Abstract
M.Com. (Industrial Psychology)
Orientation — The study was set in the context of the South African transport sector, and
selected aspects of workplace well-being among both men and women were examined. No
such study has previously been undertaken in this sector of the South African economy,
which is strongly male-dominated.
Research purpose— The main purpose of the study was to examine the role of gender in
the relationship of work‒family conflict with work engagement and burnout. Secondary
aims were to determine the main effect of work‒family conflict on work engagement and
burnout, and to investigate the moderating role of social support.
Motivation for the study: There are no known research studies on the well-being of women
and men working within the transport sector in South Africa. This study is of importance, as
the transport sector is a crucial sector for economic growth and stability. Therefore, it is
important to pay attention to employee well-being, as this impacts organisational
effectiveness. With an increase in dual-earner families, men and women are increasingly
experiencing strain and work‒family conflict at work. The transport sector has been labelled
as dominated by men, and it is therefore sensible to determine whether there are gender
differences in the experience of work‒family conflict and prominent health outcomes,
namely burnout and work engagement.
Research design, approach, and method: A quantitative, cross-sectional survey design was
used. Surveys were distributed via email and in hard copy to various companies in the South
African transport sector. A final sample of 142 questionnaires were utilised in the analyses.
Data were gathered using a biographical questionnaire (designed by the present researcher),
the South African Burnout Scale, the Work‒family Conflict Questionnaire, the Job Content
Questionnaire, and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9). Correlation analysis, ttests,
linear regression, and moderated hierarchical regression were employed to calculate the
results.
Main findings: Levels of work engagement, burnout, and work–family conflict are not
significantly different for men and women. Work-to-family conflict has a significant effect
on work engagement, cognitive weariness, and fatigue. Family-to-work conflict has a
significant effect on work engagement, cognitive weariness, and emotional exhaustion.
Gender acts as a moderator in the relationship between family-to-work conflict and work
engagement, as well as between work-to-family conflict and emotional exhaustion. Gender...