Lené I. Jorgensen

An evaluation of a helping skills training program for intern psychometrists

This study reports on the effectiveness of a helping skills training program for intern psychometrists. A randomized pretest–posttest comparison group design was used to evaluate the training program. Participants (N = 22; 82% = female, and Afrikaans-speaking = 95%) were selected from the psychometrist-in-training program from a tertiary institution. Three helping skills development measuring instruments were administered before and after the training program. Data were quantitatively analysed to examine training effects on empathy, respect and genuineness, as well as the participants’ ability to respond to content and personalise meaning. At the conclusion of the training, participants appeared to have evidently developed a heightened sense of purpose in life.

Qualities of work-related well-being in selected South African occupations

This study investigated the structure of work-related well-being in four occupational groups in South Africa. The participants were 4 006 employees, namely educators and administrative personnel (n = 2501), insurance industry personnel (n = 613), and correctional services personnel (n = 892) from across South Africa. The participants completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI-GS), the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, the Job Demands-Resources Scale and the Organisational Stress Screening Tool (ASSET). The data was analysed by employing the SPSS program version 20.0. Descriptive statistics were determined for each dimension and for each occupation, while product-moment correlations were conducted to determine the inter-relationships between the variables. The results showed that the dimensions of work-related well-being of personnel in different occupations in South Africa are commonly affected by high job demands and insufficient resources. The employees showed higher levels of exhaustion, indicating that job demands could contribute to burnout. The exhaustion levels could further be indicative of a lack of support from the organisations and inadequate growth opportunities

Efficacy Evaluation of a Leadership Development Assessment Centre For Managers

This study evaluated the efficacy of a leadership development intervention using an assessment centre approach. Participants were 72 managers and peer workers (50%) with a steel manufacturing organisation from the Gauteng province of South Africa (females = 17% and males = 83%). A randomised group design was used to evaluate the programme. The intervention involved a leadership development assessment centre which included simulations to develop a leader. Pre-post intervention data were collected using the New Leadership Behaviour Inventory—Version 2 (LBI—2). The results indicate that the leadership development intervention was effective in developing the key competencies of a leader. The most significant increase was found between the pre- and post-test for the competency, and articulating vision. Leaders should have a vision for themselves and the company and should share a dream and direction which their subordinates and peers wish to share and follow.

The Development and Evaluation of an Emotion Competence Intervention in the South African Police Service

Abstract The South African Police Service (SAPS) is an organisation where employees are exposed to numerous stressful and traumatic episodes which affects the employee’s emotion functioning. Although several pro-active psychological programs exist within the organisation, they do not effectively assist the employee with coping with stressors on an emotion level. The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate an emotion competence intervention for the SAPS. From the literature study, several emotion competencies were found that will illustrate emotion intelligent behaviour. The criteria, methodology and content to include in an emotion competence intervention for the SAPS was established and included in the development of the intervention. The intervention was evaluated by a panel of experts (N=13), suggesting only a few minor adaptations. These suggestions were incorporated in the final emotion competence intervention. Limitations included the small amount of experts that evaluated the intervention, as well as the absence of functional SAPS members as part of the panel of experts. Recommendations for future studies were made.

Training Emerging Psychologists as Multi-cultural Contextual Coaches

Research on the education, professional training and tuition models of emerging psychologists (or ‘student psychologists’) has significantly increased during the past two to three decades (Johnson WB, Kaslow N (eds). The Oxford handbook of education and training in professional psychology. Oxford University Press, New York, 2014). Various evidence-based, practitioner-scholar-, clinical-scientist- and science-practitioner models have been developed to aid in the professional training of emerging psychologists (Bell D, Hausman EM. 3 training models in professional psychology doctoral programs. The Oxford handbook of education and training in professional psychology. Oxford University Press, New York, 2014) in order to develop competence in different practice domains such as counselling/therapy (Smith EJ. Couns Psychol 34(2):13–80, 2006), psychometric evaluation (Theron C. SA J Ind Psychol 33(1):102–117, 2007), forensic analysis (Neal TM, Brodsky SL. J Forensic Psychol Pract 14:24–44, 2014) and coaching psychology (Biswas-Diener R, Dean B. Positive psychology coaching: putting the science of happiness to work for your clients. Wiley, Hoboken, 2007). Coaching psychology has emerged as a rapidly growing practice domain (Passmore J (ed). Diversity in coaching: working with gender, culture, race and age. Kogan Page Publishers, New York, 2013) in both uni- and multi-cultural contexts (Palmer S, Whybrow A (eds). Handbook of coaching psychology: a guide for practitioners. Routledge, London), however limited scientific research exists relating to the training and development of emerging psychologists as coaches within multi-cultural environments. As such, the chapter aims to evaluate the experiences of emerging psychologists relating to an evidence-based training methodology in order to provide structured guidelines for the development of a multi-cultural coaching training programme. Through the use of an evidence-based research methodology and thematic content analysis, the chapter will present the specific strategies employed and methodologies utilized in the development of multi-cultural coaching competence of emerging psychologists as part of their formal academic training. The research method, data analysis and results will be presented followed by recommendations that flowed from the study.

Exploring Subjective Career Success Among Blue-Collar Workers: Motivators That Matter

The purpose of the present study was to explore the experience of subjective career success among an understudied population such as blue-collar workers (BCWs) in a South African context. Employing a qualitative approach, a nonprobability, purposive voluntary sample of 20 workers were drawn from a manufacturing industry. Semistructured interviews were conducted and examined through a comprehensive thematic analysis. The analysis revealed that BCWs experience career success when certain needs are fulfilled in their careers. According to the findings, participants highlighted specific aspects in their work (e.g., support from the organization, aspiration for progression, working to provide, responsibility toward others, and work-related preferences). For BCWs, these aspects fulfill particular needs that lead to specific feelings of career success (e.g., recognition and value, competence and skills, performance, purpose and meaning, working in a conducive environment, and financial gain).

Encounter group counsellor training with pre-service industrial psychologists: A pilot study

This study explored the efficacy of an encounter group counsellor training protocol to prepare pre-service industrial-organisational (I-O) psychologists as workplace counsellors. The participants included 48 master’s degree students enrolled for I-O professional education at a South African university over the span of two years (female = 59%, aged 23 to 30 years, white = 79% and Afrikaans speaking = 70%). They were engaged in an encounter group training process as part of their professional preparation. Qualitative impressions on the students’ experiences impacting on their intra-and interpersonal awareness were gathered after the training using a structured observation design. The data were thematically analysed and the findings indicated the participants portrayed a higher sense of inter-and intrapersonal awareness following the encounter group training. Encounter group experiences might be of added value in the training of future I-O psychologists for interpersonal awareness.