Dimensions of Job Satisfaction Identified Among South African Black Middle-level Managers: A Qualitative Investigation

The aim of the present study was to identify the factors contributing to job satisfaction for black middle-level managers and to contextualise these factors in terms of Afrocentric values and South Africa's socio-political and historical background. The sample comprised eight participants (4 males and 4 females), primarily from the educational sector, selected by means of purposive sampling. Semi-structured telephonic interviews were conducted to collect data, and the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used for in-depth analysis of the participants' experiences. Social needs consistent with Ubuntu were identified as important. These included a need for effective communication, transparency, trust and tolerance in the face of cultural and work-related differences. The frustrations associated with cultural differences and language barriers were elaborated on. For the participants, professional development and recognition were related to affirmative action policies and practices as well as the socio-political background. These findings contribute to the limited research available for the particular population—an essential contribution, given the cultural diversity of the South African workforce.     

Positive work experiences and life satisfaction: the moderating role of gender

This study investigated the effects of work engagement and psychological meaningfulness on life satisfaction taking into account the moderating effect of gender. A cross-sectional research design was used to capture data on satisfaction with life, work engagement and psychological meaningfulness. The sample consisted of 796 employees from various companies in South Africa (women?=?65.9%; aged between 18 and 67). The results showed work engagement and psychological meaningfulness to significantly predict life satisfaction. A significant interaction effect for gender was found on the relationships between work engagement on life satisfaction and psychological meaningfulness on work engagement respectively. The results indicated that men showed a higher level of life satisfaction when work engagement was high. Women showed lower levels of life satisfaction the more they engage in their work. Women further experienced a higher level of work engagement compared to men; however, the relationship between psychological meaningfulness and work engagement was stronger for men. The more psychological meaningfulness men experience, the more they will engage-unlike women, who tend to experience work engagement irrespective of psychological meaningfulness.     

Personality and job satisfaction: their role in work-related psychological well-being

This study investigated the role of work related psychological well-being in the relationship between personality and job satisfaction. Participants were 207 (females?=?58.9%, blacks?=?20.3%, white?=?64.3%, Indian?=?7.7% and Coloured?=?6.8%) employees of various South African organisations. The participants completed the Ryff's Scale of Psychological Well-being, Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire, and the Basic Traits Inventory. The data were analysed by means of moderated hierarchical regression analysis. Results show self-acceptance, environmental mastery, and purpose in life fully explain extraversion and job satisfaction, and partly explain conscientiousness and job satisfaction. Self-acceptance, environmental mastery and purpose in life also moderated the relationship between neuroticism and job satisfaction. Findings lead to the conclusion that aspects of work related psychological well-being are influenced by personality traits and job satisfaction, growth and development.     

Authentic leadership,psychological capital,job satisfaction and intention to leave in state-owned enterprises

This study investigated the relations among authentic leadership, psychological capital, job satisfaction and intention to leave within state-owned enterprises in Namibia. Participants were a convenience sample of 452 employees (females?=?49.6%, mean age?=?37.36, SD?=?8.57) state-owned enterprises in Namibia. They completed the Authentic Leadership Questionnaire, Psychological Capital Questionnaire, Job Satisfaction Questionnaire and Turnover Intention Scale. Structural equation modelling was utilised to investigate the relations among authentic leadership, psychological capital, job satisfaction and intention to leave. The findings indicated that authentic leadership was positively associated with psychological capital (i.e. experiences of hope, optimism, self-efficacy and resilience) and job satisfaction. Authentic leadership affected job satisfaction indirectly via psychological capital. Psychological capital had a medium to large indirect effect on employees' intentions to leave. The findings suggest that authentic leadership and psychological capital explain job satisfaction and retention of employees in state-owned enterprises.     

When life's good: Gendered marital satisfaction and work-pay satisfaction influences on organisational commitment of advancement-career-stage employees

We examined the influences of marital satisfaction and work-pay satisfaction on organisational commitment among advancement-career-stage employees while controlling for gender and a selection of socio-demographics. The sample consisted of 350 workers (females = 237; mean age = 32.44, SD = 9.99 years) from a large privately owned educational service provider. The employees completed measures of marital satisfaction, work-pay satisfaction, and organisational commitment. The data were analysed to predict the influence of marital satisfaction, and work-pay satisfaction on organisational commitment, while controlling for gender and socio-demographics. The results suggest that although happily married people with work-pay satisfaction had higher organisational commitment, those with marital satisfaction and older age were less committed to their employer organisations. We conclude that marital satisfaction interfered with advancement-career-stage employees’ loyalty to the organisation.     

L’habilitation des salariés : le rôle du supérieur et des collègues

Organizational initiatives to empower employees have limited success if they are supported only by top managers. The goal of this study is to examine how two actors in the workers’ proximal social environment, the supervisor and colleagues, contribute to employee empowerment. A questionnaire study was conducted with a sample of 418 workers relying both on psychological and behavioral self-report measures of employee empowerment. Multiple regressions revealed that contributions from the supervisor and colleagues are distinct, additive and interact in a synergic way to increase employee empowerment. These results suggest that it is important to foster favorable conditions in the workers’ proximal social environment to instill employee empowerment.     

Psychological need satisfaction and thwarting: A test of Basic Psychological Needs Theory in physical activity contexts

ObjectivesTo test Basic Psychological Needs Theory (BPNT; Deci & Ryan, 2002) to determine if psychological need thwarting experienced when physically active contributes to the understanding of well-being and ill-being.Design/methodParticipants (N = 155, 67.70% female, M_age = 37.46 years; SD_age = 19.89 years) completed assessments of psychological need satisfaction and thwarting, subjective vitality and positive/negative affect during separate testing sessions separated by 6 months.ResultsScores from the modified version of the Psychological Need Thwarting Scale (PNTS-PA; Bartholomew, Ntoumanis, Ryan, & Thøgersen-Ntoumani, 2011) demonstrated discriminant evidence of validity, evidence of internal structure and minimal error variance. Changes in psychological need satisfaction positively predicted positive affect (R² = .16, p < .05), subjective vitality (R² = .13, p < .05) and negatively predicted negative affect (R² = .12, p < .05). Additional regression analyses revealed that changes in psychological need thwarting predicted negative affect (ΔR² = .11, p < .05), but not positive affect (ΔR² = .01, p > .05) or subjective vitality (ΔR² = .04, p > .05) beyond contributions made by psychological need satisfaction.ConclusionsOverall, these results extend the potential utility of the PNTS-PA as an instrument for use with BPNT beyond sport and support Deci and Ryan's (2002) contentions regarding the critical role of psychological need thwarting.     

Dimensions of Success and Motivation Needs Among Managers

In this study, we examined the relationship between needs for achievement (n Ach) and power (n Pwr) and the importance of six dimensions of life success among a sample of 454 managerial women and men in southeastern Florida. Results showed that n Ach was significantly correlated with all four work-related success dimensions: status/wealth, personal fulfillment, and professional fulfillment (positively), and with security (negatively). N Ach was not correlated with either of the two nonwork-related success dimensions of family relationship and social contribution. N Pwr was significantly correlated with all the same work-related success dimensions except professional fulfillment; it was also correlated significantly with the non work-related dimension of social contribution but not with family relationships.     

Stability of Medical Students' Attitudes Toward Aging and Death

A representative sample from a nonclinical population was drawn to compare bingers and nonbingers across weight categories. Subjects were 112 women drawn from a cross-section of undergraduate classes at a large state university. Four groups were formed: obese bingers, obese nonbingers, normal-weight bingers (bulimics), and normal-weight nonbingers. Bingers, regardless of weight category, suffered higher levels of depression and anxiety and lower levels of self-esteem than nonbingers, regardless of weight category. Obese nonbingers were indistinguishable on these variables from normal-weight nonbingers, with both groups of nonbingers experiencing less emotional distress. Results support the position that the obese population should be conceptualized and treated as a diverse group with different psychological characteristics and needs.     

The Measurement and Interpretation of Organizational Climate

This study describes the development and application of a new organizational climate instrument, the Survey of Organizational Characteristics (SOC). The participants in the development phase were 94 master's of business administration students, and the participants in the validation phase were 77 medical professionals: 24 medical faculty, 17 postdoctoral students, and 36 medical technicians. The final instrument consisted of 8 relatively independent scales with alpha coefficients based on the combined sample ranging from .77 to .98, and with 6 coefficients that were higher than .90. Validity hypotheses based on a priori knowledge about the 3 medical groups were for the most part well substantiated, although the small sample of postdoctoral students was a limitation. In relation to the findings, an attempt was made to clarify and perhaps narrow several of the conceptual and methodological gaps that persist between organizational climate and organizational culture.