Abstract
Abstract : Orientation: Stress results in negative consequences for individuals at work and its impact is particularly felt in well-being and health outcomes. It is important, therefore, to determine factors that could mitigate against it in the workplace. Research purpose: The study examined whether the Big Five personality traits moderated the relationship between stress and burnout and work engagement. Motivation for the study: There is limited research regarding the impact of personality on the relationship between stress and occupational health outcomes (burnout and work engagement specifically). Research design, approach and method: This study made use of a quantitative, cross-sectional survey design. The sample (N=644) was comprised of working individuals from various organisations. Data were gathered using the DASS-21 Stress, the South African Burnout scale, the Basic Traits Inventory (BTI) and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9). Hierarchical moderated regression analyses were performed to examine interaction effects. Main finding: The results from the study demonstrated that stress negatively predicts work engagement and positively predicts burnout. Stress had a significant positive relationship with neuroticism and significant negative relationships with extraversion, conscientiousness, openness to experience and agreeableness. Work engagement had significant positive relationships with extraversion, conscientiousness, agreeableness and openness to experience and a negative relationship with neuroticism. Burnout had a significant positive relationship with neuroticism and significant positive relationships with extraversion, conscientiousness, iii agreeableness and openness to experience. Interaction effects were found for neuroticism between stress and work engagement and for agreeableness between stress and burnout. Practical/managerial implications: The study shows the important role of personality in the experience of stress. Employers and employees alike should take this into account when addressing stress and well-being at work.
M.Phil. (Industrial Psychology)