Aangeleerde vernuf, koherensiesin en werkstevredenheid by werknemers in die suiwelbedryf

Abstract

Work is considered to be a necessary and unavoidable part of human existence. Workers' full potential is needed on every level in organisations. Job dissatisfaction is related to patterns of behaviour such as turnover, absence and coming late, whilst job satisfaction is related to behaviour that indicates a positive organisational orientation. Therefore an organisation can benefit by increasing its workers' job satisfaction. But job satisfaction is a complex variable and is influenced by situational factors of the job environment as well as dispositional characters of an individual. The aim of this study was to determine the possible connection between the dispositional factors learned resourcefulness and sense of coherence on the one hand, and job satisfaction on the other. Learned resourcefulness is described as a personality repertoire which enables individuals to regulate emotions, pain and cognitions by using certain patterns of behaviour and cognitive skills. Sense of coherence is described as a global orientation that expresses a pervasive, enduring though dynamic feeling of confidence that one's internal and external environments are predictable, manageable and meaningful and that things will work out as well as can reasonably be expected. A variety of factors that influence job satisfaction were listed and the consequences of job satisfaction and dissatisfaction were described shortly. A correlational design was used to test the research hypotheses. The research group was composed of 81 managers of an organisation in the dairy industry. They completed several questionnaires. The Minnesota satisfaction questionnaire was used to measure job satisfaction, whilst the Sense of Coherence Scale, Self-control Scale and Experiential Self-control Scale was used to measure sense of coherence and learned resourcefulness respectively. The results showed that there is a correlation between the sense of coherence and the job satisfaction of a worker. No connection could be found between learned resourcefulness and job satisfaction.