| Summary: | Tertiary institutions in South Africa have experienced radical changes in the past decades,
especially due to the change from technikons to universities of technology. These changes
created new mental and emotional demands for academic staff and placed them under
additional pressure. Problems experienced by tertiary institutions include constantly changing
systems, students from underprivileged backgrounds and decreased subsidies from the state.
These factors could lead to role overload and role conflict. The objective of this research was
to examine the relationships between individual indicators of work climate (job challenge
demand, role overload and role conflict, job satisfaction and pay satisfaction and social
support) and turnover intention. Further objectives included empirically determining if these
indicators of work climate can be used to predict turnover intention and to determine if social
support plays a moderating role in the translation of work climate in turnover intention.
A cross-sectional survey design was used. A convenience sample was taken from a South
African university of technology. Measuring instruments for all the variables of interest were
administered. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data. Finally, a structural
equation model was developed to explain the relations between the variables.
The results obtained for the scales proved that four of the seven specific measuring
instruments are reliable in terms of their specific use for employees in a South African
tertiary institution. Job challenge demand, quantitative role overload and role conflict were
less reliable. Results showed that when an employee feels that he/she has too much to do in
too little time, or if the task is too difficult to complete, he/she will experience lower levels of
job satisfaction which in turn may lead to higher levels of turnover intention. Social support
from the supervisor and colleagues increase job satisfaction. A moderating effect for social
support between work climate (role characteristics and satisfaction) and turnover intention
was demonstrated.
By way of conclusion, recommendations for future research were made. === Thesis (M.A. (Industrial Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.
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