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The influence of new ways of working on work engagement and employee well-being during the covid-19 pandemic
Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.
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| Language: | en_ZA |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2022
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| _version_ | 1867613935089221632 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Fourie, Linda |
| author2 | De Wet, Marietha |
| author_browse | De Wet, Marietha Fourie, Linda |
| author_facet | De Wet, Marietha Fourie, Linda |
| author_sort | Fourie, Linda |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2022. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/126033 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | en_ZA |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:44:02.133Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2022 |
| publishDateRange | 2022 |
| publishDateSort | 2022 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/126033 The influence of new ways of working on work engagement and employee well-being during the covid-19 pandemic Fourie, Linda De Wet, Marietha Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Industrial Psychology. Flexible work arrangements COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020- Employee health promotion UCTD Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2022. ENGLISH SUMMARY: With the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), there was a global disruption in every sphere of people’s lives: the personal, professional, spiritual, financial, physical and psychological. At the onset of COVID-19, it was evident that the pandemic caused a health concern; however, it also caused an unpredictable social and economic crisis (Bartsch et al., 2020). The preventative measures put in place to combat this pandemic had a serious impact on individuals, organisations and on the global economy. Initially, the major focus was on preventing the disease by curbing its spread. Many cascading effects not within these foci were left unattended. Purpose. The purpose of this study is to understand the influence of the COVID-19 precautionary measures in the context by exploring the effects on employee well-being and work engagement by using the job demands–resource model (JD-R). Objectives. In order to uncover the variance in employee well-being and work engagement, it was first necessary to understand the influence of the COVID-19 precautionary measures on the new ways of working. There are various possible variables to consider in the COVID-19 context; however, for this specific study, the focus fell on digitalisation, remote work and work–life interference. The study furthermore aimed to provide evidence that job demands (digitalisation, remote working and work–life interference) and job resources (digitalisation and remote working) affected work engagement and employee well-being. It also aimed to provide feedback to organisations on the employee experience during the COVID-19 pandemic and to obtain accurate results to guide the organisation to establish practices regarding these new ways of working. Method. A quantitative ex post facto correlation design was identified as suitable for this research study. A non-probability convenience sampling design was used to collect data in a group of private companies in Namibia. The sampling population was e-mail users in this group of companies that could work from home during the ‘new normal’. The self-report questionnaire included measuring instruments such as the Remote Working Questionnaire developed by Prasad and Mangipudi (2020), the Technostress Creators scale, Survey Work–Home Interference NijmeGen (SWING), the Self-Rated Health Scale questionnaire and the 9-item Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9). Results. A total of 163 employees from the group of private companies in Namibia participated in this research study. Various statistical analyses were done to investigate the effect that digitalisation, remote work and work–life interference had on work engagement and employee well-being. Of the 13 hypotheses formulated, only three were determined to be statistically significant. The results revealed a statistically significant negative relationship between work–life interference as a job demand and work engagement. The results also revealed a statistically significant negative relationship between work–life interference as a job demand and employee well-being. Furthermore, the results revealed a statistically significant relationship between work engagement and employee well-being. The implications of this results determined that it is critical for organisations to develop and implement interventions to decrease work-life interference as a job demand, in order for the new ways of working not to negatively impact work engagement and employee well-being. The findings derived from the results further highlight various trends that are useful in this field of study and to the organisation. Conclusion. Based on the results, recommendations of possible interventions are made for the organisation to increase employee well-being and work engagement in the new normal. Finally, the limitations of the study are outlined and recommendations for future research are suggested in order for this field of research to remain relevant, impactful and to improve the scientific knowledge for industrial and organisational psychologists. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Met die uitbreking van die koronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), was elke aspek van mense se lewens regoor die wereld ontwrig: persoonlik, professioneel, geestelik, finansieel, fisies en psigologies. Dit was van die begin af duidelik dat COVID-19 ’n gesondheidskommer sou inhou. Wat wel nie voorspel was nie, was dat dit ook ’n sosiale en ekonomiese krisis sou veroorsaak (Bartsch et al., 2020). Die maatreels wat in plek gestel is om die pandemie te beveg het ’n ernstige impak op individue, organisasies en die wereld se ekonomie gehad. Oorspronklik was die fokus om die verspreiding van die virus te verminder, en dit het gelei tot ’n kettingreaksie van nagevolge. Doel. Die oorkoepelende doel van hierdie studie was om sin te maak van die impak wat die COVID-19 voorsorgmaatreels gehad het binne die werksplek deur spesifiek te kyk na die effek wat dit gehad het op die werknemer se welstand en werksbetrokkenheid deur middel van die werksvereistes-hulpbronne-raamwerk (JD-R). Doelwitte. Voordat die effek op werknemers se welstand en werksbetrokkenheid identifiseer kon word, moes daar eers begrip wees van hoe die COVID-19 voorsorgmaatreels die manier van werk beinvloed het. Daar is verskeie moontlike veranderlikes om in ag te neem in die COVID-19-konteks. Vir hierdie studie was daar spesifiek gefokus op digitalisasie, afstandswerk en werk-lewe-interaksie. Die studie wou ook bewyse verskaf of werkseise en werkshulpbronne ’n impak gehad het op die werknemer se werksbetrokkenheid en welstand. Die studie het ook daarna gestreef om terugvoering te verskaf aan organisasies rakende die werknemer se ervarings tydens die COVID-19-pandemie. Die studie wou akkurate resultate toon om sodoende organisasies te lei daarin om praktyke met hierdie nuwe maniere van werk te vestig. Metode. ’n Kwantitatiewe ex post facto-korrelasionele ontwerp was as ʼn gepaste metode geidentifiseer vir die studie. Die kwantitatiewe data was ingesamel binne ’n groep privaat maatskappye in Namibie en ’n gerieflikheidsteekproefontwerp is gebruik vir die data-insameling. Die steekproefpopulasie was die e-posgebruikers in hierdie groep van privaat maatskappye wat tydens die nuwe normaal van die huis af kon werk. Die selfgerapporteerde vraelys het meetinstrumente ingesluit soos die Remote Working Questionnaire, ontwerp deur Prasad en Mangipudi (2020), die Technostress Creators Scale, die Survey Work–Home Interference NijmeGen (SWING), die Self-Rated Health Scale Questionnaire en die 9-item- Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9). Resultate. ’n Totaal van 163 werknemers het deelgeneem. Verskeie statistiese ontledings is toegepas om die effek van digitalisasie, afstandswerk en werk-lewe-interaksie op die werknemer se welstand en werksbetrokkenheid te ondersoek. Slegs drie uit die 13 hipoteses was statisties beduidend. Die resultate het ʼn statistiese beduidende negatiewe verwantskap tussen werk-lewe-interaksie as ʼn werksvereiste en werksbetrokkenheid aangedui. Die resultate het ook ʼn statistiese beduidende negatiewe verwantskap tussen werk-lewe-interaksie as ʼn werksvereiste en werknemer welstand aangedui. Verder het die resultate ʼn statistiese beduidende verwantskap tussen werksbetrokkenheid en werknemer welstand aangedui. Die implikasie van hierdie resultate het vasgestel dat dit krities vir organisasies is om intervensies te ontwikkel en te implementeer wat werk-lewe-interaksie as ʼn werksvereiste verminder, om te verseker dat die nuwe maniere van werk nie ʼn negatiewe invloed het op werksbetrokkenheid en werknemer welstand nie. Die bevindinge en implikasies wat van die resultate afgelei is, het verder verskeie tendense beklemtoon wat nuttig is in hierdie studieveld en vir die organisasie. Gevolgtrekking. Op grond van die resultate kan aanbevelings rakende moontlike ingrypings aan die organisasie voorgestel word om die welstand en werksbetrokkenheid van die werknemers tydens die nuwe normaal te optimaliseer. Laastens word die beperkings van hierdie studie uiteengesit en aanbevelings vir toekomstige navorsing word gemaak om sodoende hierdie studieveld relevant en impakvol te hou, asook om die wetenskaplike kennis van bedryfs- en organisasiesielkundiges te bevorder. Masters 2022-11-22T20:23:43Z 2023-01-16T12:46:42Z 2022-11-22T20:23:43Z 2023-01-16T12:46:42Z 2022-12 Thesis http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/126033 en_ZA Stellenbosch University 160 pages : illustrations, includes annexures application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Flexible work arrangements COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020- Employee health promotion UCTD Fourie, Linda The influence of new ways of working on work engagement and employee well-being during the covid-19 pandemic |
| title | The influence of new ways of working on work engagement and employee well-being during the covid-19 pandemic |
| title_full | The influence of new ways of working on work engagement and employee well-being during the covid-19 pandemic |
| title_fullStr | The influence of new ways of working on work engagement and employee well-being during the covid-19 pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | The influence of new ways of working on work engagement and employee well-being during the covid-19 pandemic |
| title_short | The influence of new ways of working on work engagement and employee well-being during the covid-19 pandemic |
| title_sort | influence of new ways of working on work engagement and employee well being during the covid 19 pandemic |
| topic | Flexible work arrangements COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020- Employee health promotion UCTD |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/126033 |
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