Browsing by Author "Pieterse-Landman, Elzette"

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    The relationship between transformational leadership, employee engagement, job characteristics and intention to quit
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2012-03) Pieterse-Landman, Elzette; Cillie, Gawie G.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Industrial Psychology.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In the current recessive times, in which the war for talent is rife, organisations and researchers are increasingly taking interest in how not only to retain their talent, but also to optimise their leadership and engagement practices to maximise organisational outcomes through their talent. However, research on the dynamics of the relationships between specific leadership behaviours, employee engagement, work-related factors and employee intention to quit is limited to investigating single constructs, or only the relationships between two constructs. This study attempted to gain some insights into the relationships between perceived leader behaviour, employee engagement, job characteristics and employee intention to quit by testing a conceptual model of hypothesised relationships derived from research on the body of literature relating to these constructs. A non-experimental quantitative research design was applied using a sample of managers in a local JSE-listed manufacturing organisation (n = 185). Participants completed a questionnaire that measured the perceived presence of the transformational leadership style, experienced work engagement, perceived motivating potential of work and employee intention to quit. Reliability analysis was done to assess the measurement properties of the respective measures, and all scales showed adequate reliability. Univariate relationships between the measured ordinal variables, using Spearman correlations, corroborated all hypothesised relationships between the respective constructs. The results indicate that there are significant positive relationships between transformational leadership and employee engagement, the motivating potential of a job and employee engagement, and transformational leadership and the motivating potential of a job. Also significant negative relationships exist between transformational leadership and intention to quit, and employee engagement and intention to quit. The mediating effects of employee engagement, as measured using Sobel’s test, confirm engagement to be a mediator of the relationship between transformational leadership and intention to quit, as well as of the relationship between the motivating potential of a job and intention to quit. This study adds to existing literature on intention to quit, transformational leadership, employee engagement and job characteristics (motivating potential of a job) by providing insights into the strength and directions of relationships among these constructs. Furthermore, it provides valuable insights into the mediating effects of the engagement construct. The findings of this study provide valuable information to consider in business practice for the development of interventions aimed at mitigating turnover behaviour and maximising organisational outcomes through an engaged workforce. The limitations and recommendations of the study provide insights into possibilities that could be explored in future research.