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Engaging leadership and professional calling within a job demands-resources model for nurses in South Africa
Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2025.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613824058654720 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Harrison, Amy Gail |
| author2 | Boonzaier, Michele |
| author_browse | Boonzaier, Michele Harrison, Amy Gail |
| author_facet | Boonzaier, Michele Harrison, Amy Gail |
| author_sort | Harrison, Amy Gail |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/134628 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:42:15.919Z |
| 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:10019.1/134628 Engaging leadership and professional calling within a job demands-resources model for nurses in South Africa Harrison, Amy Gail Boonzaier, Michele Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Industrial Psychology. Medical personnel -- South Africa Job stress -- South Africa Employee engagement -- South Africa Organizational behavior -- Nurse -- South Africa Work environment -- South Africa UCTD Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2025. Harrison, A. G. 2025. Engaging Leadership and Professional Calling within a Job Demands-Resources Model for Nurses in South Africa. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/3a42b226-4926-4770-ae85-916bf9ad341d ENGLISH SUMMARY: As the backbone of South Africa’s public and private healthcare system, nurses are bearing the brunt of systemic failures. Nurses working in both the public and private healthcare sectors in South Africa face increasingly demanding work environments. These challenges stem from external factors, such as resource constraints, poor policy implementation and governance, high patient volumes and various socio-economic pressures, as well as internal pressures like high turnover rates, long working hours, increased workload and lack of managerial support. Such intensified job demands place nurses at an increased risk for occupational strain. When the nursing profession is faced with high rates of occupational depression, there are significant consequences for work performance and healthcare delivery, including reduced engagement, increased absenteeism, and poorer patient outcomes. This study aimed to explore the factors influencing occupational depression and work engagement amongst South African nurses. The job demands-resources (JD-R) model was used as a theoretical framework. Specifically, it examined how job demands (intensified job demands), job resources (engaging leadership), and personal resources (professional calling) interact to influence nurses' work engagement and levels of occupational depression. A structural model was proposed to test these relationships. An ex post facto correlational research design was employed, using non-probability convenience sampling, to recruit nurses currently employed in the nursing profession and registered with the South African Nursing Council (SANC). One hundred and ten (110) nurses who were employed in both the public and private sectors completed a voluntary and anonymous online survey. The following validated measurement instruments were used: the Utrecht work engagement scale (UWES-9), the occupational depression inventory (ODI), the engaging leadership scale (ELS), the calling and vocation questionnaire (CVQ), and the Intensified Job Demands Scale (IJDS). Ethical approval for the study was obtained from Stellenbosch University's Research Ethics Committee before the survey was distributed to the participants. Given the sample size and non-random sampling method, the results should be interpreted with caution and not be generalised beyond this sample. Eight hypotheses were proposed and tested. Five hypotheses were supported. The results confirmed a significant negative effect of occupational depression on work engagement, a positive effect of engaging leadership on work engagement, a positive effect of professional calling on work engagement, and a positive effect of intensified job demands on occupational depression. In addition, the results showed that engaging leadership buffers the relationship between intensified job demands and occupational depression. The remaining three moderation hypotheses were however not supported. Notably, professional calling did not buffer the relationship between intensified job demands and occupational depression, suggesting that, while personal meaning can enhance engagement, it may not be sufficient to protect against systemic psychological strain without organisational support. Similarly, intensified job demands did not moderate the relationship between engaging leadership and work engagement or the relationship between professional calling and work engagement. The findings of this study could provide organisational leaders in the healthcare industry and policymakers with valuable insights into some factors that influence work engagement and occupational depression amongst nurses in South Africa. Based on the findings of this research, possible interventions are proposed that could be implemented on a national, organisational and individual level to reduce levels of occupational depression and increase levels of work engagement amongst nurses working in South Africa. AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: As die ruggraat van Suid-Afrika se openbare en private gesondheidsorgstelsel, dra verpleegkundiges die swaarste aan sistemiese mislukkings. Verpleegkundiges wat in beide die openbare en private gesondheidsorgsektore in Suid-Afrika werk, ervaar toenemend veeleisende werksomgewings. Hierdie uitdagings spruit voort uit eksterne faktore soos hulpbronbeperkings, swak beleidsimplementering en -bestuur, hoe pasientvolumes en verskeie vorme van sosio-ekonomiese druk, sowel as interne druk soos hoe personeelomset, lang werksure, verhoogde werklading en gebrek aan bestuurssteun. Sulke intensiewe werkeise plaas verpleegkundiges op 'n verhoogde risiko vir beroepstres. Wanneer die verpleegberoep met hoe koerse van beroepsdepressie gekonfronteer word, is daar beduidende gevolge vir werksprestasie en gesondheidsorglewering, insluitend verminderde betrokkenheid, verhoogde afwesigheid en swakker pasientuitkomste. Hierdie studie het ten doel gehad om die faktore te ondersoek wat beroepsdepressie en werkbetrokkenheid onder Suid-Afrikaanse verpleegkundiges beinvloed. Die “Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9)” is as teoretiese raamwerk gebruik. Spesifiek het dit ondersoek hoe werkseise (verskerpte werkeise), werkhulpbronne (betrokke leierskap), en persoonlike hulpbronne (professionele roeping) kruisbestuif het om verpleegkundiges se werkbetrokkenheid en vlakke van beroepsdepressie te beinvloed. 'n Strukturele model is voorgestel om hierdie verhoudings te toets. 'n Eks-post facto korrelasionele navorsingsontwerp is gebruik, deur nie-waarskynlikheidsgeriefsteekproefneming toe te pas om verpleegkundiges te werf wat tans in die verpleegprofessie werksaam is en by die Suid-Afrikaanse Verpleegstersraad (SAVR) geregistreer is. Eenhonderd-en-tien verpleegkundiges wat in beide openbare en private sektore werksaam is, het 'n vrywillige en anonieme aanlyn opname voltooi. Die volgende gevalideerde meetinstrumente is gebruik: die “Utrecht Work Engagement Scale” (UWES-9), “Occupational Depression Inventory” (ODI), “Engaging Leadership Scale” (ELS), *Calling and Vocation Questionnaire” (CVQ), en die “Intensified Job Demands Scale” (IJDS). Etiese goedkeuring vir die studie is van Stellenbosch Universiteit se NKR (REC) verkry voordat die opname aan deelnemers versprei is. Gegewe die steekproefgrootte en nie-ewekansige steekproefmetode, moet resultate met omsigtigheid geinterpreteer word en nie buite hierdie steekproef veralgemeen word nie. Agt hipoteses is voorgestel en getoets. Vyf hipoteses is ondersteun. Resultate bevestig 'n beduidende negatiewe effek van beroepsdepressie op werkbetrokkenheid, 'n positiewe effek van betrokke leierskap op werkbetrokkenheid, 'n positiewe effek van professionele roeping op werkbetrokkenheid, en 'n positiewe effek van verskerpte werkeise op beroepsdepressie. Daarbenewens bevestig resultate dat betrokke leierskap die verhouding tussen verskerpte werkeise en beroepsdepressie demp. Die oorblywende drie modereringshipoteses is egter nie ondersteun nie. Dit is noemenswaardig dat professionele roeping nie die verhouding tussen verskerpte werkeise en beroepsdepressie demp nie, wat daarop dui dat hoewel persoonlike betekenis betrokkenheid kan verbeter, dit moontlik nie voldoende is om teen sistemiese sielkundige spanning te beskerm sonder organisatoriese ondersteuning nie. Net so het verskerpte werkeise nie die verhouding tussen betrokke leierskap en werkbetrokkenheid of die verhouding tussen professionele roeping en werkbetrokkenheid gemodereer nie. Die bevindinge van hierdie studie kan organisatoriese leiers in die gesondheidsorgbedryf en beleidmakers waardevolle insigte gee oor sommige faktore wat werkbetrokkenheid en beroepsdepressie onder verpleegkundiges in Suid-Afrika beïnvloed. Gebaseer op die bevindinge van hierdie navorsing, is moontlike intervensies voorgestel wat op nasionale, organisatoriese en individuele vlak geimplementeer kan word om vlakke van beroepsdepressie te verminder en vlakke van werkbetrokkenheid onder verpleegkundiges wat in Suid-Afrika werk, te verhoog. Masters 2025-12-19T08:59:23Z 2025-12-19T08:59:23Z 2025-12 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/134628 en Stellenbosch University 125 pages : illustrations, includes annexures application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Medical personnel -- South Africa Job stress -- South Africa Employee engagement -- South Africa Organizational behavior -- Nurse -- South Africa Work environment -- South Africa UCTD Harrison, Amy Gail Engaging leadership and professional calling within a job demands-resources model for nurses in South Africa |
| title | Engaging leadership and professional calling within a job demands-resources model for nurses in South Africa |
| title_full | Engaging leadership and professional calling within a job demands-resources model for nurses in South Africa |
| title_fullStr | Engaging leadership and professional calling within a job demands-resources model for nurses in South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | Engaging leadership and professional calling within a job demands-resources model for nurses in South Africa |
| title_short | Engaging leadership and professional calling within a job demands-resources model for nurses in South Africa |
| title_sort | engaging leadership and professional calling within a job demands resources model for nurses in south africa |
| topic | Medical personnel -- South Africa Job stress -- South Africa Employee engagement -- South Africa Organizational behavior -- Nurse -- South Africa Work environment -- South Africa UCTD |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/134628 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT harrisonamygail engagingleadershipandprofessionalcallingwithinajobdemandsresourcesmodelfornursesinsouthafrica |