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Investigating the role of compassion in the well-being of SAICA Article Clerks
Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867614138108215296 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Janse van Rensburg, Jane |
| author2 | Boonzaier, Michele |
| author_browse | Boonzaier, Michele Janse van Rensburg, Jane |
| author_facet | Boonzaier, Michele Janse van Rensburg, Jane |
| author_sort | Janse van Rensburg, Jane |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description |
Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132527 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:47:16.314Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/132527 Investigating the role of compassion in the well-being of SAICA Article Clerks Janse van Rensburg, Jane Boonzaier, Michele Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Industrial Psychology. Work environment -- Psychological aspects -- South Africa Organizational behavior -- South Africa Interns (Education) -- Psychology -- South Africa Trainees -- Job satisfaction -- South Africa Mental health -- Employees -- South Africa Work-life balance -- South Africa Well-being -- Employees -- South Africa UCTD Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. Janse van Rensburg, J. 2025. Investigating the Role of Compassion in the Well-Being of SAICA Article Clerks. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/fcdbfdb5-925e-4831-8cd4-ea2eec5fd472 ENGLISH SUMMARY: The role of accountants in the labour market has become increasingly significant due to their critical skills and knowledge, which are necessary to make crucial, strategic business decisions. Employees in the South African accountancy profession often face toilsome demands such as time pressures, role ambiguity, and work overload. These job demands adversely impact the occupational well-being of chartered accountants, leaving them more susceptible to burnout and lower levels of work engagement. High levels of burnout and low engagement result in increased turnover intentions, which in turn contribute to the current shortage of chartered accountants in South Africa. To address this shortage, this quantitative research study aimed to identify factors that may influence the variance in burnout and employee engagement among SAICA article clerks. The study utilised the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model as a guiding framework to investigate the levels of burnout and engagement among this group of employees, together with their levels of job demands (work overload), job resources (compassionate leadership), and personal resources (self-compassion). A structural model that exhibits the relationships between these variables, was proposed and empirically tested through structural equation modelling. To determine the validity of the arguments put forward in the literature review, several research hypotheses were postulated. These hypotheses were tested by employing an ex-post facto correlational design. Non-probability, convenience sampling was employed to select the sample, which consisted of 168 SAICA article clerks who, at the time of this study, worked at an accounting firm in South Africa. The variables of interest were evaluated through an online questionnaire, where participation was anonymous and completely voluntary. The following measures were included: the Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT-12); the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9); the Quantitative Workload Inventory (QWI); a composite scale comprising items from The Experienced Compassion at Work Scale and the Relational Compassion Scale (RCS); and the Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form (SCS-SF). Of the eight hypotheses tested, the four main effects proved statistically significant, whereas the remaining four moderating effects were found to be non-significant. Results confirmed a significant negative relationship between burnout and employee engagement, a positive effect of compassionate leadership on employee engagement, a positive influence of self-compassion on employee engagement, and a significant positive relationship between work overload and burnout. Two novel relationships were revealed, namely that compassionate leadership (as a job resource), as well as self-compassion (as a personal resource), both exert a significant direct negative influence on job burnout. Findings also suggested that burnout was equally prevalent during all three years of clerkship and that accounting firms should aim to allocate job resources to each group, instead of singling out a particular year group. This study could potentially provide organisational leaders and human resource practitioners with valuable insights as to why certain SAICA article clerks are more susceptible to burnout, and why some have higher levels of work engagement than others. Furthermore, based on the study findings, the researcher proposed possible interventions that accounting firms could implement to reduce burnout and increase engagement among SAICA clerks, to obtain and maintain a competitive advantage through their human capital. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die rol van rekeningkundiges op die arbeidsmark het al hoe belangriker geword weens hul kritiese denkvaardighede en kennis, wat noodsaaklik is om belangrike, strategiese besluite in besighede te neem. Werknemers wat in die Suid-Afrikaanse rekeningkunde-professie werk, word dikwels gekonfronteer met harde vereistes soos tydsdruk, rolverwarring en werk oorbelasting. Hierdie werkeise het 'n negatiewe impak op die beroepswelstand van geoktrooieerde rekenmeesters, wat hulle meer vatbaar maak vir uitbranding en laer vlakke van werksbetrokkenheid. Hoë vlakke van uitbranding en lae vlakke van betrokkenheid lei tot verhoogde omloopintensies, wat op hul beurt bydra tot die huidige tekort aan geoktrooieerde rekenmeesters in Suid-Afrika. Om hierdie tekort aan te spreek, het hierdie kwantitatiewe navorsingstudie ten doel gehad om faktore te identifiseer wat die variasie in uitbranding en werknemerbetrokkenheid onder SAICA-artikelklerke kan beïnvloed. Die studie het die Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model as 'n riglyn gebruik om die vlakke van uitbranding en betrokkenheid onder hierdie groep werknemers te ondersoek, saam met hul vlakke van werkeise (werk oorbelasting), werkhulpbronne (medelydende leierskap), en persoonlike hulpbronne (selfdeernis). 'n Strukturele model wat die verhoudings tussen hierdie veranderlikes uitbeeld, is voorgestel en empiries getoets deur middel van strukturele vergelykingsmodellering. Om die geldigheid van die argumente wat in die literatuuroorsig voorgestel is, te bepaal, is verskeie navorsingshipotese gestel. Hierdie hipotese is getoets deur 'n eks-post facto korrelasionele ontwerp te gebruik. Nie-waarskynlikheids, gerieflikheidsmonitering is gebruik om die steekproef te kies, wat bestaan het uit 168 SAICA-artikelklerke wat, ten tyde van hierdie studie, by 'n rekeningkundige firma in Suid-Afrika gewerk het. Die veranderlikes van belang is geevalueer deur middel van 'n aanlyn-vraelys, waar deelname anoniem en heeltemal vrywillig was. Die volgende maatstawwe is ingesluit: die Burnout Assessment Tool (BAT-12); die Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9); die Quantitative Workload Inventory (QWI); die Experienced Compassion at Work Scale; die Relational Compassion Scale (RCS); en die Self Compassion Scale-Short Form (SCS-SF). Van die agt hipoteses wat getoets is, het die vier hoof effekte statisties beduidend bewys, terwyl die oorblywende vier modererende effekte nie beduidend was nie. Resultate het 'n beduidende negatiewe verhouding tussen uitbranding en werknemerbetrokkenheid bevestig, 'n positiewe effek van medelydende leierskap op werknemerbetrokkenheid, 'n positiewe invloed van selfdeernis op werknemerbetrokkenheid, en 'n beduidende positiewe verhouding tussen werk oorbelasting en uitbranding. Twee nuwe verhoudings is onthul, naamlik dat medelydende leierskap (as 'n werkhulpbron), sowel as selfdeernis (as 'n persoonlike hulpbron), albei 'n beduidende direkte negatiewe invloed op werksuitbranding het. Bevindinge het ook voorgestel dat uitbranding ewe algemeen voorgekom het gedurende al drie jare van klerkskap en dat rekeningkundige firmas moet poog om werksbronne aan elke groep toe te ken, eerder as om 'n spesifieke jaargroep uit te sonder. Hierdie studie kan moontlik organisasie-leiers en menslike hulpbronpraktisyns waardevolle insigte verskaf oor hoekom sekere SAICA-artikelklerke meer vatbaar is vir uitbranding en hoer vlakke van werksbetrokkenheid as ander. Verder, gebaseer op die studie bevindings, het die navorser moontlike intervensies voorgestel wat rekeningkundige firmas kan implementeer om uitbranding te verminder en betrokkenheid te verhoog onder SAICA-klerke, ten einde 'n mededingende voordeel te behaal en te handhaaf deur middel van hul menslike kapitaal. Masters 2025-06-10T12:50:41Z 2025-06-10T12:50:41Z 2025-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132527 Stellenbosch University 136 pages : illustrations, includes annexures application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Work environment -- Psychological aspects -- South Africa Organizational behavior -- South Africa Interns (Education) -- Psychology -- South Africa Trainees -- Job satisfaction -- South Africa Mental health -- Employees -- South Africa Work-life balance -- South Africa Well-being -- Employees -- South Africa UCTD Janse van Rensburg, Jane Investigating the role of compassion in the well-being of SAICA Article Clerks |
| title | Investigating the role of compassion in the well-being of SAICA Article Clerks |
| title_full | Investigating the role of compassion in the well-being of SAICA Article Clerks |
| title_fullStr | Investigating the role of compassion in the well-being of SAICA Article Clerks |
| title_full_unstemmed | Investigating the role of compassion in the well-being of SAICA Article Clerks |
| title_short | Investigating the role of compassion in the well-being of SAICA Article Clerks |
| title_sort | investigating the role of compassion in the well being of saica article clerks |
| topic | Work environment -- Psychological aspects -- South Africa Organizational behavior -- South Africa Interns (Education) -- Psychology -- South Africa Trainees -- Job satisfaction -- South Africa Mental health -- Employees -- South Africa Work-life balance -- South Africa Well-being -- Employees -- South Africa UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/132527 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jansevanrensburgjane investigatingtheroleofcompassioninthewellbeingofsaicaarticleclerks |