Marius W. Stander

Psychological empowerment, work engagement and turnover intention: the role of leader relations and role clarity in a financial institution

This study investigated the relationship between leader-member exchange, role clarity, psychological empowerment, engagement and turnover intention within a financial institution in South Africa. A cross-sectional survey design was used. A convenience sample (N = 278) was taken (males =31%, females =60%; 88% younger than 35 years; 57% with 2–5 years service) from the total population (N = 889). They completed the Leader-Member Exchange Questionnaire (Liden, Wayne, & Stilwell, 1993) Role Conflict and Ambiguity Questionnaire (Rizzo, House, & Lirtzman, 1970), Measuring Empowerment Questionnaire (Spreitzer, 1995), Engagement Questionnaire (May, Gilson, & Harter, 2004) and Intention-to-leave Scale (Sjöberg & Sverke, 2000). A path model was tested with SPSS to determine the relationships of the variables. Furthermore, a theoretical model was tested through the use of structural equation modelling (Arbuckle, 2008). The latent variables included LMX (consisting of two parcels), role clarity (consisting of two parcels), psychological empowerment (consisting of four variables, namely meaning, competence, impact, and self-determination), work engagement (consisting of two parcels), and turnover intention (a manifest variable). Role clarity mediated the relationship between leader-member exchange and psychological empowerment, while psychological empowerment mediated the relationship between role clarity and work engagement as well as turnover intention. Leader-member relations lead to better understanding of roles, while role clarity empowers and engages employees.

A Strengths-Based Approach Towards Coaching in a Multicultural Environment

The purpose of this chapter was to develop a strengths-based coaching model conducive to a multicultural environment. The model integrates a psycho-existential, positive psychology and person-centered approach (PCA) to provide an ecosystemic view of human nature. The approach focuses on enhancing, predicting and utilising individual strengths and on its various underlying constructs (e.g. happiness, resilience and meaning in work) in order to enhance individual performance and facilitate well-being. A meta-theoretical literature review was used in order to develop a ten-phase strengths-based model for workplace and executive coaching. This chapter focuses on the coaching process.

Leadership Empowerment Behaviour , Work Engagement and Turnover Intention: The Role of Psychological Empowerment

Research purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between leadership empowerment behavior, psychological empowerment, work engagement and turnover intention. The study further investigated whether psychological empowerment mediates the relationship between leadership empowerment behavior and turnover intention and work engagement respectively. Research design, approach and method: A cross-sectional survey design was used with a convenience sample (N = 322). Confirmatory factor analysis was used to test whether the measures of the constructs were consistent with the understanding of the nature of the constructs and to test whether the data fitted the hypothesized measurement model. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to examine the structural relationships between the constructs. Measuring instruments: The Leader Empowering Behavior Questionnaire, Measuring Empowerment, Work Engagement and Turnover Intention scales were administered. Main findings: The results showed significant positive relationships between leadership empowerment behavior, psychological empowerment, work engagement and a negative correlation with turnover intention. Leadership empowerment behavior affected work engagement through psychological empowerment. Practical implications: It is recommended that leadership discussions, training programs and individual coaching about leadership empowering behavior takes place.

Flourishing Interventions: A Practical Guide to Student Development

This chapter presents a practical guide for the development of flourishing students. Flourishing is defined as a positive psychological state characterised by positive emotions, engagement, positive relationships, meaning and accomplishments with various positive work/life outcomes (Seligman, Flourish: A visionary new understanding of happiness and well-being, 2011). Within an academic setting, recent research has alluded to the relationship between flourishing students and academic performance (Van Zyl and Rothmann, Journal of Psychology in Africa 22(3), 2012). Howell (Journal of Positive Psychology 4(1):1–13, 2009) found that flourishing students were less likely to procrastinate, had higher levels of self-control, adopted a mastery-approach towards their goals and reported higher levels of academic performance. Further, Seligman (Flourish: A visionary new understanding of happiness and well-being, 2011) argued that flourishing students has a higher probability to experience fruitful and rewarding careers. Therefore, it is imperative to equip students with the necessary skills to enhance flourishing early in their academic careers. This chapter aims to present the theoretical implications of flourishing as well as to provide a practical approach towards developing flourishing students.

The Future of Multi-cultural Coaching Psychology

The final chapter of this manuscript focuses on determining the future direction of multi-cultural coaching psychology for both the discipline (research) and the profession (practice). Through thematic content analysis, this chapter aimed to evaluate the 17 manuscripts submitted for this specialist book in order to provide a descriptive overview of the most frequently occurring themes relating to the future direction of coaching psychology within multi-cultural contexts. A brief overview of the research method, data analysis and findings will be presented.

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 Positive Psychology and Person-Centred Psychology in Multi-cultural Coaching

Positive psychology and the person centred approach have emerged as dominant perspectives utilized within multi-cultural coaching contexts owing to ‘cultural neutrality’. Eclectic theorists within coaching psychology suggest that these perspectives are mutually related and complementary both in conceptualization and application (Joseph S, Murphy D. Person-centered theory encountering mainstream psychology: Building bridges and looking to the future. In: Interdisciplinary handbook of the person-centered approach. Springer, New York, pp 213–226, 2013). Though, purists in both the positive psychological and person-centred domains argue that each paradigm is mutually exclusive, unrelated and conceptually dissimilar (Robbins, Humanist Psychol 36: 96–112, 2008). As such, this chapter is aimed at contrasting eclectic and purist theorising through examining similarities and differences between positive psychology and the person-centred approach as dominant paradigm perspectives within multi-cultural coaching. Both the positive psychological and person-centred paradigms will be presented against an eclectic multi-cultural strengths-based coaching model founded in both paradigms (cf. Van Zyl LE, Stander MW. A strengths-based approach towards coaching in a multicultural environment. In Cornelius-White JHD, Motschnig-Pitrik R, Lux M (eds) Interdisciplinary handbook of the person-centred approach. Springer, New York, pp 245–257, 2013). Through the use of connective conceptual analysis (Banicki 2011), each phase of the proposed eclectic coaching model will be explored from a positive psychological and person-centred orientation to develop a clear understanding of the essential commonalities and dissimilarities of the paradigms within the multicultural coaching context.

A Review of the Relationship Between Positive Leadership Styles and Psychological Ownership

In volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous business environments a positive approach to organisations and specifically leadership is of utmost importance. Organisations where people take ownership of their tasks and responsibilities have a better chance of long term sustainability and growth. Viewing psychological ownership as a positive construct, this chapter briefly explores potential personal and organisational outcomes of psychological ownership with specific reference to the role of positive leadership on employees’ levels of psychological ownership that leads to these outcomes. This chapter commence with a brief conceptualisation of psychological ownership and positive leadership as constructs within the positive organisational behaviour field. In studying the development of psychological ownership, potential relationships with different forms of positive leadership (example authentic, transformative, ethical and empowering leadership) are suggested from literature. It is our opinion that based on a literature review there is a strong relationship between positive leadership and psychological ownership, specifically empowering, strengths based and transformational leadership. Recommendations for companies to develop and enable leaders to increase employees’ levels of ownership are discussed, while future research topics are indicated.