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Albert Camus – A Psychobiographical Approach in Times of Covid-19

Burnout, employee engagement and self-perceived employability in the South African public sector

  • Authors: Oosthuizen, Rudolf M. , Mayer, Claude-Hélène , Zwane, Ntombifuthi J.
  • Date: 2021
  • Subjects: Burnout , Employee engagement , Self-perceived employability
  • Language: English
  • Type: Journal article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/493833 , uj:44784 , Citation: Oosthuizen, R.M., Mayer, C-H., & Zwane, N.J. (2021). Burnout, employee engagement and self-perceived employability in the South African public sector. SA Journal of Human Resource Management/ SA Tydskrif vir Menslikehulpbronbestuur, 19(0), a1340. https://doi. org/10.4102/sajhrm. v19i0.1340
  • Description: Abstract: Orientation: The employee engagement (EE) approach has been utilised to combat burnout (BO) in both private and public sector institutions. With increasing research, self-perceived employability (SPE) is gaining popularity as an effective tool for reducing BO. Knowledge of the relationship between these three constructs is therefore important for public sector institutions and researchers in Industrial and Organisational (I/O) Psychology and human resource management (HRM) in South Africa. Research purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between BO, EE and SPE amongst employees in South Africa’s public sector. Motivation for the study: Numerous studies have highlighted the prevalence of poor service delivery in public sector institutions in connection with BO and highlighted a decrease in BO through EE and SPE. However, the relationship between these three constructs is still quite unknown. The study’s results will fill the void of research in this area and can be applied in I/O Psychology and HR practices. Research design, approach and method: This quantitative study involved a non-probability sample of 158 South African public sector employees. Correlational and descriptive statistical analyses were used to analyse the data. Main results: Burnout has a significant negative relationship with EE; however, BO does not significantly correlate with SPE. There are significant differences between the various biographical groups and BO, EE and SPE. Practical/managerial implications: Approaches to reducing BO amongst employees should consider EE and SPE as effective tools to enhance employees’ wellness, morale and improved service delivery. Contribution/value-add: Improving the EE levels and enhancing SPE will improve the well-being of employees in public sector institutions and help alleviate employee BO.
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Creating a meaningful life: Psychobiographical investigations

In memory of Edward Diener : reflections on his career, contributions and the science of happiness

Sense of Coherence in Managers during COVID-19 and the New World ofWork: A Mixed-Method Study

  • Authors: Mayer, Claude-Hélène , Wegerle, Cemonn , Oosthuizen, Rudolf M.
  • Date: 2021
  • Subjects: Mixed-method study , Salutogenesis , Sense of coherence
  • Language: English
  • Type: Article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/489611 , uj:44648 , Citation: Mayer, C.-H.;Wegerle, C.; Oosthuizen, R.M. Sense of Coherence in Managers during COVID-19 and the New World ofWork: A Mixed-Method Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 11492. https://doi.org/10.3390/ ijerph182111492 , DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ ijerph182111492
  • Description: Abstract: During COVID-19, the working world has changed inevitably, and many managers experience extreme strain and stress. This study determines how managers cope with the changes during COVID-19 from a positive psychology and salutogenic perspective. It employs a hermeneutical research design and an interpretivist paradigm by using a mixed-method research approach in which managers’ sense of coherence (SOC) is investigated quantitatively through the 29-item Life- Orientation scale and qualitatively through semi-structured interviews. Purposeful and snowball sampling techniques are used. The sample consists of 17 managers. Data were collected in different organizations within South Africa and analysed through content analysis, linking quantitative and qualitative data in a holistic, integrated and complex way. In terms of the quantitative findings, the managers scored at the medium and higher end of the SOC-scale in comprehensibility, followed by manageability and finally meaningfulness. Male managers in the age group 47–57 scored highest. Female and younger managers scored lower on average. Lowest scores in comprehensibility and manageability were scored by a young female manager, while in meaningfulness the oldest male participant scored lowest. The qualitative findings show that high scoring SOC managers apply complex thoughts to the present and future workplace scenario. Individuals with lower SOC scores do not present as much knowledge, complex thinking and argumentation structures during the interview in comprehensibility scores as high scoring SOC managers, yet still acquire resources to manage the workplace (manageability). High meaningfulness scores are associated with creating meaningful workplace interaction (human–human and machine–human), knowledge distribution through technology, impactfulness, experiencing the job as meaningful, including helping others, and achievements. Managers have a complex view of the world and findings show the complex connections of a high/low SOC scores and the managers’ explorations and systemic understanding regarding their managerial world. Conclusions and recommendations for theory and practice are given.
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Transforming shame in the pandemic : an International Study

  • Authors: Mayer, Claude-Hélène , Vanderheiden, Elisabeth
  • Date: 2021
  • Language: English
  • Type: Article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/487979 , uj:44440 , Citation: Mayer, C-H & Vanderheiden, E. (2021) Transforming Shame in the Pandemic: An International Study. Front. Psychol. 12:641076. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.641076
  • Description: Abstract: Shame is an unconscious, somehow unattended and neglected emotion and occurs when individual and socio-cultural norms are violated. It often impacts negatively on the self and others across cultures. During the Covid-19 crises, shame has become an important emotion with a powerful effect, depending on how it is experienced within the socio-cultural context. This article explores shame in international perspectives in the context of Covid-19 and addresses the question how shame is transformed from an existential positive psychology (PP2.0) perspective. The study uses a qualitative research paradigm and explores shame and its transformation during Covid-19. Purposeful and snowball sampling was used. The sample consisted of 24 individuals (16 female, 8 male), of 13 different nationalities. Data were collected from written interviews and analyzed through thematic analysis. Ethical considerations were followed; ethical approval was given by a university. Findings show that participants become very worried, anxious, scared, sad, and shocked when they or individuals in their close relationships contracted Covid-19. Shame plays an important role during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the meaning and experience of shame during Covid-19 is strongly dependent on the socio-cultural background of the individual who is experiencing the disease. Individuals use different strategies and mechanisms to deal with and transform shame in the context of Covid-19.
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Understanding wildlife crime from Eco-Existential and African Perspectives: A psycho-philosophical investigation

Creativity and psychopathology – an interdisciplinary view

  • Authors: Holm-Hadulla, Rainer M. , Hofmann, Frank-Hagen , Mayer, Claude-Hélène
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: Creativity , Psychopathology , Mental disorders
  • Language: English
  • Type: Article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/461078 , uj:41051 , Citation: Holm-Hadulla, R.M., Hofmann, F.H. & Mayer, C.H. 2020. Creativity and psychopathology – an interdisciplinary view.
  • Description: Abstract: Since ancient philosophy extraordinary creativity is associated with mental disorders, emo-tional and cognitive destabilization, and melancholia. We here summarize the results of em-pirical and narrative studies and analyze the most prominent case of a highly creative person who suffered from dysthymia and major depression with suicidality. Hereby, we focus on the interaction of different phases of the creative process with ―bipolar‖ personality traits. Finally, we offer an interdisciplinary interpretation of the creative dialectics between order and chaos. The results show that severe psychopathology inhibits creativity. Mild and moderate disorders can inspire and motivate creative work but are only leading to new and useful solutions when creators succeed in transforming their emotional instability and cognitive incoherence into stable and coherent forms. The cultural idea that creativity emerges in dialectical processes between order and chaos, is also to be found in the psychologic interplay of coherence and incoherence, and in neuro-scientific models of the dynamics between tightening and loosen-ing of neuronal structures. Consequences are drawn for the psychotherapeutic treatment of persons striving for creativity.
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Fehler, Fehlerkultur und Fehlermanagement im medizinischen Kontext

Women in global leadership : Asian and African perspectives

  • Authors: Sueda, Kiyoko , Mayer, Claude-Hélène , Kim, Soyeon , Asai, Akiko
  • Date: 2020
  • Subjects: Global leadership , Women leaders , Multi-dimensional
  • Language: English
  • Type: Article
  • Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10210/446101 , uj:39052 , Citation: Sueda, K. et al. 2020. Women in global leadership : Asian and African perspectives.
  • Description: Abstract: Although the number of women in the workforce has continued to increase, women are still underrepresented in terms of leadership roles. Some studies have suggested that women leadership is advantageous to organizations, and that women are more adept at managing multi-dimensional diversity than men. Accelerated globalization requires collaboration in groups of people characterized by multidimensional diversity. However, there is little empirical research on the development of this subject overall and on women as global leaders. This chapter summarizes the process on how women leaders develop a global mindset, deal with diversity, and how they are encouraged or discouraged to become global leaders from micro, mezzo and macro perspectives. Three topics are covered : 1. Qualitative studies based on different cultural perspectives (Japan, Indonesia, Korea, and South Africa) and disciplines (Business, Intercultural Communication, Management, Psychology and Sociology) providing readers with micro, mezzo and macro levels of analysis, 2. an overview of women as global leaders in academic institutions, business organizations, and multicultural contexts, and 3. examples of different types of diversity with a focus on gender, e.g., nationality, ethnicity, religion, economic class, and educational background. The common denominators of what encourages and discourages women from becoming global leaders were identified, so that these could be applied to different contexts. Further to this, the positive aspects of women global leadership, and how they have made contributions in specific contexts, were discussed. It is hoped that a multi-level and interdisciplinary analysis of this subject will contribute in some way to promoting women global leadership.
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At the edge of the Fourth Industrial Revolution: Employees’ perceptions of employment equity from a CIBART perspective

Subjective experiences of employment equity in South African organisations

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