The relationship between work stressors, work wellness and intention to quit of management in a large mining house in South Africa

Abstract

Background and Aim: “Burnt out”, this term is being used more and more to describe employees in the mining industry. In the last couple of years research has shown that there has been an increase in stress related burnout in management in the mining industry. As a result more and more managers in the industry are leaving their profession within the industry, because of illhealth caused by stress at work which eventually leads to burnout (Mustafa & Selahattin, 2010). Stress in a mining environment is one of the main reasons for their willingness to leave their profession and work in a field that is deemed to be less stressful. Once an individual is diagnosed as being burnt out their symptoms normally show as ill-health, in the form of depression and counterproductive work behaviour (Tennant, 2001; Michie & Williams, 2003; Fox, Spector, & Miles, 2003). This study is aims to investigate work stressors, work wellness and intention to quit in management in a large mining house. Method: A cross-sectional survey research design was followed with data collected from management (N=141) from a large mining house South Africa. The Job Characteristics Scale, Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey, Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, General Health Survey, Dispositional Measure of Employability and Employee Retention Scale were administered. Exploratory Factor Analysis, Reliability Analyses, Descriptive Analyses and Regression Analysis were applied. Results: Significant relationships exist between the following variables: • A positive relationship exists between job resources and work engagement. • A positive relationship between the job demands, burnout and the three dimensions of the burnout. • A positive relationship between work engagement and dispositional employability. • A positive relationship between burnout and the intention to quit. • A negative relationship exists between work engagement and the intention to quit. • A negative relationship exists between the job resources and the intention to quit. • A negative relationship between the dispositional employability and the intention to quit. No significant relationships exist between the following: • No significant relationship exists between burnout and dispositional employability • No significant relationship exists between the job demands and the intention to quit. Mediator between variables: • From the Multiple Regression analysis conducted on the relationship between job resources and the intention to quit it was determined that dispositional employability was a statistically significant mediator for the relationship between the job resources and the intention to quit. Moderator between variables: • According to the Multiple Regression analysis conducted it was determined that dispositional employability was not a statistically significant moderator for the relationship between the job demands and the intention to quit. Practice Relevance: As far as could be determined, there have not been many studies conducted on the relationship between work stressors, work wellness and intention to quit in managers in a large mining organisation in South Africa. The study will attempt to identify if there is a significant relationship between the concepts, and makes a contribution to the body of knowledge surrounding the relationship between the three concepts in the South African context. Furthermore, the study of measures of organisational energy which can be applied in the South African context will assist those interested in the relationship between work stressors, work wellness and the intention to quit in the workplace.