Research and organisational recommendations based on the research are discussed. , Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, Labour Relations and Human Resources, 2021
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Date Issued: 2021-04

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Psychological empowerment and organisational citizenship behaviour as predictors of intention to stay among employees in the banking sector in Lesotho

- Domela-Serobanyane, Malinda

Authors: Domela-Serobanyane, Malinda
Date: 2020-06
Subjects: Psychology, Industrial , Organizational behavior , Banks and banking
Language: English
Type: Doctoral theses , text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/20263 , vital:45640
Description: This study investigated the association between psychological empowerment and organisational citizenship behaviour, on the one hand, and intention to stay among employees in the banking sector in Lesotho. A few studies have investigated the relationship between intention to stay and the two independent variables of psychological empowerment and organisational citizenship behaviour individually. However, no study has investigated the relationship between intention to stay and psychological empowerment and organisational citizenship behaviour (combined) as predictors of intention to stay in the banking sector in Lesotho. Investigating psychological empowerment and organisational citizenship behaviour as predictors of employee intention to stay in the Lesotho banking sector has been considered vital for this study. Variables were chosen due to deficiencies in previous research related to the constructs of psychological empowerment; organisational citizenship behaviour and intention to stay explain the necessity for further research, in particular to the banking sector in Lesotho. Utilizing a positivist perspective, the current research used a closed questionnaire to 321 employees from three commercial banks in Lesotho. The response rate was 98 percent (309 responses). To analyse data, the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used. In particular, this research used exploratory factor analysis, Pearson correlation, and analysis of variance (ANOVA), analysis of moment structures (AMOS) as well as structural equation modelling to address the hypothesised relationships. Overall, the results of this study found that there is no association between psychological empowerment and employee intention to stay in the organisation. Demographic variables were used as control variables in the study and it was found, inter alia, that age positively influences the level of psychological empowerment as a predictor of intention to stay. , Thesis (PhD) -- Faculty of Management and Commerce, 2020
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Date Issued: 2020-06

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The relationship between psychological capital and flourishing in the workplace

- De Reuck, Jani

Authors: De Reuck, Jani
Date: 2019
Subjects: Psychology, Industrial , Personnel management Human capital -- Psychological aspects
Language: English
Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/39491 , vital:35272
Description: Sales employees are often the most important channel a company uses to execute their strategies and generate income. Psychological capital emerged from the field of positive organisational scholarship, which believes that individuals and organisations will benefit from unlocking hidden potentials of employees by focusing on their strengths and positive qualities, leading to overall subjective well-being, referred to as flourishing. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between Psychological Capital and the Flourishing of retail sales employees. The current research study employed a descriptive, exploratory, quantitative and cross-sectional research design. Results were gathered through formal measurements using, The Psychological capital Questionnaire and the PERMA-Profiler and were analysed through the use of statistical measures. The Psychological Capital questionnaires were used to measure the construct of Psychological Capital (hope, resilience, optimism and self-efficacy). The PERMA-Profiler were utilised to measure the level of flourishing of the sample. Participants was selected by means of non-probability convenience sampling, while a sample of 350 retail sales employees employed at the three leading retail centres in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape, completed the questionnaires. Quantitative data obtained from the survey questionnaires, were analysed through the use of descriptive and inferential statistics. The Pearson product-moment correlation was used to determine the strength of the relationships between the variables and the level of significance was set at a 95% confidence interval level (p ≤ 0,05). Owing to the data being non-normal, the Kruskal Wallis test was used to compare the distribution of different populations and nonparametric post hoc, Mann-Whitney U test. Based on the findings, there was a significant relationship found between psychological capital and flourishing amongst the sample employees in the retail industry. It is therefore possible that those relationships may hold true for future studies, in different industries as well as different occupations. Further exploration of these constructs is required in the South African context to see if the result in the present study can be supported or not.
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Date Issued: 2019

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The relationship between reward preferences and occupational stress within the South African law environment

- Orban, Shanice

Authors: Orban, Shanice
Date: 2019
Subjects: Psychology, Industrial , Stress (Psychology) -- Research Job stress
Language: English
Type: Thesis , Masters , MCom
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/43101 , vital:36735
Description: The primary objective of this dissertation was to investigate the relationship between reward preferences and occupational stress within the South African law environment. In order to achieve this objective, the researcher tested a theoretical model using regression analysis, and made use of Pearson’s Product Moment Correlations. A further aim was to investigate whether differences existed according to different types of lawyers with regards to these constructs. This was done using t-Tests and analysis of variance tests. The questionnaire was completed by a total of 207 lawyers spanning across 21 law firms, in both the Eastern and Western Cape. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics which included frequency tables, and pie charts, and the aforementioned inferential statistics. The findings revealed a number of correlations between the factors of the two constructs, and significant differences with regards to the amount of stress experienced by employees within the law environment compared to the general population. The proposed theoretical model could be partially accepted as it showed that a correlation exists between Occupational Stress and the reward preference factors of Contingency Pay, Performance and Career Management, Quality Work Environment and Work/Home Integration, with no significant correlation between Occupational Stress and Base Pay and Benefits. Moreover, there was a statistically significant correlation between Distress and Reward Preferences, with no significant correlation between Coping Ability and Reward Preferences. The results of this study theoretically contribute to the area of reward preferences, and have uncovered a new area whereby reward preferences are shown to be related to occupational stress. The findings of this study hold important implications for the effective management and retention of key employees in the law environment within the South African context.
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Date Issued: 2019

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The relationship between psychological capital and burnout in secondary school teachers

- Lokotsch, Leila Valerie

Authors: Lokotsch, Leila Valerie
Date: 2018
Subjects: Psychology, Industrial , Personnel management High school teachers -- Psychological aspects
Language: English
Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/30940 , vital:31227
Description: Psychological capital (Psycap) emerged from positive psychology and the recently developed positive organisational behaviour (POB) which focuses on the positive. The core construct of Psycap is made up of hope, self-efficacy, optimism and resilience. Job burnout is a persistent reaction to on-going emotional and interpersonal difficulties. Burnout is considered to be more of a dominant problem among teachers compared to other professions. Considerable research on Psycap has shown that Psycap is negatively linked to stress and burnout. To provide an overview, a quantitative approach was adopted by means of survey research and the type of study conducted was a correlational study. The purpose of this research was to first investigate the relationship between Psycap and burnout in secondary school teachers. The secondary objective was to provide recommendations related to Psycap and burnout based on the findings. In summary, the results of the study found that there are mostly negative relationships between PsyCap and burnout and their dimensions. The instruments ustilised were the Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ-24) and the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI). These are self-report questionnaires and were completed by way of paper-and-pencil tests. Cronbach’s alpha was used to determine the reliability on the measures used in the study, descriptive statistics was utilised to describe the sample, ANOVA and t-tests was used in order to determine if there were some noteworthy variances in the means of various demographic groupings for PsyCap and burnout. In order to determine the relationship between PsyCap and burnout, Pearson Product Moment Correlation was used. The study provides recommendations for schools and teachers, as well as, recommendations for future research.
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Date Issued: 2018

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Perceived breach and violation of the psychological contract in a collectivistic culture

- Van der Merwe, Sophie Wilhelmine

Authors: Van der Merwe, Sophie Wilhelmine
Date: 2015
Subjects: Collectivism , Employees -- Attitudes , Contracts -- Psychological aspects , Industrial relations , Breach of contract , Personnel management -- Psychological aspects , Organizational behavior , Psychology, Industrial
Language: English
Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
Identifier: vital:855 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1017523
Description: The significance of relationships on economic actions and employee behaviour makes it critical for employers to understand the dynamics of employment through mutual obligations (Rousseau, 1990; Guest, 2004b). The psychological contract affords a broad platform to study the employment relationship (Thomas et al., 2010), and is an important tool for organisational success (McDermott et al., 2013). The literature review contained in this study indicates the differences in contracting environments due to the prevailing cultural orientation. However, there is a dearth of research in collectivistic culture, to which this study will add. The literature also makes a distinction between perceptions of breach and violation. While perceptions of breach of the psychological contract is the perception that the employer has not met all obligations and promises, violation is the emotional and affective state following breach (Morrison & Robinson, 1997) and results in negative or deviant behaviours (Chiu & Peng, 2008). Both breach and violation perceptions negatively affect employee behaviours and attitudes in the workplace (Aggarwal & Bhargava, 2014). This research assumed a constructivist paradigm and builds understanding of the outcomes of breach and violation of the psychological contract on employees’ working life in a collectivistic environment. Primary data collection was by in-depth semi-structured, one on one interviews with five employees of a state-subsidised organisation in East London, making use of convenience sampling. Follow up interviews were conducted, resulting in 7ₑ/₄ hours of interviewing time. Cultural orientation was ascertained through the use of a questionnaire. The findings of this study confirmed that the type of psychological contract entered into influences the outcomes of perceptions of breach and violation. Both dimensions of collectivism, namely institutional and in-group, were practised in this environment, which also impacted on both the individual’s experience and outcomes for the organisation. The latter was influenced by commitment to organisational goals and supervisory or collegial relationships. Most notable of the results is the effect of expectations of transitional justice on experience of the psychological contract. Practical implications and recommendations for future research are made. This research is presented in three sections; firstly the research is presented in the format of an academic paper and includes a concise summary of literature and research method. The second section is an expanded literature review of the psychological contract and its influencing factors, as well as the outcomes of breach and violation. The last section describes and justifies in detail the design of the research and the research procedure followed. , Alternate name: Van der Merwe, Somine
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Date Issued: 2015

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The relationship between employer branding and organisational commitment

- Tryfonos, Angelique

Authors: Tryfonos, Angelique
Date: 2015
Subjects: Corporate culture , Organizational commitment , Psychology, Industrial
Language: English
Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
Identifier: vital:9419 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1021146
Description: The aim of this study was to determine whether a relationship exists between organisational commitment (OC) and employer branding (EB). The purpose was to Identifying whether employer branding effects organisational commitment (affective, normative and continuance commitment) and how significant that effect may be. Questionnaires were personally distributed by the researcher directly to employees under study. Non-probability sampling was used in the form of judgement sampling. The sample consisted of 124 employees from various retail outlets throughout Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape. Five hypotheses were set for evaluation. A practically significant relationship was established between organisational commitment (OC) and employer branding (EB). A small practically significant relationship was found between gender and normative commitment. A medium practically significant relationship was found between gender and training and development as well as between gender and work/life balance. Statistically significant relationships were discovered with regards to age and leadership and also between age and rewards and recognition. A statistically significant difference was established between age and overall employer branding (EB). These findings suggest that a more positive employer brand will lead to improved organisational commitment (OC). More so, retail organisations aiming to improve on organisational commitment should incorporate those employer branding (EB) factors which employees’ place greater emphasis on, within their employer brand, which in turn will lead to greater organisational commitment.
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Date Issued: 2015

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The impact of human resource management practices on the psychological contract during a psychological recession

- Theron, Anthonie Van Straaten

Authors: Theron, Anthonie Van Straaten
Date: 2011
Subjects: Psychology, Industrial , Contracts -- Psychological aspects , Organisational behaviour
Language: English
Type: Thesis , Masters , MTech
Identifier: vital:8772 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1012611 , Psychology, Industrial , Contracts -- Psychological aspects , Organisational behaviour
Description: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of Human Resource Management (HRM) practices on the psychological contracts of employees who have been negatively impacted by the widespread psychological recession. The psychological contract that exists between employees and organisations is brittle due to the psychological recession, which is defined as an emotional state in which employees feel extremely vulnerable to economic hardship. This contributes to a negative and cynical view of the present and an even bleaker view of the future. Breach of the psychological contract has severe negative consequences for employees and organisations. These include reduced employee well-being, trust levels, various organisational citizenship behaviours, increased cynical attitudes toward the organisation, and stronger intention to quit. The target population for the present study consisted of all permanent support staff working at an organisation that has recently went through a large-scale retrenchment exercise (n=52). A self-administered questionnaire was distributed amongst employees. The findings suggest that when the harsh effects of the psychological recession increase, employees are more likely to engage in various destructive behaviours at work due to breach and violation of their psychological contracts. Furthermore, the results indicated that an increase in the number of progressive HRM practices correlated with a decrease in breach and violation of the psychological contract. It was further revealed that the widespread psychological recession may make the employment relationship brittle and prone to breach and violation. The findings suggest that through the effective development and application of many explicit HRM practices, employees’ psychological contracts may become less fragile to breach and violation during a psychological recession.
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Date Issued: 2011

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