Scielo RSS http://www.scielo.org.za/rss.php?pid=2071-076320200001&lang=pt vol. 46 num. 1 lang. pt http://www.scielo.org.za/img/en/fbpelogp.gif http://www.scielo.org.za http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2071-07632020000100001&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=pt ORIENTATION: The study reported here explores the preconceived notion of women's missing agency - characterised by a lack of confidence - as an explanation for their continued underrepresentation at senior leadership levels in higher education institutions (HEIs) in South Africa. RESEARCH PURPOSE: The study investigated gender differences in self-perception accuracy, defined as self-other agreement. The concept of confidence in this article refers to a high degree of self-perception accuracy defined as self-other rating agreement. Motivation for the study: One of the reasons for the underrepresentation of women in senior leadership levels frequently cited in the literature is the relationship between self-confidence and effective leadership. This phenomenon has however not yet been researched in the context of South African HEIs. RESEARCH APPROACH/DESIGN AND METHOD: A quantitative, cross-sectional study of gender differences in self-perception accuracy using data collected from a 360-degree assessment intervention amongst the total population (N = 112) of academic managers in a HEI in South Africa was conducted. The realised sample consisted of 74 managers with an average of 9.5 raters per participant. MAIN FINDINGS: The results revealed that significant gender differences with regard to self-perception accuracy emerged. This was in spite of the fact that male and female leaders were perceived to be equally effective by their raters. PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS: The implications of women leaders' inaccurate self-perceptions on their career progression and the design of leadership development programmes aimed at improving gender disparity are discussed. Contribution/value-add: This study contributes to scientific knowledge regarding the factors that contribute to the slow advancement of women to senior leadership positions in HEIs. http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2071-07632020000100002&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=pt ORIENTATION: Coaching continues to grow in importance as a learning and developmental intervention in organisations. It is therefore important to understand what makes coaching successful. RESEARCH PURPOSE: The coaching relationship is a known predictor of coaching success, and trust is a key ingredient of a high-quality coach-coachee relationship. This study investigated whether coachee characteristics influence trust in a coaching relationship MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY: Research on trust from the coachees' perspective is sparse, and specifically it is not known which characteristics of the coachee influence trust behaviour (TB) in the coaching relationship. RESEARCH APPROACH/DESIGN AND METHOD: This study used a cross-sectional survey (n = 196) to measure coachees' propensity to trust, perception of the trustworthiness (TW) of their coach, TB and their Big Five personality traits. Structural equation modelling was used for analysis. MAIN FINDINGS: Results revealed that neither personality traits nor propensity to trust are predictors of coachee TB. Only the extent to which the coachee perceives the coach to be trustworthy predicts coachee TB. No indirect and moderation effects were observed PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS: Coaches can actively work towards increasing their TW and by implication the TB of the coachee by demonstrating competence, integrity and ability. CONTRIBUTION/VALUE-ADDITION: This study makes an important contribution to the under-researched field of the role of coachees' characteristics in successful coaching engagements, in the process contributing to the understanding of what affects coaching efficacy. http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2071-07632020000100003&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=pt ORIENTATION: Positive organisational functioning is a paradox. Both positive and negative tendencies could enable positive functioning. While an overemphasis on either the positive or the negative aspect is dysfunctional, positive factors must be given extra emphasis for positivity to occur because negativity usually dominates RESEARCH PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate how positive organisational practices relate to job demands and resources, person-environment fit and well-being MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY: Work in organisations and experiences thereof are not always positive. However, focussing on positive practices even when the context and experiences thereof are negative might facilitate positive functioning of individuals and their institutions. RESEARCH APPROACH/DESIGN AND METHOD: A cross-sectional survey design was used with a convenience sample of 339 academic employees from three higher education institutions in South Africa. The Positive Practices Questionnaire, the Job Demands-Resources Scale, two perceived person-environment fit scales and the Flourishing-at-Work Scale - Short Form were administered. MAIN FINDINGS: Results from latent profile analyses provided evidence of four latent profiles. Analysis showed that a perceived lack of positive practices in institutions was associated with perceptions of overload, lack of role clarity, poor supervisor and co-worker relationships, lack of person-environment fit, and reduced emotional, psychological and social well-being. PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS: Interventions should be employed by leaders to address positive practices in higher education institutions. CONTRIBUTION/VALUE-ADD: This study contributes to scientific knowledge regarding the relations between positive organisational practices and experiences of job demands and resources, person-environment fit and well-being of academics. http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2071-07632020000100004&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=pt ORIENTATION: The quality of education is influenced by the engagement, well-being, retention and performance of teachers. Literature shows that teachers are exiting the teaching profession at an alarming rate, and there are various and intertwined reasons compelling teachers to leave their jobs. RESEARCH PURPOSES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of retention factors on work engagement. MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY: Turnover among teachers is high, and many teachers are leaving the profession during their early years of teaching. An empirical investigation of the relationship between retention factors and work engagement and the results of utilising retention factors and work engagement to facilitate employee retention is needed. RESEARCH APPROACH/DESIGN AND METHOD: A quantitative design was used, and 278 questionnaires were collected from a convenience sample of teachers from public schools in the Tshwane Municipality. MAIN FINDINGS: Correlational analysis revealed significant relationships between retention factors and work engagement. Multiple regression analyses revealed that retention factors significantly predict work engagement. The main practical contribution of this study is the way in which it has demonstrated that retention factors relate to and predict work engagement PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS: Organisations should provide their employees with improved compensation, training and development, and career opportunities as this may improve employees' work engagement. Therefore, organisations should determine whether employees are satisfied with these retention factors as provided in the organisation. CONTRIBUTION/VALUE-ADD: This study adds to the psychological attachment theory by suggesting that employees satisfied with retention factors in their organisations are more likely to be engaged. http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2071-07632020000100005&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=pt ORIENTATION: Individual personality is known to have a direct impact on job performance. Yet, little is known about the behavioural processes through which personality unfolds and ultimately affects employee performance. RESEARCH PURPOSE: This study set out to investigate the indirect relationship between personality and performance through job crafting behaviour. Job crafting, the proactive changes employees make to their task, relational and cognitive job boundaries, has been shown to relate to a number of positive employee and organisational outcomes. MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY: Individual differences, such as personality, affect the manner in which employees approach their work, be it in the tasks they complete or the relationships that they build with others. It is thus imperative to understand how unique personality traits have an impact on important business outcomes such as job performance. RESEARCH APPROACH/DESIGN AND METHOD: A quantitative cross-sectional research design was conducted amongst a sample of South African working individuals (N = 580). Structural equation modelling (SEM) was the primary statistical technique used to investigate the research hypotheses. MAIN FINDINGS: The study results showed that the 'Big Five' personality traits indirectly influenced job performance (i.e. in-role behaviour, organisational citizenship behaviour) through job crafting as a mediator. PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS: Organisations who take the initiative to truly understand their employees and their unique personalities have a greater chance of leveraging valuable employee and business outcomes such as job crafting and job performance. Incorporating valid and reliable personality measures in an organisation's recruitment and selection process may thus prove beneficial in predicting proactive work behaviours and overall employee performance. CONTRIBUTION/VALUE-ADD: This study contributes to the limited knowledge surrounding the individual antecedents of job crafting behaviour and further shows how one's predisposition (i.e. personality) can have an indirect impact on performance through the behaviours employees engage in, such as job crafting. http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2071-07632020000100006&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=pt ORIENTATION: South African National Defence Force (SANDF) psychologists fulfil one of the most challenging roles within the psychological profession when deployed in peacekeeping operations (PKOs). RESEARCH PURPOSE: This study aimed at gaining an in-depth understanding of the experiences of female military psychologists during deployment in a PKO in the Darfur region. MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY: The study aimed to gain an insight into the unique experiences of female SANDF psychologists in the theatre of operation (deployment area) and to create a body of knowledge regarding SANDF psychologists' deployment experiences, with specific reference to female psychologists. RESEARCH DESIGN/APPROACH AND METHOD: A case study approach informed the framework for the study set against the backdrop of a qualitative, constructivist, hermeneutic research paradigm. Written personal accounts were evoked through visuals or photographic materials, obtained during in-depth interviews. Researchers used content analysis, and developed themes and subthemes with the use of an open-coding approach. MAIN FINDINGS: Three main themes were elicited: deployment experiences, peacekeeping deployment experiences and experiences of female psychologists. Each theme was supported by four subthemes. PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS: The study facilitated an increased understanding of the personal impact of PKO experiences on the journey of female psychologists serving in the SANDF in Darfur. CONTRIBUTION/VALUE-ADD: This research provides a platform for the sharing and understanding of the unique experiences of health care workers of the SANDF deployed in the mission area, with specific reference to female psychologists. This co-created understanding acts as a space where psychologists can share a community for support if required post-deployment. http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2071-07632020000100007&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=pt ORIENTATION: Considering the negative and positive consequences of burnout and work engagement, respectively (i.e. concepts used in reference to well-being), for both workers and organisations, it is crucial to identify their antecedents in order to prevent burnout and foster work engagement. RESEARCH PURPOSE: We investigated the mediating role of work-to-family conflict (WFC) and work-to-family enrichment (WFE) in the relationships between work environment (i.e. emotional load and workload as job demands; support and recognition from supervisors as job resources) and well-being (i.e. work engagement and burnout). The buffering effect of job resources in the job demands-WFC relationships was also tested. MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY: The present research tries to respond to recent recommendations in the field of work-family interface and burnout. RESEARCH APPROACH/DESIGN AND METHOD: A total of 226 employees of a Belgian Federal Public Service were surveyed. Our cross-sectional research model was tested using structural equation modelling with Mplus. MAIN FINDINGS: Workload and support were related to WFC, whereas only recognition was related to WFE. Both WFC and WFE were related to work engagement and burnout. The two job resources buffered the workload-WFC relationship PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS: Supervisors can increase WFE by recognising employees' efforts and reduce WFC by promoting a supportive work environment and reducing the workload. By doing so, supervisors increase work engagement and decrease burnout, thus enhancing workers' well-being. CONTRIBUTION/VALUE-ADDITION: This study highlights that the two job resources operate in different ways regarding work-to-family interface: recognition activates the resource generation and motivational processes, whereas support operates in the resource depletion and health impairment processes. The role of supervisors is thus crucial in the emergence of workers' well-being. http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2071-07632020000100008&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=pt ORIENTATION: Practitioners and researchers often assume that the psychometric instruments they use are invariant and that they therefore measure similar constructs in a comparable manner across men and women respondents. This assumption is, however, rarely tested, leading to an undetected bias in research findings or an adverse impact because of the presence of non-invariance. RESEARCH PURPOSE: After presenting essential information about measurement invariance (MI) and arguing for the testing thereof, this research aims to reveal the prevalence of MI across several frequently used psychometric instruments credulously used based on the assumption the revenant constructs are measured equivalently across gender exists. MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY: Firstly, this study aims to increase awareness regarding MI, a property that can be tested statistically. Secondly, the research aims to make practitioners aware of the presence of bias in psychometric instruments, specifically to identify instruments that could be included in investigations which attempt to understand gender matters in the workplace. RESEARCH APPROACH/DESIGN AND METHOD: Cross-sectional survey data, pertaining to seven standard instruments, related to innovative work behaviour, were analysed. Pairwise, multigroup confirmatory factor analyses with robust maximum likelihood estimation were used to examine configural, metric, intercept and strict invariance, as well as the equivalence of the latent means. MAIN FINDINGS: The findings were binary, with four of the instruments showing MI at an equal latent means level, whilst three instruments were non-invariant at the configural level. Measurement invariance was either accepted completely or rejected completely PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS: The serratedness of findings, even when using well-recognised and frequently used psychometric instruments, exposes the prevalence of non-invariance in some instruments, thereby necessitating the standard testing for MI. These findings also specify the instruments that are MI (in terms of gender), which allow other researchers and practitioners to use these instruments with more confidence when measuring and comparing men and women respondents in their studies. CONTRIBUTION/VALUE-ADD: This research demonstrates the ease with which MI testing can be performed and alerts researchers to do MI testing when conducting cross-group studies, as the prevalence of measurement non-invariance is high. http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2071-07632020000100009&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=pt ORIENTATION: In the construction industry, a lack of engagement by employees can have serious and costly health and safety consequences. RESEARCH PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether a job-crafting intervention could improve the work engagement of individuals employed in the construction industry. MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY: Because of tight deadlines and stringent requirements, managers in the construction industry are often unable to reduce the demands on, or increase the resources available to, their employees. Hence, if employees are to increase their work engagement, they need to exert personal agency by recrafting their own jobs. RESEARCH APPROACH/DESIGN AND METHOD: A quasi-experimental research approach was used. One group of employees (n = 33) completed the pre- and post-measures and participated in a 1-day job crafting training session. A comparison group (n = 22) only completed the measures, at the same intervals. MAIN FINDINGS: At the post-intervention measurement point, participants exposed to the intervention showed significantly higher levels of work engagement than those in the comparison group. Across the entire sample, changes in work engagement were correlated with changes in job-crafting behaviours but were not, however, correlated with changes in job demands and resources. PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS: Job-crafting interventions have the potential to enable employees to proactively improve their work engagement. CONTRIBUTION/VALUE-ADD: The study findings support a relatively rich literature, which suggests that employees who take a proactive role in crafting their job-related tasks and environments tend to take on psychologically fulfilling activities and will be more engaged in their work. http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2071-07632020000100010&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=pt ORIENTATION: The characterisation of research as qualitative because it does not use statistics is expedient but tends to conceal the intricacies implicit in such a categorisation. Many novice researchers believe that qualitative research is limited to non-numerical data. RESEARCH PURPOSE: The study contributes to the ongoing methodological debates by illustrating that the theoretical underpinnings, and not the non-numerical data, are central to determine what constitutes qualitative research. Motivation for the study: The main purpose of this article is not to debate the question of which research approach is more scientific, rather to distil the theoretical underpinnings of qualitative research to empower those less experienced in qualitative research to make sense of them. RESEARCH DESIGN: This article is a theoretical study based on a critical literature review and engages critically with methodological issues pertinent to qualitative research. MAIN FINDINGS: While the article is rooted in the notion of methodological pluralism, it focuses on the intricacies implicit in categorising research as qualitative and uses a Q methodological empirical study on trust in business alliances to buttress the view that research can use statistics and remain true to the tenets of qualitative research.. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: An understanding of the role of the theoretical tenets of qualitative research may be essential to empower those who desire to do qualitative research in management and organisational studies CONTRIBUTION OR VALUE-ADD: The study builds on existing knowledge and contributes to the ongoing cutting-edge methodological debate by explicating the tenets of qualitative research with the objective of optimising its understanding and application. http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2071-07632020000100011&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=pt ORIENTATION: The Global Competitiveness Index Report 2017 - 2018, which ranks the quality of 124 countries' education system, positioned South Africa 114th. Challenges with the quality of basic education offered in many public schools across South Africa are attributed to the lack of employee engagement amongst teachers. RESEARCH PURPOSE: The aim of this study was, firstly, to identify the most salient antecedents of variance in employee engagement amongst teachers and, secondly, to explore the relational dynamics that exist amongst these antecedents. MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY: The study was motivated by the intention to inform human resource practices and interventions that can be adopted to facilitate optimal teacher engagement and subsequently performance. RESEARCH APPROACH/DESIGN AND METHOD: A modified version of the interactive qualitative analysis (IQA) methodology was adopted to generate and collect primary qualitative data, but the data analysis was performed in accordance with the prescribed methodology. Initial (n = 37) and follow-up (n = 28) individual interviews were conducted amongst teachers from 12 mainstream public schools in the Cape Winelands education district. MAIN FINDINGS: Teacher-level, school-level, community-level and societal-level determinants were identified that explain variance in employee engagement amongst teachers. PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS: Human resource practices and interventions that may nurture employee engagement amongst teachers are recommended. CONTRIBUTION/VALUE-ADD: This study identified the most salient antecedents of variance in employee engagement amongst teachers in the Cape Winelands District and the findings allow for a number of recommendations regarding interventions to facilitate teacher engagement and ultimately performance. http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2071-07632020000100012&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=pt ORIENTATION: Research regarding the well-being of judges is essential given the effects thereof on their work and contextual performance. RESEARCH PURPOSE: This study aimed to review qualitative and quantitative empirical studies on the well-being of judges. Because of the limited availability of empirical studies on this topic, research in only five countries was included. MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY: The state of judges' well-being may affect, among others, their decision-making ability and their decorum in court. RESEARCH APPROACH/DESIGN AND METHOD: A scoping review was used to synthesise research evidence on the well-being of judges. Relevant literature was searched using computerised databases, covering the period from January 2008 to May 2018. Eleven studies met the inclusion criteria. Using the ATLAS.ti 8 programme for qualitative data analysis, the data were extracted from 11 articles. MAIN FINDINGS: A variety of job demands, such as judges' heavy workloads and time constraints, emotional demands of their work, negative work-home interference and their safety concerns, had a negative effect on their well-being. Despite the stressors and occupational demands to which judges were subjected, some judges experienced high levels of well-being because of, inter alia, the autonomy they had over certain aspects of their work, the nature of their work and positive relationships with their colleagues. PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS: Interventions should be employed to address stressors and job demands, as well as job resources that affect judges' well-being. CONTRIBUTION/VALUE-ADD: This study adds to scientific knowledge vis-à-vis the well-being of judges. http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2071-07632020000100013&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=pt ORIENTATION: The role of emotional intelligence, autonomy and leader member exchange (LMX) is examined in the relationship between transformational leadership and unit-level performance. RESEARCH PURPOSE: The goal of the present study was to investigate the role of emotional intelligence and autonomy in the effectiveness of leadership in organisations through high LMX relationships MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY: The relationship between transformational leadership and unit-level performance is well documented. However, the specific role of emotional intelligence, job autonomy and high-quality LMX relationships as transmission mechanisms is not well understood. RESEARCH APPROACH/DESIGN AND METHOD: The study used an ex post facto research design and a convenience sampling approach. A sample of employees working as managers (n = 226) in a large financial institution in South Africa participated in the study. The proposed conceptual model was empirically tested by means of simple and hierarchical regression analyses. MAIN FINDINGS: The results suggest that transformational leadership is effective in driving follower performance through emotional intelligence and strong LMX relationships. Furthermore, LMX and emotional intelligence fully mediate the relationship between transformational leadership and job performance PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS: The effectiveness of transformational leaders can be explained through the strong LMX relationships that they develop with followers by using emotional intelligence as an influencing strategy. CONTRIBUTION/VALUE-ADD: The study aims to explain the primary mechanism through which transformational leaders encourage job performance and high unit-level performance. The results indicate emotional intelligence as an important mechanism used by transformational leaders to build strong teams, which ultimately results in high-performing teams. http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2071-07632020000100014&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=pt ORIENTATION: Research indicates that teachers are more vulnerable to work-related stress, psychological distress and burnout than many other occupational groups. Despite these hindrances, and against all odds, some teachers are able to feel and function well at work. As positive teacher functioning is an achievable objective, it is important that more studies focus on the positive aspects associated with teacher functioning. RESEARCH PURPOSE: The aim of this was to determine whether workplace flourishing is non-static in nature and that employees' functioning levels may fluctuate positively or negatively over time. MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY: Studies predominantly looked at workplace flourishing from a cross-sectional viewpoint. This is problematic, as it provides little information on how employee well-being develops over time. RESEARCH APPROACH/DESIGN AND METHOD: A longitudinal survey design was used with 202 secondary school teachers. The Flourishing-at-Work Scale and Turnover Intention Scale were administered. A series of analyses (confirmatory factor analysis, longitudinal measurement invariance, cross-tabulations) were performed to achieve the study objectives. MAIN FINDINGS: The results showed that teachers experienced notable changes in their classification categories (non-flourishing vs. flourishing) over time and that these changes were related to their intention to leave. PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS: Because of the impact workplace flourishing may have on individual performance and retention, it is important for organisations to continuously monitor their employees' levels of functioning. CONTRIBUTION/VALUE-ADD: This study results should offer new insights into how employee well-being develops over time, the complexity of individual uniqueness and evidence for individualising well-being interventions. http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2071-07632020000100015&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=pt ORIENTATION: When opening any newspaper across the globe, the dominant narrative appears to be a driving obsessive preoccupation with how leaders consciously and often unconsciously create a working environment that serves their personal interests, fears and desires. This treacherous preoccupation inevitably influences a person's leadership style and leadership agenda and therefore stands in direct opposition to what come to be known as servant leadership. RESEARCH PURPOSE: The purpose of this article was to validate the 7-item servant leadership questionnaire (SLQ7) within the South African context. MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY: Owing to the emergence of the notion of servant leadership in South Africa, there exists a need for a valid measure of servant leadership in an organisational setting. Many leadership instruments developed in foreign countries (also the SLQ) are merely used by leadership scholars without assessing its transferability to that specific context, and this poses scientific and ethical challenges. RESEARCH APPROACH/DESIGN AND METHOD: A convenience sample of 1764 respondents, employed in both private and public sectors (employed in 31 different organisations), relatively well representative of the South African workforce in general, was used for this study. MAIN FINDINGS: An exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis yielded a one-factor solution of servant leadership that has acceptable psychometric and fit properties. The instrument was further found to have adequate convergent validity (compared with cognate leadership and organisational behaviour constructs PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS: The SLQ7 version was found to be suitable for use across different samples, including the private and public sectors, and could be used with confidence within the South African context. CONTRIBUTION/VALU E-ADD: This study's contribution to science, practice and the community is based on the importance of the servant leadership construct when leading people, specifically in the South African (and African) context. The study confirms the servant leadership scale as a valid and reliable measuring instrument in the South African context and, determines how servant leadership impacts organisational behaviour within the South African and African context. http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2071-07632020000100016&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=pt ORIENTATION: Occupational stress is a phenomenon that affects the physiological and psychological health and well-being of academic staff in higher education institutions (HEIs). RESEARCH PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were: (1) to test a structural model of occupational stress and coping for academics in a South African HEI, and (2) to determine whether the proposed adaptive coping strategies positively and significantly predict coping success. MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY: Occupational stress among academics will increase unless strategies and mechanisms are adopted to cope with the environmental demands in their profession. Higher education institutions seeking to promote academics' health and well-being should first comprehend the complexities of the coping process. There is thus a need for a more holistic view of coping with occupational stress in academia. RESEARCH APPROACH/DESIGN AND METHODS: A quantitative approach, using a cross-sectional, survey design, collected 305 responses from a convenience sample of academics. The Comprehensive Coping Strategies Questionnaire (CCSQ) was administered to the participants. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, thematic analysis, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, standard multiple regression analysis and structured equation modelling. MAIN FINDINGS: The theoretically hypothesised model had a good fit with the empirically manifested structural model. Academics experience both organisation- and job-specific stressors that elicit distressing emotions. Academics adopt adaptive coping strategies, which are associated with coping success. PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS: Higher education institutions should implement interventions to eliminate occupational stressors and should encourage academic staff to adopt adaptive coping strategies by arranging stress management courses and Affect Regulation Training (ART). CONTRIBUTION/VALUE-ADD: The study contributes toward a more holistic view of coping with occupational stress in academia, especially within a South African higher education context. http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2071-07632020000100017&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=pt ORIENTATION: Although previous research found evidence that burnout is associated with turnover intention, few studies explore this phenomenon among electronics manufacturing employees in South Africa. RESEARCH PURPOSE: To investigate the relationship between burnout and turnover intention among electronics manufacturing employees. Motivation for the study: The study explored the relationship between burnout and turnover intention in order to propose interventions that can reduce burnout and turnover intention in electronics manufacturing companies. RESEARCH APPROACH/DESIGN AND METHOD: The study employed a cross-sectional quantitative research methodology: a self-administered structured questionnaire, principal component analysis and the Spearman's correlation coefficient. A convenience sample of 133 employees from a selected electronics manufacturing company in South Africa participated in the survey. MAIN FINDINGS: The development of burnout among electronics manufacturing employees is conceptualised by two dimensions: exhaustion/cynicism and professional efficacy. However, exhaustion/cynicism is the only dimension associated with turnover intention. Exhaustion/cynicism is significantly positively related to job cognitions, job search activities, likelihood of leaving the job and turnover intention. Employees' job functions and satisfaction with stakeholder relationships influence burnout and ultimately turnover intention. Factory workers experienced significantly higher levels of exhaustion/cynicism compared to those performing other functions. Exhaustion/cynicism is significantly negatively associated with supervisor relationships whereas professional efficacy is significantly positively associated PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS: The study identified opportunities for electronics manufacturing companies to reduce burnout by developing interventions. CONTRIBUTION/VALUE-ADD: The study makes a number of recommendations to reduce burnout and ultimately increase retention of electronics manufacturing employees. http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2071-07632020000100018&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=pt ORIENTATION: Organisations are embedded in an emerging, radically and fundamentally changing world of work is forcing them to consider deeper issues such as who are we? and why do we exist? RESEARCH PURPOSE: To problematise critically the current organisational identity (OI) literature's power to provide deep insight into practice based findings resulting from an OI intervention in a major global, South African organisation. Part 1 covers the research purpose and approach; describes the large-scale OI intervention reported on; and problematises critically the thinking framework of OI: its meta-theoretical lenses, vocabulary and meta-theoretical framework MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY: In this world, OI has become critically important as a secure and referent anchor. RESEARCH APPROACH/DESIGN AND METHOD: Conventional or non-conventional grounded theory was utilised. We moved the data generated from the lived, enacted experiences of participants to existing theory and then used the generated findings to question OI theory by validating in an exploratory manner it to expose the current literature's strengths, weaknesses and blind spots from a practice or practitioner's power of understanding vantage point. MAIN FINDINGS: From a practice perspective, the OI literature was highly relevant, robust and valid in making sense of and giving meaning to what was observed during the OI intervention. However, practice-wise, a number of significant weaknesses also were uncovered PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS: The current IO literature proved with some limitations to be of practice utility. CONTRIBUTION OR VALUE-ADD: Theoretical and practical recommendations were made to strengthen the existing OI literature from a practice perspective. http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2071-07632020000100019&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=pt ORIENTATION: While scholars generally agree that organisations benefit from a motivated workforce that is committed to achieving organisational goals, there is much disagreement regarding the theoretical structure of goal commitment. RESEARCH PURPOSE: To provide a useful theoretical structure of the multifaceted nature of goal commitment, while arguing for the existence of a general factor of goal commitment. MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY: This article challenges the notion of a unidimensional construct of goal commitment by proposing a more inclusive, yet clearly differentiated, view of goal commitment as a bifactor model. RESEARCH APPROACH, DESIGN, AND METHOD: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in various economic sectors, using different sampling techniques (n = 450). The quantitative data were analysed using confirmatory factor analysis. MAIN FINDINGS: The findings suggest that a general factor explains a significant amount of common variance among the manifest variables of goal commitment. The recovery of the group factors provided support for a small multidimensional element of goal commitment PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS: Human resource specialists should use a more inclusive model of goal commitment to enable more accurate predictions of high performance and provide more depth for development initiatives aimed at employees self-regulating the direction, intensity, and persistence of their actions towards goals. However, the practical use of subscale scores should be tempered by the statistically unique information that such factors provide in addition to a general factor. CONTRIBUTIONS/VALUE-ADD: This study proposes a more comprehensive theory and clear articulation of the structure of goal commitment. http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2071-07632020000100020&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=pt ORIENTATION: Organisations need to manage the behaviours and attitudes of their workforce to remain competitive, effective and efficient. Therefore, it is important to understand job dissatisfaction and stress levels to minimise their negative effect on both individuals and the organisation as a whole. RESEARCH PURPOSE: The study sought to compare the levels of job satisfaction and occupational stress of employees in merged and non-merged higher learning institutions and investigated the moderating role of uncertainty in the relationship between job satisfaction and occupational stress. MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY: The study aimed to contribute a new model to explain the role of uncertainty in job satisfaction and occupational stress. RESEARCH APPROACH/DESIGN AND METHOD: The study used a quantitative survey research technique. A total sample of 424 respondents completed a self-administered questionnaire. MAIN FINDINGS: Employees in both merged and non-merged institutions were satisfied but showed differed levels of occupational stress. No relationship was found between job satisfaction or uncertainty and occupational stress. Furthermore, uncertainty significantly moderated the relationship between job satisfaction and occupational stress PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS: Human resource managers should reduce the uncertainty of employees to increase job satisfaction and reduce the negative effects of occupational stress. CONTRIBUTION/VALUE-ADD: Recommendations from the study could assist management to monitor the behaviours and attitudes of employees during and after organisational change. The study also contributed to the body of knowledge as no single study of this nature has been carried out in South African higher learning institutions. http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2071-07632020000100021&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=pt ORIENTATION: Human capital lies at the heart and centre of any organisation's success. It is for this reason that entrepreneurial envisioned corporations embrace the role of psychological capital in order to optimise their employees' competences and potential RESEARCH PURPOSE: The study underscores the role that psychological capital plays on employee engagement, job satisfaction and employees' performance in the manufacturing sector of a developing country context MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY: The study was motivated by the need to assess the impact of psychological capital on employee engagement, job satisfaction and employee performance in the manufacturing sector organisations. RESEARCH APPROACH/DESIGN AND METHOD: Quantitative approach and design was used in this study, with 257 respondents selected from 15 manufacturing firms based in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Collected data were analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM) technique. MAIN FINDINGS: The results showed that psychological capital significantly positively influence employee engagement, job satisfaction and employee performance. Employee engagement significantly positively influences employee performance and mediate the influence of psychological capital on employee performance. Whilst job satisfaction positively influences employee performance and employee engagement, respectively, it mediates the influence of psychological capital on employee performance PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS: Human capital drives organisational success. The manufacturing companies' management need to maximise their human capital core-competence by strategically embracing psychological capital to optimise employees' performance. CONTRIBUTION/VALUE-ADDED: This study extends the theoretical academic debate on psychological capital, its effects on employee engagement, job satisfaction and employee performance beyond the current and existing discoveries. http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2071-07632020000100022&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=pt ORIENTATION: During times of organisational change and restructuring, employees are often placed in acting capacities. The unconscious experiences and systemic impact thereof have not been researched in South Africa or globally. RESEARCH PURPOSE: The research aim was to report on the systems psychodynamic lived experiences of professional employees functioning in acting capacities for an extended period of time. Motivation for the study: Consciously, the appointment of acting staff serves the restructuring agenda by testing change endeavours. Unconsciously, they may become representatives of change and containers of systemic anxiety. RESEARCH DESIGN, APPROACH AND METHOD: A qualitative and descriptive research approach was undertaken using five participants as collective case study. Data were gathered through interviews and hermeneutically analysed. MAIN FINDINGS: The manifesting themes were conflict, anxiety, task, role, boundary, authorisation and identity. Further interrogation of the data revealed the interrelated aspects of becoming containers of systemic toxicity, employment and psychological contracts being violated, being placed on hold, seduced, bullied and traumatised. PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS: A dysfunctional organisation experiencing anxiety about restructuring, manifesting as incompetence, emotion turmoil and systemic toxicity, (unconsciously) projected its anxiety into professionals in acting capacities, who became the containers of the toxicity. The symptoms (anxiety) as well as the cause (restructuring) need to be studied and addressed. CONTRIBUTION/VALUE ADD: This research illustrated how professionals in acting capacities were unconsciously used to perform the emotional labour related to change and became the unconscious containers of larger systemic dynamics, specifically about the anxiety of change and restructuring. http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2071-07632020000100023&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=pt ORIENTATION: Work-related research from the perspective of psychology journal publications is reviewed, indicating research topic trends and research method use. RESEARCH PURPOSE: What psychology journals are publishing about work-related topics as well as how these topics are being investigated was indicated. The specific objectives of this study were to analyse what research methods are being used, how these methods are being used and for what topics in work-related research. MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY: The lack of studies that investigate the use of research methods and work-related study themes from the perspective of miscellaneous psychology journals prompted this study. RESEARCH APPROACH/DESIGN AND METHOD: A systematised review design was followed based on data collected by a previous study. Work-related research articles (n = 73) from five top-tier international miscellaneous or general psychology journals (published between 2013 and 2017) were collected and categorised. MAIN FINDINGS: Quantitative methods, convenience samples, cross-sectional designs and questionnaires for data collection as well as analysis of variance were the most frequently used methodologies. Workplace relationships, job search quality and re-employment and work stress were the most frequently investigated topics PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS: Researchers should pay attention to the areas that lack methodological transparency in their studies to address the replication crisis in psychology. Method use should be expanded beyond quantitative methods where applicable. Industrial and organisational psychologists are reminded of their identity as applied psychologists. CONTRIBUTION/VALUE-ADD: The use of research methods in work-related research published by psychology journals is presented. Trends for this sample as well as areas for improving the replication crisis in psychology were identified. http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2071-07632020000100024&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=pt ORIENTATION: Research has been conducted regarding job demands, job resources and well-being of individuals in a variety of jobs. However, no studies have focused on the work experiences of judges in an African context RESEARCH PURPOSE: This study aimed to explore job demands and job resources, and the effects thereof, on the well-being of judges in South Africa MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY: Some stressors and demands that judges face are universal. However, the situation in each country, division and type of court differs, and thus the factors affecting judges' well-being also vary. RESEARCH APPROACH/DESIGN AND METHOD: The research employed an exploratory study design. South African judges (n = 25) from various courts of different jurisdictions participated in this qualitative study. Semi-structured interviews were used to gather data. Conformability was established by using the ATLAS.ti 8 software program. MAIN FINDINGS: The results showed that job resources such as autonomy, positive relationships with senior judges and opportunities for training and development, contributed to judges' flourishing. Despite job demands such as work pressure and time constraints, emotional demands and hassles experienced at work, judges generally chose to use the available opportunities for well-being to reach their goals, to feel good and to function well at work. Some judges, however, noted that their heavy workload and limited time contributed to their stress and burnout. PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS: Interventions should be employed to alleviate the job demands of judges whilst increasing their job resources at the same time. This will boost their flourishing. CONTRIBUTION/VALUE-ADDITION: This study adds to scientific knowledge regarding the job demands, job resources and flourishing of judges in the South African context. http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2071-07632020000100025&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=pt ORIENTATION: The orientation of the study was towards psychological capital (PsyCap) as a mediator of the influence authentic leadership (AL) has on organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB) and intention to leave. RESEARCH PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the influence of AL on OCB and intention to leave through PsyCap amongst public healthcare employees in South Africa. MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY: South African public healthcare needs effective leadership that is value based, transparent, supportive and exemplary in behaviour to be efficient and to provide quality service. By exploring the impact of AL and the process through which such a leader influences followers, the study sought to demonstrate that AL may be effective in achieving valued outcomes in the healthcare sector. RESEARCH APPROACH/DESIGN AND METHOD: A quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional survey was used. A sample of 633 public healthcare employees was included in the study. Measuring instruments included the Authentic Leadership Inventory, a shortened version of the Psychological Capital Questionnaire, Organisational Citizenship Behaviour Scale and the PSYCONES' Intention to Leave Scale. Structural equation modelling was performed to evaluate the hypothesised measurement and structural models by using Mplus. MAIN FINDINGS: Results indicated that employees' perceptions of their leaders as authentic has an effect on OCB and intention to leave through PsyCap. PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS: Organisations should implement leadership development programmes that are relationally focussed and should strive to develop employees' PsyCap. CONTRIBUTION/VALUE-ADD: Providing more insight into the influence of authentic leadership on follower organisational citizenship behaviour and intent to leave as well as the role that psychological capital plays in these relationships. http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2071-07632020000100026&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=pt ORIENTATION: Organisations are embedded in an emerging world of work that is changing both radically and fundamentally. This context is forcing them to consider deeper issues, such as who are we? and why do we exist? RESEARCH PURPOSE: To critically review the power of the extant OI literature, with a view to providing deep insight into practice, based on the findings resulting from an OI intervention in a major global South African organisation. The aim is to critically problematise the current OI literature from a practice point of view. Part 2 of our article covers the here-and-now dynamics of OI, its evolution and change over time as well as OI-related outcomes, before concluding with the implications - for OI practice and theory - of our problematising review. MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY: In the world of work, organisational identity (OI) has become critically important as a secure and referent anchor. RESEARCH APPROACH/DESIGN AND METHOD: Unconventional grounded theory was utilised. We moved the data generated from the lived, enacted experiences of participants to existing theory and then used the generated findings to question OI theory by validating, in an exploratory manner, the existing OI theory to expose the strengths, weaknesses and blind spots of the current literature from a practice/practitioner, power-of-understanding vantage point. MAIN FINDINGS: From a practice perspective, the OI literature was highly relevant, robust and valid in making sense of, and giving meaning to, what was observed during the OI intervention. Practice-wise, however, a number of significant weaknesses were also uncovered PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS: The OI literature - with the uncovered weaknesses rectified - can assist greatly in strengthening OI work in practice. CONTRIBUTION/VALUE-ADD: Theoretical and practical recommendations were made to strengthen the existing OI literature from a practice perspective. http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2071-07632020000100027&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=pt ORIENTATION: Many studies have investigated the relationship between the five-factor model of personality and burnout. However, relationships between the facets of these five factors and burnout remain relatively unexplored. RESEARCH PURPOSE: This study set out to investigate the relationship between the five-factor facets and burnout using more appropriate variance decomposition than simply using zero-order correlation coefficients. MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY: Investigating the relationship between personality facets and burnout can provide a complete understanding of the role of personality in possible development of burnout. Most studies that have investigated these relationships have relied on zero-order correlation coefficients.. RESEARCH APPROACH/DESIGN AND METHOD: A cross-sectional survey research design was used. The Basic Traits Inventory and Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey were administered to a sample of 127 working adults. Zero-order correlation coefficients, semi-partial correlation coefficients and bifactor modelling were used to investigate the relationship. MAIN FINDINGS: Several of the personality facets showed statistically significant correlations with burnout over and above their respective factors. In some instances, these correlation coefficients were in opposite directions to their factor. PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS: Our results provide a more complete investigation of the relationship between personality and burnout. They suggest that there might be value to consider both the five-factor personality factors and their respective facets in burnout interventions and preventative measures, as well as for a better understanding of the relationship between personality and burnout. CONTRIBUTION/VALUE-ADD: The results add some support to the argument that personality facets should be interpreted in addition to their respective factor scores. There might also be value to add personality facets as possible antecedents in models on the development of burnout. http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2071-07632020000100028&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=pt ORIENTATION: Research has been conducted regarding work readiness in a various contexts. However, there are deficiencies in studies that have focused on the precursors of work readiness in an African context. RESEARCH PURPOSE: The primary objective of this study was to determine the impact of career self-efficacy (CSE), career exploration (CE) and self-perceived employability (SPE) on work readiness (WR) of students in the South African context, particularly in the Gauteng Province. MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY: There is an unequivocal gap between what educational institutions teach as well as what the South African labour market requires, highlighting a misalignment and one of many reasons graduates struggle to find work. RESEARCH APPROACH/DESIGN AND METHOD: To close the research gap, the current study used a quantitative approach using the cross-sectional survey research design. A structured questionnaire was administered to 254 randomly selected students. The collected data were analysed using structural equation modelling. MAIN FINDINGS: The hypotheses testing results revealed that the WR was influenced significantly and positively by CSE, CE and SPE PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS: The present research provides implications from which managers of institutions of higher learning can benefit. For instance, ensuring that experiential learning is involved in all the programmes. This will be more advantageous to students who would like to evaluate themselves to determine if they are work ready. CONTRIBUTION/VALUE-ADD: This study adds fresh understanding regarding the precursors that stimulate work readiness among students in a South African context. http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2071-07632020000100029&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=pt ORIENTATION: It is not clear from research whether the dualistic model holds true across binary ethnic and gender groups in the South African organisational context. RESEARCH PURPOSE: The present research aimed to test the validity and reliability of the two-factor Passion Scale and to assess for measurement invariance of the two-factor scale across binary ethnic and gender groups in the South African context. MOTIVATION OF THE STUDY: The construct of passion helps to better understand some of the psychological attributes that contribute to experiences of either well-being or strain at work and is therefore an important attribute to measure. RESEARCH APPROACH, DESIGN AND METHOD: The study involved a convenience sample (N = 550) of managerial and staff-level South African employees from various industries with a mean age of 34 years (SD = 10.95). Confirmatory factor analysis, exploratory structural equation modelling, t-tests and tests for measurement invariance were performed. MAIN FINDINGS: The results confirmed the validity and measurement invariance of the two-factor structure of the Passion Scale in the South African work context. The observed differences between the ethnic groups and men and women were practically small PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS: Well-being interventions should consider the use of the Passion Scale as a measure of the psychological attributes that explain differentiating experiences of harmonious and obsessive passion in the workplace. Contribution/value-add: The findings provided encouraging evidence for the relevance and usefulness of the Passion Scale's dualistic model of passion for people of different binary ethnic and gender groups in South African organisations. http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2071-07632020000100030&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=pt ORIENTATION: Diverse backgrounds often become the basis for conflict, separation and mistrust in the workplace. The unique quality that each culture contributes to the workplace is often misjudged as differences or annoying habits. RESEARCH PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to explore the unique contributions of different cultural groups in the workplace. MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY: One cannot appreciate diversity if one does not know what there is to appreciate. Empirical research regarding the unique contributions of different cultural groups in South Africa is lacking. RESEARCH APPROACH/DESIGN AND METHOD: A qualitative descriptive design was followed. The sample comprised of nurses (N = 17) from two hospitals within the North West Province. The data were collected by means of semi-structured interviews. MAIN FINDINGS: The participants did not have a clear understanding of what constitutes culture. Most participants were unaware of the unique contributions their colleagues from different cultures can offer to the workplace. The vast majority of participants expressed a need for cultural training in an attempt to improve colleague relationships and to foster an appreciation for cultural contributions. PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS: Participants do not have a clear understanding of what unique contributions different cultures bring to the workplace. This is alarming and poses great threats for the effective management of diversity. CONTRIBUTION/VALUE-ADD: This study identifies a lack of appreciation for cultures as one explanation for poor diversity management. This study highlights the need for training and other diversity initiatives to foster an appreciation for diversity. http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2071-07632020000100031&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=pt ORIENTATION: Considering the impact of the unprecedented worldwide changes on employee well-being; well-being will increasingly become a competitive edge for organisations. The focus of this study was on appreciative inquiry (AI) as intervention for well-being; to hypothesise why and under what circumstances AI could be effective, and what can be performed to enhance its effectiveness, especially in respect of improving the well-being of employees. RESEARCH PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to valuate and refine AI as an intervention aimed at facilitating well-being in the workplace, using a neuropsychotherapeutic approach as framework. MOTIVATION FOR THE STUDY: Appreciative inquiry is well known in the management and organisational sciences as an approach and a method to facilitate change. Despite the importance of well-being for organisations, in the academic literature, reporting on the use of AI as an intervention to facilitate well-being remains largely limited. Furthermore, no evidence of a similar study using a neuropsychoterapeutic framework could be found in the English literature. RESEARCH APPROACH/DESIGN AND METHOD: This was a conceptual analysis with theory adaption as an approach. Appreciative inquiry was chosen as a domain theory and neuropsychotherapy as a method theory. Firstly, AI was discussed, after which the focus fell on neuropsychotherapy with the focus on well-being. Neuropsychotherapy was then used to evaluate and refine AI as an intervention directed at well-being. MAIN FINDINGS: It was found that neuropsychotherapy served as a valuable method theory to refine AI for enhancing well-being. PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS: Appreciative inquiry in its more traditional form can be used to facilitate employee well-being in general but will probably be less effective in changing hard-wired neural circuits for the better. For employees who experience high levels of stress, a refinement of AI is needed, in line with neuropsychotherapy. CONTRIBUTION/VALUE ADD: This study contributed to the literature on well-being interventions. http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2071-07632020000100032&lng=pt&nrm=iso&tlng=pt ORIENTATION: As the leaders of teams that compete at the highest level, elite South African rugby coaches face constant pressures to consistently lead their teams to successful on-field performances. An understanding of the leadership challenges they face may highlight actions that could equip them to achieve this more effectively. RESEARCH PURPOSE: To investigate the leadership challenges experienced by the head coaches of elite South African rugby teams that compete on an international level. Motivation for the study: The leadership challenges faced by elite South African coaches could become clearly known only through investigation, and subsequently they could be properly addressed. RESEARCH APPROACH/DESIGN AND METHOD: A qualitative approach with a phenomenological design was utilised, which collected data by means of in-depth interviews with the head coaches of elite South African rugby teams. Eleven teams were considered to be elite South African rugby teams for this study given that they competed on an international level. Ultimately, six participants were included, representing 54.5% of the total population. The general systems theory was also used as a theoretical basis to present findings. MAIN FINDINGS: The data revealed three main themes, namely environmental, relationships and personal leadership challenges. The data revealed that these coaches experience significant leadership challenges, some of which are unique to the South African context PRACTICAL/MANAGERIAL IMPLICATIONS: It is believed that the implementation of suggested recommendations will assist in ensuring both the economic survival and overall leadership improvement of coaches and the teams they lead. CONTRIBUTION/VALUE ADD: Theoretically the study added to the limited literature on leadership in elite South African sport and practically it provided recommendations to address the findings as well as for further research.