It is no secret that every teenager comes with his or her own set of likes and dislikes and many of these can pose quite a challenge to their parents. Imagine making this challenge your job, as every secondary school teacher does. Dr Kleinjan Redelinghuys from the North-West University (NWU) looked at this group of individuals in their workplace in his PhD study entitled: Flourishing of teachers in secondary schools.

In his thesis, Dr Redelinghuys developed both short and long forms of measurement of workplace flourishing. He also investigated antecedents, outcomes and positive organisational practices associated with workplace flourishing.

His research provided a range of individual and organisational outcomes and made a significant contribution towards the science of industrial and organisational (IO) psychology. Dr Redelinghuys developed and validated a new long form of the Flourishing-at-Work Scale, by adding items of social well-being. His findings from a cross-sectional study indicates that flourishing at work mediates the relation between person-environment fit.

Dr Redelinghuys’ thesis also validated a 17-item Flourishing-at-Work Scale which provides a quick indication of teachers’ flourishing versus languishing at work. Not only did the study show that the short scale predicted important individual and organisational outcomes, but it also demonstrated that specific organisational practices in schools are associated with flourishing or languishing of teachers.

Utilising a longitudinal research design, the thesis also provided evidence that the fit between demands/abilities does not only affect flourishing at work, but that flourishing impacted employees and their perceptions of their fit.

About the researcher

The study earned Kleinjan Redelinghuys his PhD at the recent Autumn Graduation Ceremony of the NWU’s campus in Vanderbijlpark. His study was promoted by Prof Ian Rothmann in collaboration with Dr Elrie Botha.

Born on 24 February 1990 in Vereeniging, Kleinjan (Johannes Jacobus) matriculated from Hoërskool Vereeniging during 2008. Immediately after school, he enrolled for a BCom degree in industrial psychology (2009-2011), followed by a BComHons degree (2012) and a master’s degree (2013-2014). The title of his master’s dissertation was “Person-environment fit, job satisfaction and intentions to leave: The moderating effect of leader empowering behaviour”. Stemming from his masters’ study, he has co-authored one research publication to date. Despite his psychological background, he is currently pursuing a career in the accounting industry. 

Dr Kleinjan Redelinghuys is staying on at Optentia as postdoctoral fellow. 

 

Dr Kleinjan Redelinghuys