Conscientiousness, work-family-study conflict and general work stress amongst employed non-residential South African Military Academy students

Date
2020-03
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH SUMMARY : Balancing the demands of work and family respectively has generated much research interest. A third area of demands, namely studies, is also worthy of examination. In a fast-changing work environment the importance of continued studies and further education and training for individuals’ career advancement has become increasingly salient. The present study posits that balancing demands from three areas, namely work, family and studies adds complexity to the understanding of work stress. Furthermore, an understanding of how personality trait of conscientiousness may moderate the relations of work-family-study conflict (WFSC) with General work stress may be important especially for selecting persons for situations where there might be additive effects of work, family and study demands.The present study aimed to explore how performance of multiple roles resulted in WFSC and General Work Stress amongst non-residential military university students by; (a) investigating the relationship between Conscientiousness, WFSC and General Work Stress, (b) examining the combined effect of Conscientiousness and WFSC on General Work Stress, (c) examining the moderating role of Conscientiousness on the relations of WFSC with General Work Stress, and (d) examining whether work-study conflict and family-study conflict contributes to the explanation of General Work Stress above and beyond work-family conflict. The theoretical models consisted of role theory, job demands-resource model, General work stress, and big five model. The study was undertaken at the South African Military Academy, Faculty of Military Science in Saldanha based on a sample size of 113 (n=113) out of 137 (N=137) fulltime employed non-residential South African Military military university students. These students are Department of Defense full-time employees selected to enrol for undergraduate and postgraduate studies as non-residential Telematic Education students. The study was conducted through cross-sectional survey research where an invitation to voluntarily participate in the study was sent to all prospective respondents through emails. Data was collected using the Work-family-study interface Scale , General Work Stress Scale and the Big Five Inventory. The results of this study revealed that WFSC and Conscientiousness have a statistically significant combined effect on General Work Stress, however, Conscientiousness alone was found to have a non-significant moderating effect on WFSC and General Work Stress. Moreover, work-study conflict and family-study conflict were found to contribute significantly to the explanation of General Work Stress above and beyond the explanation provided by work-family conflict. This study findings point that study(ies) is a an important variable to take into account when trying to understanding General Work Study.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Die balansering van die onderskeidelike eise van werk en gesin het baie navorsingsbelangstelling gegenereer. 'n Derde area van eise, naamlik studies, verdien ook om ondersoek te word. In 'n vinnig veranderende werksomgewing het die belangrikheid van voortgesette studies en verdere onderwys en opleiding vir individue se loopbaanvordering al hoe meer opvallend geword. Die huidige studie stel voor dat die balansering van eise van die drie areas, naamlik werk, gesin en studies, kompleksiteit tot die begrip van werkstres byvoeg. Verder kan begrip van hoedie persoonlikheidseienskap van pligsgetrouheid die verhoudings van werk-gesin-studie-konflik (WFSC) met Algemene werkstres kan modereer, veral belangrik vir die seleksie van persone vir situasies waar bykomende effekte van werk-, gesin- en studie-eise kan voorkom. Die doel van die huidige studie was om te verken hoe die uitvoering van veelvuldige rolle tot WFSC en Algemene Werkstres onder nie-residensiële militêre universiteitstudente gelei het deur: (a) die die verband tussen Pligsgetrouheid, WFSC en Algemene Werkstres te ondersoek; (b) die gekombineerde effek van Pligsgetrouheid en WFSC op Algemene Werkstres te ondersoek; (c) ie modererende rol van Pligsgetrouheid op die verhoudings van WFSC met Algemene Werkstres te ondersoek; en (d) te ondersoek of werk-studie-konflik en gesin-studie-konflik bo en behalwe werk-gesin-konflik tot die verduideliking van Algemene Werkstres bydra. Die teoretiese modelle was rolteorie, die werkeise-hulpbronmodel, Algemene werkstres en die Groot Vyf-model. Die studie is by die Suid-Afrikaanse Militêre Akademie, Fakulteit Krygskunde in Saldanha onderneem en was op 'n steekproefgrootte van 113 (n=113) uit 137 (N=137) voltyds werkende nie-residensiële Suid-Afrikaanse Militêre militêre universiteitstudente opgebaseer. Hierdie studente was voltydse werknemers van die Departement van Verdediging wat gekies is om as nie-residensiële Telematiese Onderwysstudente vir voorgraadse en nagraadse studies in te skryf. D Die studie is deur middel van deursnee-opname-navorsing uitgevoer waarvolgens 'n uitnodiging om vrywillig aan die studie deel te neem per e-pos aan alle voornemende respondente gestuur is. Data is deur gebruik van die Werk-gesin-studie-koppelvlakskaal, Algemene Werkstresskaal en die Groot Vyf Inventaris ingesamel. Die resultate van hierdie studie het aan die lig gebring dat WFSC en Pligsgetrouheid 'n statisties betekenisvolle gekombineerde effek op Algemene Werkstres het, maar daar is gevind dat Pligsgetrouheid alleen 'n nie-beduidende modererende effek op WFSC en Algemene Werkstres het nie. Verder is gevind dat werk-studie-konflik en gesin-studie-konflik bo en behalwe die verduideliking wat deur werk-gesinskonflik verskaf word, ‘n beduidende bydrae tot die verduideliking van Algemene Werkstres lewer.
Description
Thesis (MCom)--Stellenbosch University, 2020.
Keywords
Military art and science students -- Academic workload -- Psychological aspects, Work and family -- Physiological aspects, Diligence, Job stress, Work-life balance, UCTD
Citation