Browsing by Author "Marques, Lilita A."

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    Antecedents and outcomes of work-related psychological well-being of staff members of the University of Namibia
    (2013) Marques, Lilita A.
    The aim of this study was to investigate the antecedents of work-related psychological well-being and the individual and organisational outcomes thereof for staff members of the University of Namibia. Psychological well-being was conceptualized as an interrelated process between antecedent variables, psychological conditions, burnout, and work engagement. Institutions of Higher Education across the world have experience tremendous changes during the past few decades. Academics have been envied for their tenure, light workloads, flexibility and perks, such as overseas trips for study and conference purposes, and the freedom to pursue their own research interests. However, during the past two decades many of these advantages have been eroded and higher education institutions no longer provide the low stress working environment that it once did, thereby threatening the psychological well-being of staff members of these institutions. The potential costs of poor psychological well-being to organisations include low morale, low quality of services and products, and high absenteeism and turnover rates. A structured questionnaire comprising scales from various measuring instruments (Antecedents Scale, Psychological Conditions Scale, Work Engagement Scale, Organisational Commitment Scale, Turnover Intention Scale, and the General Health Questionnaire) was used to collect both quantitative and qualitative data. Research participants included all the employees (n = 306) of the University of Namibia. Making use of SPSS 20.0, the researcher carried out the following statistical analyses: descriptive analysis, factor analysis, correlation analysis, hierarchical regression analysis and indirect effects. Results from the quantitative analyses showed that emotional and physical engagement was significantly predicted by work-role fit (β = .30, p < 0.01), co-worker relations (β = .20, p < 0.01) and psychological meaning (β = .39, p < 0.01). Organisational commitment was significantly predicted by psychological meaningfulness (β = .50, p < 0.01) and emotional and physical engagement (β = .50, p < 0.01). The study further confirmed that work role fit (r = -.31, p < 0.01), psychological meaningfulness (r = -.40, p <0.01), emotional and physical engagement (r = -.41, p < 0.01), and organisational commitment (r = -.37, p < 0.01 are negatively related to turnover intention. The results further demonstrated the significant effect of qualifications (p < 0.01; η2 =0.08) on cognitive engagement. Content analysis of the qualitative data indicated that employment resources played a significant role in work engagement and turnover intention, both as contributing and restraining factors. Work overload and management style were identified as significant restraining factors which detracted from emotional and physical engagement. This study provides important knowledge pertaining to the antecedents and outcomes of engagement and turnover intentions which can be used to develop future intervention strategies to prevent burnout, detachment and withdrawal behaviour of staff members of the University of Namibia.
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    The teacher who goes the extra (s)mile: A study among primary school teachers in Namibia
    (University of Namibia, 2016) Marques, Lilita A.; Janik, Manfred
    This study focused on job factors (work engagement, organisational commitment) and psychological states (psychological availability, meaningfulness, autonomy, psychological safety) that teachers (N = 628) in Namibian primary schools need for increased organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB). OCB indicates a teacher’s spontaneous willingness to perform work that is over and above the work description. A quantitative research design with a field survey has been used with a non-random convenience sample of teachers in all regions of Namibia. Measuring instruments used, were: Work Engagement Scale, Organisational Commitment Scale, Psychological Conditions Scale, Organisational Citizenship Behaviour Scale and a biographical questionnaire. Initial statistical analysis included exploratory factor analysis and confirming the reliability of the scales. In addition, descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations and multiple hierarchical regression analyses were conducted. Mean scores indicated lower levels of cognitive engagement, autonomy, psychological safety and OCB. Medium correlations were found between job factors and OCB as well as between organisational commitment and OCB and psychological conditions and OCB. Other main fi ndings indicated that work engagement (especially physical engagement), organisational commitment as well as the psychological states autonomy and psychological availability were the more significant predictors of OCB. Contrary to expectations, the psychological states of meaningfulness and safety did not significantly predict OCB. Relevant recommendations were formulated based on the results of this study.