Abstract
Ph.D.
Many organizations, struggling to keep up with the unrelenting pace of change
and extreme competitive pressure, seek to adopt the latest technique or tool
in order to improve their bottom line. It may be that the way we view the
individual and the organization needs to change, and the dynamic, neverending
pattern of interaction recognized. As early as 1968, Schneider and
Bartlett mentioned the need to examine the relationship between the
individual and the organization. Integration of phenomena at the individual
and organizational levels moves the analysis of organizations away from the
static, structural qualities towards a more dynamic process (Pettigrew &
Fenton, 2000; Moran & Volkwein, 1992). This perspective facilitates the study
of energy. Energy runs through everything. Individuals have energy, and that
energy is emanated by their very presence, their emotions, thoughts and
ii
actions (Tosey, 1994). Energies ebb and flow in an organization in
accordance with the intentions of the employees of that organization (Smith &
Tosey, 1999). Research shows that organizational climate has an impact on
the individuals’ vigour (well-being) and this in turn impacts on various factors
including the individuals’ performance and thereby organizational
effectiveness. What has not been subjected to empirical study is the concept
of organizational energy. Nor has the relationship between organizational
energy and individual well-being been studied. This study will attempt to
address this gap in knowledge.